Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon and Black Cultural Nationalism, written by Harry Reed, serves to view Toni Morrison's novel through the prism of black cultural nationalism, as has supposedly never been done before. In his writings, Harry Reed gives a very accurate account of black cultural nationalism as well includes his beliefs of black cultural nationalism, specifically in relation to Toni Morrison's novel.
Reed describe's not just Song of Solomon but all of Morrison's novels and writings as "ripe with a cultural national thrust." While I have not read all of Morrison's writings, I can agree with Reed in that Song of Solomon does include a lot of the aspects of this nationalism. To give a brief idea and summarization of what Reed is talking about, black cultural nationalism served to centralize discussions of black religious freedom, organize black self-help efforts, and provided the first organized political defense of the black community.
In his work and in talking about Milkman, Reed states that "He was initiated into a sometimes brutal but often exhilarating and deeply satisfying cultural milieu. These new black people are different yet familiar. They accept their cultural distinctiveness, generally without apology. Milkman learns by experiencing the land, the people, and their ways." I completely agree with Reed's analysis of Milkman and his experiences. Throughout the novel, Milkman encounters countless numbers of characters, all with very different opinions, beliefs, and perspectives. Because Milkman was more privileged than some of his other friends in the novel, for example, he gains new insights through his conversations with others.
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