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Share your favorite book about African American history and let's see how many new books we can find or what we have in common.
@sp67275981 wrote:The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson was a wonderful book about the great migration of southern blacks north. As a white woman it gave me great insight on the struggle of this journey.
This! Such a great book.
Number 1 on my list of favorites is: "From Slavery to Freedom," by John Hope Franklin. It was the textbook used for my African American History class, when I was an Under Grad. at Johnson C. Smith Univ. I
Years later, when I taught a college course in African American History, I used a much later edition of that same book, as one of my assigned books for my students.
I have many, since Black history is my field. To list a few:
Black Majority, Peter Woods
Down by the Riverside, Charles Joyner
Both of these deal with slavery in the South Carolina Lowcountry
Probably my favourite is Someone Knows My Name, known in Canada as The Book of Negroes
It's the story of an old Black woman, who is asked to write the story of her capture, enslavement, and escape from slavery for English Abolitionists. It's truly incredible and unforgettable.
Right now, I'm reading a two-volume biography of Paul Robeson, written by his son. The pair is The Undiscovered Paul Robeson; the first volume is An Artist's Journey, 1898-1939 and the second is Quest for Freedom, 1939-1976. These days, Robeson is not well known. I find him inspiring and fearless as well as exceptionally talented as a singer, actor, and public speaker. I would love to have met the man at any time in his life. Yet, I will be surprised if he gets much attention during Black History Month.
"Race Against Time" by Jerry Mitchell. An investigation into the murders of James Chaney, Medgar Evers and the bombing of the 16th Street Church during the Civil Rights Movement.
"The 1619 Project" detailing the beginning of slavery in August 1619 A New York Times podcast hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones.
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