The need to incorporate African oral literature into secondary-school black-studies curricula is expressed, and specific practical approaches are outlined. It is hoped that stereotypes about the primitiveness and simplicity of African cultures can be counteracted by the study of the complexity and variety within their oral traditions. The important roles of the oral tradition are socialization and transmission of values. Inclusion of the study of oral traditions will expand the scope of black studies into other subject areas--art, literature, music, drama, and speech--thereby facilitating greater student involvement in black culture. Also, students will see different kinds of relationships between various countries of the Americas, their black populations, and Africa. Extensive descriptions are given of the five general types of African oral literature: prose; poetry; drama; drum; and contemporary forms, such as popular songs and films. For each general type, the author suggests books appropriate for secondary-school curriculum and he stresses the importance of hearing the literature, not just reading it. (Author/AV)