African-American literature should be about free expression

Writing for propaganda restricts the Black artist from writing freely about the Black experience. Instead of writing about Black people for Black people, propaganda literature (despite its intention of writing for racial equality) is writing about Black people for White people. ^[2] Having social mobility (or political propaganda) as the main motivator for being a writer means that they are bound to writing for and towards people who need to be convinced that Black lives are worthy. Because of the U.S.'s systemic racism, Black American artists have had to "prove" their worth through literature and art. However, Black art should not be tied to the necessity of "proving" themselves. African-American literature—by its own merit of being created by a human with a distinct, important cultural heritage—stands alone and is fiercely individual in the face of a White audience who may try to flatten the representation of Black lives or deny African-American literary worth.

[P1] The purpose of art is free expression. [P2] Black artists have unique traditions and backgrounds to draw from, which makes their art meaningful (even if not intentionally political).