Is African-American Literature a Fad?

How can we keep literature and the arts from going out of fashion?

A good book about the Harlem Renaissance is When Harlem Was in Vogue by David Levering Lewis. Since the Harlem Renaissance is so important in African-American literature, I'll probably refer to this book again in another article. However, for right now, I just want to make a few mentions about the title. So for the moment, forget that the book is about the Harlem Renaissance.

Does the spirit of the title evoke images of African Americans as being a fad at the whim of others, or even of ourselves? Our serious writers, visual artists, performing artists, and other black creative people spend years developing their philosophies and the techniques of their art. What is it in our society that allows their work to pass in and out like the latest sneakers?

Of course, it could be the writers or artists themselves. Perhaps their work doesn't speak to us anymore. But how many times have we looked for an African-American "classic" only to find it's out of print because a publishing company has decided it hasn't sold enough copies when it was in print. Fortunately, many of these books are being reprinted. If you care about this gradual republishing trend, support it.

With the news and controversy lately about the new Survivor television series with various races and American ethnic groups fighting to the finish, it has become clear how the perceived profit motive can be the real winner in any battle for ethics in American media-including publishing. So apparently, as a group, we are whatever we buy into financially in literature and the arts. What have you supported today?