African American issues

The writer, known for her ongoing series of autobiographies, is one of this country's leading black female poets. She talks with Fresh Air guest host Marty Moss-Coane about how she switches between prose and poetry, and the formal, respectful modes of communication she prefers in the classroom and other professional contexts -- which Angelou says is an integral part of the African American community.

Novelist Reginald McKnight. His first novel,"Moustapha's Eclipse" was praised for its original voice about the struggle for black identity. It also won the 1988 Drue Heinz Literature Prize. McKnight has a new novel, "I Get On the Bus," (published by Little, Brown).

Writer Walter Mosley. His first book, "Devil In A Blue Dress," is a hard boiled detective story starring a black gumshoe up against white prejudice. It's published by Norton.

Byllye Avery of the National Black Women's Health Project.

Historian John Hope Franklin. Years before there were any black history departments, Franklin was researching the stories of free-blacks in the antebellum south. His interest in black history began while he was a graduate student in the 1930's. Since then he has written a number of books on the subject. His latest book "Race and History," is a collection of essays written between 1938 and 1988. Franklin is Professor of Legal History at Duke University.

Cinematographer Ernest Dickerson. He's been director of photography for all of Spike Lee's films, starting when they were students together in New York University's graduate film program. Dickerson has also been cinematographer for John Sayles' "Brother From Another Planet" and "Raw: Eddy Murphy Live."

Journalist Itabari Njeri (it-tah-BAR-ay en-jerry). Her new book, "Every Good-bye Ain't Gone," is a touching and at times humorous memoir of growing up black in Harlem and Brooklyn during the 50s.

Documentary Producer Henry Hampton. In 1987 he produced the prize-winning documentary series on PBS, "Eyes on the Prize." The series documented the civil rights movement from 1954 to 1965. The New York Times' Walter Goodman called the series, "a moving documentary" in which "the nobility of America's civil-rights struggle comes through with the directness and strength of a spiritual." It's sequel, "Eyes on the Prize II," is now being broadcast and covers the movement from 1965 to the 1980s.

Actor Tom Hulce. He was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Mozart in the movie "Amadeus," and for a Golden Globe for his role as brain-damaged garbage man in "Dominick & Eugene." More recently, Hulce played the black-sheep of the family in "Parenthood." Next week, Hulce stars in "Murder in Mississippi," a made-for-TV movie about the freedom summer.

Photographer Bert Andrews. Since the early '50s, Andrews has been photographing the African-American theatre. There's now a collection of Andrews' photos, called "In The Shadow of the Great White Way: Images From the Black Theatre."