ABSTRACT
The eclectic legacy bears significantly on both the study and durability of nationalist literary works, since as a general rule the works are bound to the political theory which gave rise to them and the critical standards by which they were judged. Houston Baker's remarks suggest that given the cyclic nature of black political thought, revivals of nationalism are likely to result in revivals of nationalist literary works of the 1960s, since a defining characteristic of 1960s nationalism is the conjunction of political thought and artistic production. Inculcating the rebellious youth of the 1960s with nationalist sentiment was a far easier task than would be that of turning gangs into a fighting revolutionary force for black liberation. In comparison, black institutions of higher education, though also middle-class in outlook, do offer fertile ground for nationalist sentiment, particularly being located, as many are, the areas of black communities where the masses live.
