In this groundbreaking work, Patrice D. Rankine asserts that the classics need not be a mark of Eurocentrism, as they have long been considered. Instead, the classical tradition can be part of a self-conscious, prideful approach to African American culture, esthetics, and identity. Ulysses in Black demonstrates that, similar to their white counterparts, African American authors have been students of classical languages, literature, and mythologies by such writers as Homer, Euripides, and Seneca.

Ulysses in Black closely analyzes classical themes (the nature of love and its relationship to the social, Dionysus in myth as a parallel to the black protagonist in the American scene, misplaced Ulyssean manhood) as seen in the works of such African American writers as Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and Countee Cullen. Rankine finds that the merging of a black esthetic with the classics—contrary to expectations throughout American culture—has often been a radical addressing of concerns including violence against blacks, racism, and oppression. Ultimately, this unique study of black classicism becomes an exploration of America’s broader cultural integrity, one that is inclusive and historic.

Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Magazine

"Ulysses in Black is a powerful and pioneering study that creatively links the rich traditions of classical antiquity to contemporary black thought. I highly recommend it."—Cornel West, Princeton University

"At last—Patrice D. Rankine's model study gives us the literary methodology needed to think about black classicism vis-à-vis the Ulysses theme in the writings of Ralph Ellison and Toni Morrison. More important, he gives us a 'lens' for seeing what thoughtful literary analysis of black classicism reveals about our national psyche."—Michele Valerie Ronnick, Wayne State University