Joyce A. Joyce’s powerful and insightful writing, ‘The Black Canon: Reconstructing Black American Literary Criticism’ tastefully divulges into the identity of Black authors and the significance within the history and story behind each of them. The acceptance of a Black writer was not always accepted, it was as though nothing more than their pain and tribulations would be printed onto paper. To be successful without a white publisher behind the author was difficult. It was this struggle that enlisted the two very different opinions of professors Lock and Wright. Joyce divulged into their two different perspectives. 

Professor Locke believed in the importance of sharing the historical oppression African Americans faced stating “ The black writer is the point of consciousness of his language.” (Page. 337)  Locke wrote that the true understanding of what it was to be a black American was not fully grasped by white Americans, hence the importance of sharing it. Wright, however, believed in assimilating into White American culture and creating new literature. “ .. the mode and pitch of Negro literary expression would alter as soon as the altitude of the nation toward the Negro changed.” (page. 338) Wright believed that white American’s were beginning to accept black writing, meaning a change in the literary topics should begin. The difference however between cultural appropriation and appreciation is a thin line, white Americans were not accepting black cultural but taking it. Hence why only the struggles of black Americans are exposed. 

It is important to expose all types of black authors, authors that write sci-fi novels but also discuss the recurring social issues. It should be up to the author to discuss and describe the stories they wish to write about. A line from Joyce’s critique that stood out was “ …nothing is ever fully present in signs: it is an illusion for me to believe that I am fully present to you in what I say or write”(page. 342) Language is an important part of one’s self, too many it is their identity and allows for them to express themselves, however, it may not always show the true power that it possesses. Writing and expression go hand in hand, and the significance of it is outstanding, but the true power is in one’s mind and thoughts.