The most significant literary trend between 1980 and 2000 was the

A) emergence of black playwrights as the leading figures in American theater.
B) emergence of black men as the leading authors of the day.
C) emergence of black women as the leading authors of the day.
D) disappearance of race consciousness from most black authors' works.

The period between 1980 and 2000 saw a significant rise in the prominence of black women authors, who became leading figures in literature. Authors like Toni Morrison, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, and Alice Walker, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983 for "The Color Purple," are prime examples of this trend. Their works, along with those of other black women writers, brought to the forefront issues of race, gender, and identity, marking a significant shift in the literary landscape.