Those of us concerned about the political destiny of the African American people, and who love the brilliance and the beauty of the African American tradition, should, of course, be concerned about the images of Black people circulated in literature and art and music. But first and foremost, we have to fight for the freedom of the artist to create their literary worlds unencumbered by those who would censor art for “political reasons,” even when we most disagree with the contours or politics of the artistic world that that artist has created and represented.
