August Wilson was the first African American playwright to have a Broadway theater bear his name: a fitting tribute to a dramatist who brought African American culture and lived experience to the stage. In this course, we will read, watch, and examine the first five plays in Wilson's American Cycle, a ten-play series representing each decade of the African American culture's 20th century. We will explore Wilson's life and the influences behind his work while focusing on 'Gem of the Ocean,' 'Joe Turner's Come and Gone,' 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' and 'Seven Guitars,' tracing his powerful interpretation, celebration, and perseveration of African American culture.