{"id":204264,"date":"2026-03-24T18:43:06","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T18:43:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/204264\/"},"modified":"2026-03-24T18:43:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T18:43:06","slug":"why-black-literature-still-matters-in-a-scrolling-generation-the-famuan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/204264\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Black\u00a0literature\u00a0still\u00a0matters in a\u00a0scrolling\u00a0generation \u2013 The FAMUAN"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Students indulging in Black literature. (Seanna Miller\/FAMUAN)<\/p>\n

In an era dominated by scrolling and short attention spans, some Florida A&M University students are choosing to\u00a0turn\u00a0pages instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLately, I have been on this journey of putting down TikTok and Instagram so that I can start reading more,\u201d said Steven Pierre, a graduate student studying health administration at FAMU. \u201cThe less Black literature is indulged in, I think we start losing our essence as people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

As national literacy rates decline and digital media consumption rises, scholars say Black literature\u00a0remains\u00a0a critical tool for preserving cultural identity and cultivating empathy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to data from\u00a0the National Endowment for the Arts<\/a>\u00a0fewer American\u00a0adults\u00a0report reading literature for pleasure compared to\u00a0previous\u00a0decades,\u00a0a trend educators say is especially concerning as culturally diverse voices fight to remain centered in classrooms and curricula.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Professor April McCray, who teaches American\u00a0literature at FAMU, tells her students on the first day of class that reading Black\u00a0literature is crucial in helping you garner empathy for your neighbors.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBlack literature is important for not only Black people, but for all Americans,\u201d McCray said. \u201cThe\u00a0numerous\u00a0contributions made by artists of African descent help elevate the consciousness of all people. Black literature continues to resonate across generations because\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0spiritual and universal.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Torren Manning, a FAMU\u00a0alumna, African American literature\u00a0represents\u00a0more than stories of struggle,\u00a0it\u00a0represents\u00a0survival and self-definition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe transformation of pain in African American literature is very prevalent,\u201d Manning said. \u201cAlthough I am tired of the Black struggle story being projected in our literature, I do think\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0important.\u00a0\u2026 I love to see authors transform that pain into a story of triumph and strength and the beauty in the\u00a0suffering,\u00a0and\u00a0also\u00a0a life beyond that suffering.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Manning says\u00a0reading authors such as James Baldwin and Toni Morrison helped her see herself reflected in ways she had not before.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you know your identity, you walk and show up in the world differently,\u201d she said. \u201cFor a group to know their power even in the suffering,\u00a0that\u2019s powerful.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pierre agrees, comparing Black literature to music that transcends generations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou listen to a song from back then, and you get the same feelings,\u201d he said. \u201cIt keeps us tied to our essence. It keeps us knowing who we are.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In classrooms and quiet dorm rooms, the act of reading Black literature becomes an act of resistance,\u00a0and of empathy. As McCray reminds her students, stepping into someone else\u2019s story teaches them how to step into someone else\u2019s shoes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAfrican literature is impactful because when you know your identity, you walk and show up in the world differently,\u201d\u00a0Mccray\u00a0said.\u00a0\u201cEspecially when you know your history, you can dictate your future and stand on paths that were laid out for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Students indulging in Black literature. (Seanna Miller\/FAMUAN) In an era dominated by scrolling and short attention spans, some…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":204265,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[232,234,233],"class_list":["post-204264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=204264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/204264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/204265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=204264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=204264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=204264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}