How Phillis Wheatley Used Poetry to Prove Black Humanity

CrashCourse

This episode of Crash Course Black American History explores the remarkable life and legacy of Phillis Wheatley, the first English-speaking Black person to publish a book. It details her journey from being kidnapped in West Africa as a child to becoming a celebrated poet in colonial Boston. The video examines how her literacy and literary success challenged the prevailing racist ideologies of the 18th century, which often denied the intellectual humanity of enslaved people. The narrative contextualizes Wheatley's work within the Great Awakening religious movement and the American Revolutionary era. It highlights the tension between her acclaim as a "poetic genius" and the harsh criticism from figures like Thomas Jefferson, who dismissed her talent to maintain theories of racial inferiority. The video also introduces other early Black authors and places Wheatley's work in conversation with the broader Western literary canon. For educators, this video serves as a powerful bridge between English Language Arts and History. It provides concrete examples of Black resilience and agency during the colonial era, moving beyond simple narratives of victimization. It offers opportunities to analyze primary source poetry, discuss the historical social construction of race and intelligence, and trace the lineage of Black literary tradition from the 18th century to modern hip-hop.