More Than 200 Years of Extraordinary Writing by African Americans

Grade 5 Up--Hudson highlights the words of 36 well-known African-American men and women from colonial to contemporary times. Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. DuBois, Mary McLeod Bethune, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Thurgood Marshall, and Toni Morrison are among the featured individuals. Marian Wright Edelman provides the foreword and is profiled later on in the book. Hudson bases his book on the writings of the subjects themselves, taken directly from speeches, books, essays, articles, letters, poems, and songs. The passages reflect the culture and conditions of the times, taking into account issues of slavery, discrimination, racism, and the growth and development of the African-American community. Most of the entries include a full-page, black-and-white drawing of the subject. For each one, Hudson gives a brief introduction to set the scene. Following each excerpt is a biographical sketch, as well as individual or public responses. The strength of this book rests on its illumination of the power of words to question, educate, inspire, and empower.--Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
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Gr. 5-9. In this handsome, large-format book, black history in the U.S. unfolds through the words of those who shaped and experienced it. The well-chosen title gives Hudson wide latitude in selecting passages that will inform and inspire readers. He offers selections from 34 writings and speeches by African Americans, famous and not, stretching from the late eighteenth century to the present. Samuel B. Cornish and John Russwurm explain why they are starting Freedom's Journal. Thurgood Marshall argues Brown v. Board of Education before the Supreme Court. Malcolm X addresses African American teenagers. Toni Morrison accepts the Nobel Prize for literature. Short enough to hold attention, the selections, accompanied by information about the context and the writer, are also long enough to show the writers' tone and style. Many sensitive full-page portraits are included; also provided are a chronology of African American history and detailed source notes for the numerous excerpts quoted in the text. Given the increased emphasis on primary source documents in history classes, this well-designed volume will be an excellent addition to many library collections. Carolyn Phelan
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