African American Literature expands and diversifies into a wide array of styles and genres, but still takes on the growing cultural and economic divide between whites and blacks. 1969-Maya Angelou writes her autobiography 1976-Toni Cade Bambara publishes Gorilla, My Love 1972-Alice Childress, A Hero Ain't Nothing but a Sandwich 1975-Ed Bullins premieres The Taking of Miss Janie 1976-Alex Haley's groundbreaking Roots 1982-Gloria Naylor celebrates the Black Woman