African Americans Who Were First

Explores some of the greatest African-American acheivers in history, such Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American to win an Oscar, and Bessie Coleman, the first African-American to earn a pilot's license.

Grade 4 Up. A collection of biographical notes about African Americans whose achievements in their fields are not usually covered in collective biographies for young readers. Most entries are only one-page long; many are accompanied by black-and-white photos. The table of contents lists five categories that, unfortunately, do little to indicate the diversity of talents in the book. "First African Americans" presents 18th-century figures such as poet Phillis Wheatley and doctor James Derham; "African Americans Today" summarizes first contributors of the 20th century such as Poet Laureate Rita Dove, Nobel Prize in Literature winner Toni Morrison, and police chief Beverly Harvard. There are some errors. Arthur Ashe is listed as the first to win a major tennis title. That honor goes to Althea Gibson, who was the first African American to win at Wimbleton and Forest Hills. Another error is the title of the song by Thomas A. Dorsey, which is "Precious Lord, Take My Hand." Pass on this one and hope for a corrected edition in the future.?Marie Wright, University Library, Indianapolis, IN
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A sound-bite presentation of 65 African-Americans who were ``first'' at something. Potter and Claytor urge readers ``to let the lives of these courageous people guide you in setting your own goals.'' The list begins in the American colonies and continues on to the present: Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American to publish a book, in 1773; James Derham, the first African-American doctor; Alexander Twilight, the first African-American to earn a college degree, in 1823, at Middlebury College; Toni Morrison, the first African-American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature. Each vignette begins with a caption of that person's ``first,'' but these are limiting, and do not always illustrate the featured person's real importance. Harriet Tubman is called the ``first African-American woman to appear on a postage stamp''; only in the middle of the page-long biographical information is the Underground Railroad mentioned. Similarly, Booker T. Washington is featured as the ``first African-American to have his portrait on a postage stamp,'' perhaps because his other successes do not lend themselves to a quick caption. A worthy listing, but only a first stop on the way to further research. (b&w photos, index, not seen) (Nonfiction. 9-13) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.