▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁such ▁as ▁Phill is ▁Whe at ley ▁and ▁O la ud ah ▁Equ iano . ▁These ▁authors ▁reached ▁early ▁high ▁points ▁by ▁telling ▁slave ▁narr atives . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁Har lem ▁Renaissance , ▁numerous ▁authors ▁and ▁po ets , ▁such ▁as ▁Lang ston ▁Hugh es , ▁W . ▁E . ▁B . ▁Du ▁Bo is , ▁and ▁Book er ▁T . ▁Washington , ▁gra pp led ▁with ▁how ▁to ▁respond ▁to ▁disc rim ination ▁in ▁America . ▁Auth ors ▁during ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Mov ement , ▁such ▁as ▁Richard ▁Wright , ▁James ▁Bald win , ▁and ▁G wend ol yn ▁Bro oks ▁wrote ▁about ▁issues ▁of ▁ra cial ▁seg reg ation , ▁opp ression , ▁and ▁other ▁aspects ▁of ▁African - American ▁life . ▁This ▁tradition ▁continues ▁today ▁with ▁authors ▁who ▁have ▁been ▁accepted ▁as ▁an ▁integral ▁part ▁of ▁American ▁literature , ▁with ▁works ▁such ▁as ▁Ro ots : ▁The ▁S aga ▁of ▁an ▁American ▁Family ▁by ▁Alex ▁H ale y , ▁The ▁Color ▁Pur ple ▁by ▁Alice ▁Walker , ▁Bel oved ▁by ▁Nobel ▁Prize - win ning ▁T oni ▁Mor r ison , ▁and ▁fiction ▁works ▁by ▁Oct avia ▁Butler ▁and ▁Walter ▁Mos ley . ▁Such ▁works ▁have ▁achieved ▁both ▁best - s elling ▁and / or ▁award - win ning ▁status . ▁ ▁Museum s ▁ ▁The ▁African - American ▁Museum ▁Mov ement ▁emer ged ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 6