Photo source: http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/collections/3/african-american-literature/
As a way to battle racial inequality and advocate for anti-slavery laws during the Civil War era, African American men and women turned to writing. The slave narrative was a popular form of this advocacy as it allowed former or current slaves to give their readers the ugly truth of the enslaved South with a personal touch. While not a slave narrative, The Curse of Caste; or The Slave Bride does carry significant historical weight and value. Though it has only recently become rediscovered and recovered, it is considered by many scholars to be the first novel written and published by an African American woman. One of the more prestigious titles any type of work can be awarded is that of “first.” The issues of slavery and racism that were featured in what was written and published are still worthy of learning about today.