Every February, time is set aside to celebrate and remember African American history. This tradition was first started as an effort to get the public to recognize black history as American history. That effort was won and the tradition continues on every year during the entire month of February. As a way to prepare to celebrate this rich culture, I suggest picking up a few black history books.
Slavery haunts the people of our country and has a profound presence in African American culture. The book When I Was a Slave: Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection By Norman Yetman is a collection of stories told by former slaves. These first hand accounts of the bondage of slavery provide eye opening revelations to this time period. The stories are simple, yet heartbreaking.
Tom Feelings is able to capture the story of slavery so powerfully that he doesn't even need words. His book The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo is a picture book for adults that's filled with amazingly moving paintings. The paintings are dark and graphic, while depicting the stories of brutality that slaves endured while traveling through the middle passage. The book will touch your heart and give a connection to the people of this time.
A fun read for almost anyone is a collection of poems titled Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson. Nelson uses poetry to share the life story of George Washington Carver and all of his contributions to science. She gives details of his childhood, how his life work came to be, and of the great honor he received upon his death. The poems are accompanied by beautiful black and white photographs.
The civil rights movement gave birth to many heroes for the black race, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Being one of the most famous. An amazing read about him is The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Edited by Clayborne Carson. The book is a collection of Dr. King's own written works, including speeches, that connect together to create his life story. Carson also writes some pieces added to the book to create a more complete story.
Another historical figure of this movement was Malcolm X. He had a different approach then Dr. King, and was sometimes considered controversial and radical. Nevertheless, Malcolm X made great strides for racial equality. Walter Dean Myers' book Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary sheds light on this leader and his life story. The story is fascinating, unbiased, and reveals more than what's generally known of him.
Black history also has its place in politics. The book Mississippi Challenge by Mildred Pitts Walter details some the racial biased politics that overpowered Mississippi from the slave days through the civil rights era. She begins with how slavery became so popular in this state and continues on to the fight for equality, despite political barriers set in place. The book provides factual history to back up every story told.
Black history books often depict stories of courageous heroes, overcoming impossible obstacles. It details a rich culture with deep historical roots. These are just a handful of great written works, many more can be easily found.
Slavery haunts the people of our country and has a profound presence in African American culture. The book When I Was a Slave: Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection By Norman Yetman is a collection of stories told by former slaves. These first hand accounts of the bondage of slavery provide eye opening revelations to this time period. The stories are simple, yet heartbreaking.
Tom Feelings is able to capture the story of slavery so powerfully that he doesn't even need words. His book The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo is a picture book for adults that's filled with amazingly moving paintings. The paintings are dark and graphic, while depicting the stories of brutality that slaves endured while traveling through the middle passage. The book will touch your heart and give a connection to the people of this time.
A fun read for almost anyone is a collection of poems titled Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson. Nelson uses poetry to share the life story of George Washington Carver and all of his contributions to science. She gives details of his childhood, how his life work came to be, and of the great honor he received upon his death. The poems are accompanied by beautiful black and white photographs.
The civil rights movement gave birth to many heroes for the black race, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Being one of the most famous. An amazing read about him is The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Edited by Clayborne Carson. The book is a collection of Dr. King's own written works, including speeches, that connect together to create his life story. Carson also writes some pieces added to the book to create a more complete story.
Another historical figure of this movement was Malcolm X. He had a different approach then Dr. King, and was sometimes considered controversial and radical. Nevertheless, Malcolm X made great strides for racial equality. Walter Dean Myers' book Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary sheds light on this leader and his life story. The story is fascinating, unbiased, and reveals more than what's generally known of him.
Black history also has its place in politics. The book Mississippi Challenge by Mildred Pitts Walter details some the racial biased politics that overpowered Mississippi from the slave days through the civil rights era. She begins with how slavery became so popular in this state and continues on to the fight for equality, despite political barriers set in place. The book provides factual history to back up every story told.
Black history books often depict stories of courageous heroes, overcoming impossible obstacles. It details a rich culture with deep historical roots. These are just a handful of great written works, many more can be easily found.
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