Toni Cade Bambara

Tradition is an integral aspect of preserving any culture and tying communities together. One of Toni Cade Bambara’s greatest contributions to the African American community was her emphasis on preserving tradition, particularly through language and folk-lore. Her political activism is interspersed in her writings as she speaks out for the plight of black women and social justice. In her short story, ‘Gorilla, My Love,’ Bambaras use of a very specific dialect of language speaks to preserving the black speech and storytelling forms of the past. She writes extensively about her little brother, Baby Jason, that, “he is my blood brother and understands that we must stick together or be forever lost, what with grown-ups playin change-up and turnin you round every which way so bad. And don’t even say they sorry.” This proclamation of a need to stick together echoes a larger message to other members of the Black Arts Movement and also, perhaps, to the genders.