Question: Which writer was African-American, Patrick White or Ernest J. Gaines?
Context: A Lesson Before Dying Is Ernest J. Gaines' eighth novel, published in 1993.  While it is a fictional work, it is loosely based on the true story of Willie Francis, a young Black man sentenced to death by the electric chair twice in Louisiana, in 1945 and 1947. Patrick Victor Martindale White (28 May 191230 September 1990) was an Australian writer who is widely regarded as one of the most important English-language novelists of the 20th century.  From 1935 to 1987, he published twelve novels, three short-story collections and eight plays. Mitchell S. Jackson is an American writer based in New York City.  He is the author of the 2013 novel "The Residue Years", as well as "Oversoul" (2012), an ebook collection of essays and short stories.  Jackson is a Whiting Award recipient and a former winner of the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence He has also been the recipient of fellowships from TED and the Lannan Foundation.  Jackson is also a public speaker and documentarian.  He serves on the faculties of New York University and Columbia University. The Night the Prowler (also known as "Patrick White's The Night the Prowler") is a 1978 Australian film written by Patrick White, produced by Anthony Buckley and directed by Jim Sharman.  Ruth Cracknell was nominated in 1979 for an AFI Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role for her part. The Patrick White Award is an annual literary prize established by Patrick White.  White used his 1973 Nobel Prize in Literature award to establish a trust for this prize. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a 1974 made for television movie based on the novel of the same name by Ernest J. Gaines. Ernest James Gaines (born January 15, 1933) is an African-American author whose works have been taught in college classrooms and translated into many languages, including French, Spanish, German, Russian and Chinese.  Four of his works have been made into television movies. The Patrick White Playwrights' Award is an annual Australian literary award established jointly by the Sydney Theatre Company and "The Sydney Morning Herald" in honour of Patrick White's contribution to Australian theatre.  The award was launched in 2000 and in 2011, was amended to include the Patrick White Fellowship. In May 1948, the President of the Naval War College Admiral Raymond Spruance recommended a plan to establish a civilian professorship of maritime history at the Naval War College.  Approved by Secretary of the Navy John L. Sullivan (Navy) on 29 December 1948, the post was not filled “for lack of funds” until 1951, when Thomas C. Mendenhall of Yale University was appointed to the position.  In 1953, Secretary of the Navy Robert Bernard Anderson named the chair in honor of Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, recognizing King’s great personal interest in maritime history.  The Ernest J. King chair was named and first filled during the tenure of Professor Clarence H. Haring.  At that point, there was only one other named academic chair in the United States for the field of maritime history, that held by the Gardiner Professor of Oceanic History and Affairs established at Harvard University in 1948. The Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence is a national literary award designed to recognize rising African-American fiction writers.  It is underwritten by donors of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation in honor of the literary heritage provided by author Ernest J. Gaines.
Answer: Ernest James Gaines