Marta's Reading InSight number 11

February is BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
Here are some of our newest titles.

A SMALL NATION OF PEOPLE: W.E.B.DU BOIS & AFRICAN AMERICAN PORTRAITS OF PROGRESS Published by the Library of Congress, these beautiful portraits were Du Bois' contribution to the Exposition Universalle de 1900 in Paris. 150 Victorian photographs of diverse black Americans and their ways of life counter the stereotyping of the era and foretell the future.
ALIENABLE RIGHTS: THE EXCLUSION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN A WHITE MAN'S LAND, 1619-2000
by Francis D. Adams & Barry Sanders
The authors contend that the drive for African American equality has never had the support of the majority of white Americans and that brief efforts to attain equality have always been followed by attempts to restore white privilege.
ERASING RACISM: THE SURVIVAL OF THE AMERICAN NATION
by Molefi Kete Asante
The author sees America as a divided land- a white land of promise, with the blacks in the wilderness. For America to continue as a cohesive society, the wrongs of the past must be redressed. Reparations and apologies for a history of mistreatment must be a part of the truth and reconciliation that will heal the racial divide.
HER DREAM OF DREAMS: THE RISE AND TRIUMPH OF MADAM C.J. WALKER
by Beverly Lowry
The first female self-made millionaire, Madam Walker created a cosmetics empire that carried her from the antebellum South child of ex-slaves to the Harlem Renaissance philanthropist and champion of women's rights. Biography with panache by the talented Lowry.
ESCAPING THE DELTA: ROBERT JOHNSON AND THE INVENTION OF THE BLUES
by Elijah Ward
Virtually ignored in his lifetime (the 1930's), Johnson was later hailed as the father of the blues. From rural folk art to African American pop style, Wald intertwines the romantic legend and the actual history of this unique music.
GROWING UP X: A MEMOIR BY THE DAUGHTER OF MALCOLM X
by Ilyasah Shabazz
A candid tribute to her parents, Shabazz reveals how the family survived and adapted after the assassination of Malcolm X. An extraordinary life told with courageous honesty.
AMERICA BEHIND THE COLOR LINE: DIALOGUES WITH AFRICAN AMERICANS
by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Gates interviewed 44 individuals from different parts of the African American community for this portrayal (companion to the PBS Documentary.) From the privileged to the incarcerated, from the interracial couple to the single mother, from "Black Hollywood" to the "New South", honest talk reveals where we are and where we need to go.
OSCAR ROBERTSON: THE BIG O: MY LIFE, MY TIMES, MY GAME
by Oscar Robertson
The greatest all-around player in basketball history starts his story with his great-grandfather (7'2"tall), raised in slavery, but never beaten like the others because he was the master's son. It ends with the retired Robertson as part of the winning suit against professional basketball associations to assure a competitive marketplace for the players. In between, the rapid rise of a startling talent takes Robertson from an Indiana high school through the University of Cincinnati and into the big leagues.
ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY: THE TRUE STORY OF MY TEN YEARS IN CAPTIVITY- AND MY JOURNEY TO FREEDOM IN AMERICA
by Francis Bok
Kidnapped into slavery in Sudan when he was seven years old, Bok tells the riveting and horrifying story of his life as a slave under wealthy Muslim farmers. As a teenaged escapee he came to the attention of the UN and was granted passage to America. Now, twenty-three, he is dedicated to speaking out for all who are held against their will.
BRONZEVILLE: BLACK CHICAGO IN PICTURES 1941-1943
by Maren Stange
The "city within the city" in candid photos from all aspects of everyday life. Excerpts from the Federal Writers Project and other documents add factual details.
LOST PROPHET: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BAYARD RUSTIN
by John D'Emilio
Teacher to King, apostle of peace and non-violence, and organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, Rustin's life was complicated by the scandal of his homosexuality. D'Emilio brings to life this hero of the struggle for black freedom.
THE HARLEM READER
edited by Herb Boyd
From farming district to mecca of black culture to urban decay, Harlem is the setting for impressions, stories and narratives by voices of black personalities from revered icons to the newest generation.


Marta Campbell, Head of Collection Management
  Tel: 203-291-4842 E-mail: mcampbell@westportlibrary.org  
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