Panel raises questions on African American writing

"Afro-American generosity begins in the community and is given out to the world," lecturer Lorene Cary proclaimed yesterday at the Annenberg School for Communication during her moderation of the final program in the Mosaic of Black Writing series. The panel focused on the discussion of critical dialogue in black writing and featured a distinguished panel of University professors, including English professors Houston Baker, Herman Beavers, Ines Salazar and Farah Griffin, and Romance Language Professor Lydie Moudileno. The members of the panel, who took great care in explaining their strong bonds as friends and co-workers, presented their intellectual journeys into black writing and specific concerns about its progress. Salazar said her first experience with African American literature was with Langston Hughes' "Harlem." She explained that the poem unlocked the door for her to a world of rich social tradition and self-expression that she feels is crucial to America. "Black writing should be viewed as a beacon in these urgent times," Salazer said. "We need to think about what it was and is and what it might be." Moudileno supported Salazer's comments, but proceeded to question the lack of African and Caribbean texts that are available to Americans. "We need to look more at black writing from other countries," Moudileno said, urging people to become involved in translations that make exposure to other cultures possible. Beavers discussed the odyssey of black men in America, relating it to poetic form. "We're currently at a crossroads," Beavers said, adding that blacks in America are in danger of returning to a state whereby men speak for women and women do not speak. Griffin raised the question of what literature teaches people about the current moment and what factors contribute to what books are purchased and read. She explained that despite the fact that big name bookstores such as Borders and Barnes and Noble are carrying an increasingly large number of black authors, she remains skeptical of the true availability of black writings. "We can not allow our definitions of black writers to be limited by the market," Griffin said. "Literary history shows that texts receiving the most attention in the mainstream media are not necessarily the best works available." Griffin stressed the need for further venues through which black writers who do not fit into society's trends can showcase their work. Baker highlighted the importance of the discourse taking place in the space of the University. He emphasized the need to build institutions, such as the University, as a way of creating progress for black writers. "We don't want someone to say 25 years from now that they remember how we once had some black officials at this school," he said. The discussion came to a close as the faculty members answered questions from the audience. One audience member questioned how the panel perceived black intellectuals. "That's a good question," Griffin answered. "We should contemplate why we even have to ask that."