Black Heritage Sites: An African-American Odyssey and Finder's Guide - Hardcover

Curtis, Nancy C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0838906435 ISBN 13: 9780838906439

Publisher: ALA Editions, 1995

Synopsis

Named a Choice "Outstanding Academic Book, " this comprehensive guide locates and offers detailed information about significant places and points of reference in African American history.

About this title

About the Author:

Curtis was an assistant professor of early childhood education at Boston University and, since 1989, has been coordinator of Black Student Achievement Programs for the Anchorage Alaska School District.

From Booklist:

Even with three guides to sites related to black history, the oldest published only five years ago, the field has not been exhausted. Although all three books overlap, they each provide unique information. Beth Savage's African American Historic Places (Preservation, 1994) lists only those sites enrolled in the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places. Topical chapters cover the 800 that fall within that scope. George Cantor's Historic Landmarks of Black America (Gale, 1991) is to a great degree a travel planner.

Both Cantor and Curtis, the author of this latest title, organize sites geographically, albeit in different progressions. Both books describe each site's significance and provide information on public access policies, hours of operation, and admission charges. Cantor also provides directions to many of the sites by car. Curtis, on the other hand, explains how and when she verified information, in some cases by a telephone call, but in many by a personal visit. Indeed, Curtis' book began as a personal odyssey to reconnect with her heritage. Her work can be used as a travel guide, but it is also a research guide, for it includes museums and libraries that, although not primarily devoted to the preservation and study of black culture, offer material useful to researchers in that field. In addition to these institutions, Curtis describes schools, churches, houses, parks, slave quarters, statues, monuments, and historic districts. Each state's chapter concludes with a helpful list of works consulted. The thorough index lists sites by type, topic, location, and name. Several inserts of black-and-white photographs show typical sites.

Curtis' descriptions provide more depth than those in the other books. This attribute makes it the source of choice for information about black heritage sites. However, since the other books describe sites Curtis' book does not include, all three play a role in covering an important topic too long neglected.

About this edition

• Publisher: ALA Editions
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0838906435
• ISBN 13: 9780838906439
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 575