Representing Community of Africanness in August Wilson's Drama

Abstract As a seminal figure in African American drama, August Wilson dedicated his entire career to portraying community of Africanness in his plays. Despite his consistent advocacy for this concept in public addresses, Wilson never provided a rigid or prescriptive definition of community of Africanness. This article argues that community of Africanness is an ethnographic marker distinguishing African‐descended peoples, including African Americans, from other cultural groups. In Wilson's drama, community of Africanness aligns closely with his black aesthetics, which encompass his perspectives on history, music, religion, ritual, and myth—particularly those of African and African American communities. These cultural elements are intricately woven into nearly every play in Wilson's Pittsburgh Cycle, establishing him as a prominent voice for African Americans since the Harlem Renaissance.