The Influence of African American Oratory on Later Literature

There are many aspects of the early African American oral traditions that can help us understand the literature that is later published concerning the struggle the slaves faced. The proverbs, folk cries, work songs, spirituals, and folk tales give us a better understanding of the literature that is later developed. The oratory from this period helps us understand the religion, culture, and style of African Americans and the literature they have developed as slaves and …

…oratory tradition of their enslaved ancestors. Many aspects of modern African American culture, including literature, have been borrowed from the early slave oral works. Traces of the proverbs, folk cries, work songs, spirituals, and folk tales from two hundred and fifty years ago can still be found in all aspects of modern African American culture today. These works continue to help us understand the struggle the slaves faced, and what they have done to overcome