The first of its kind, this volume presents the largest, most inclusive multi-genre anthology of contemporary (1970 to the present) African-American and Caribbean-American literature available. Unlike all other collections of contemporary Black literature (which are genre-specific), this volume includes works from all genres—fiction, poetry, drama, essays, speeches, and mixed-genre works—by important, well-known authors as well as by significant lesser-known authors, many never previously anthologized. It comprehensively captures the breadth, the scope, the depth, and the impact of contemporary African-American literature.