The Black Power Movement shaped African American Literature by defining Black Culture

The Black Power Movement shaped African American Literature by defining Black Culture

The Black Power Movement shaped African American Literature by defining Black Culture. It created a strong black culture for African Americans, being something they were familiar with it consisted of soulful music, eccentric fashion and heartfelt literature. The Black power movement did not only result in a change of mindset, it also resulted in a change of lifestyle. The standard of beauty, art and culture had previously been judged by white artistic and cultural expressions, but now blacks are encouraged to be proud of their history, culture, and identity and celebrate their uniqueness. The pride in their black identity encouraged some African American people to change their names and adopted African names instead. Some other African Americans chose to wear the traditional African clothes. Hairstyles such as the Afro also began to be popular after this movement. Black is beautiful was a cultural movement that began in the 1960s. The main aim of this movement was to change the dominant idea that black people’s natural features such as skin color, hair, and facial features were not attractive. This also helped the African Americans realize that they were beautiful and that they did not need to hide their natural features to conform to the white idea of beauty. They wrote in African American Vernacular in connection to their ancestors and history.