ccsj books and dvds on african american studies at morgantown

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CCSJ Books and DVDs on African American Studies at Morgantown Public Library The Community Coalition for Social Justice appreciates the support of the Morgantown City Council, which provided the funding to purchase the following books and DVDs for the Morgantown Public Library. We also appreciate the cooperation of Ellen Hathaway, the librarian who made these purchases, and of Todd McFadden, assistant director of the West Virginia University Center for Black Culture and Research, for suggesting some of the titles. Many of the other suggestions came from the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance web site at www.teachingtolerance.org. Descriptions of the books and DVDs are taken directly from sources such as the Teaching Tolerance web site, amazon.com, or the Morgantown Public Library on-line catalogue.

Children’s Books

Baby Dance - by Ann Taylor; pictures by Marjorie van Heerden.

Call # BB E TAY

For babies who are responding to music and movement, here's a playful poem

that has father and child dancing lovingly across the pages. HarperFestival,

1999.

Whose Toes Are Those? - by Jabari Asim ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham.

Call # BB E ASI

Children are invited to explore their toes by playing "This Little Piggy."

Little, Brown, 2006.

Whose Knees Are These? - by Jabari Asim ; illustrated by LeUyen Pham.

Call # BB E ASI

Takes a loving look at knees from the vantage point of a mother's lap.

Little, Brown, 2006.

Brown Like Me - by Noelle Lamperti with her friends and family.

Call # E LAM

Level: Ages 3-7.

Today's Librarian: A young African-American girl named Noelle is

encouraged by her white adoptive family to seek out the beauty of being

brown-skinned...the result is a book which encourages youngsters to

celebrate themselves and the diversity around them. New Victoria Publishers, 1999.

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Come Look with Me: Discovering African American Art for Children – by

James Haywood Rolling, Jr.

Call # C 759.13 ROL

The artwork presented in this book is a small representation of a very

remarkable effort by African Americans in the United States during the

twentieth century. Well suited for both individual and classroom use,

Discovering African American Art for Children pairs great works of art with

thought-provoking questions. The author leads this visual exploration and interaction. Children

are invited to wake up with Romare Bearden’s "Morning", to explore and join in important

ceremonies as revealed in Clementine Hunter's "Baptism", and to stroll along the busy sidewalk

in front of Jacob Lawrence’s "Brownstones". They can explore the ideas and the unique struggles

of African American artists and their contribution to the culture of the United States. Lickle Pub.,

2005.

African-American Folktales for Young Readers: Including Favorite Stories from

African and African-American Storytellers - collected and edited by Richard

Alan Young and Judy Dockrey Young.

C 398.2 AFRICAN

A collection of folktales from the African-American oral tradition, presented as

they have been told by professional black storytellers from Rhode Island to

Oklahoma. August House, 1993.

The Colors of Us –by Karen Katz.

Call # E KAT

Seven-year-old Lena and her mother observe the variations in the color of

their friends' skin, viewed in terms of foods and things found in nature.

Henry Holt and Co, 1999.

Beatrice's Goat - by Page McBrier; illustrated by Lori Lohstoeter; [with

an afterword by Hillary Rodham Clinton].

Call # E MCB

A young girl's dream of attending school in her small Ugandan village is

fulfilled after her family is given an income-producing goat. Based on a

true story about the work of Project Heifer. Atheneum Books for Young

Readers, 2001.

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins - by Carole Boston

Weatherford; paintings by Jerome Lagarrigue.

Call # C F WEA

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The 1960 civil rights sit-ins at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, are

seen through the eyes of a young Southern black girl. Puffin Books, 2005.

All the Colors of the Earth –by Sheila Hamanaka.

Call # E HAM

Reveals in verse that despite outward differences children everywhere are

essentially the same and all are lovable. Morrow Junior Books, 1994.

Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride - by Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian

Pinkney.

Call # C B TRUTH

She was big. She was black. She was so beautiful.

Born into slavery, Belle had to endure the cruelty of several masters before

she escaped to freedom. And oh, was freedom sweet! But still, she knew

that she wouldn't really be free unless she was helping to end slavery and injustice in America.

That's when she changed her name to Sojourner and began traveling across the

country, demanding equal rights for black people and for women.

A woman of towering height and a mesmerizing speaker, Sojourner began drawing mighty

crowds wherever she went. Many people weren't ready for her message--some even threatened

her. But Sojourner was brave and her truth was powerful, and people would remember what she

said. And slowly, but surely as Sojourner's step-stomp stride, America began to change.

Celebrated author-illustrator team Andrea Davis and Brian Pinkney tell the story of one of the

most unique and courageous women in American history, Sojourner Truth. Disney/Jump at the

Sun Books, 2009.

Ron's Big Mission –by Rose Blue and Corinne J. Naden; illustrated by Don

Tate.

Call # E BLU

One summer day in 1959, nine-year-old Ron McNair, who dreams of

becoming a pilot, walks into the Lake City, South Carolina, public library

and insists on checking out some books, despite the rule that only white

people can have library cards. Includes facts about McNair, who grew up to

be an astronaut. Dutton Children’s Books, 2009.

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S.

Marshal - by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson; illustrations by R. Gregory

Christie.

Call # C B REEVES

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This biography profiles the life of Bass Reeves, a former slave who was recruited as a deputy

United States Marshal in the area that was to become Oklahoma. Carolrhoda Books, 2009.

Amadi’s Snowman - by Katia Saint-Lot

Call # E SAI

Level: Pre K to K, Grades 1 to 2, Grades 3 to 5

Amadi’s Snowman, by Katia Novet Saint-Lot, is the story of a boy in Nigeria who thinks that it is silly to learn how to read. One day, though, when he sees a book with a funny man in a white suit with a carrot for a nose, he learns how reading can take him all over the world. Tilbury House, 2008.

The Legend of Freedom Hill –by Linda Jacobs Altman et al. Call # C ALT Level: Pre K to K, Grades 1 to 2 Subject: Reading and Language Arts, Social Studies

The Legend of Freedom Hill tells the story of two young friends in 1850s

California -- Rosabel, an African American, and Sophie, who is Jewish.

When Rosabel's mother, Miz Violet, is captured by a slave catcher, the two

young girls put their heads together to win back her freedom. The lively

text and colorful illustrations enliven this moving tale of friendship and bravery. Lee & Low

Books, 2000.

Finding Lincoln – by Ann Malaspina; illustrated by Colin Bootman.

Call # E MAL

In segregated 1950s Alabama, Louis cannot use the public library to

research a class assignment, but one of the librarians lets him in after

hours and helps him find the book that he needs. Includes an author's note

with historical information about library segregation in the South. Albert

Whitman, 2009.

Give a Goat – by Jan West Schrock; illustrated by Aileen Darragh.

Call # E SCH

After hearing a story about a girl in Uganda whose life is changed for the

better by the gift of a goat, a class of fifth-graders pulls together to raise funds

to make a similar donation to someone in need. Tilbury House, 2008.

Child of the Civil Rights Movement –by Paula Young Shelton; illustrated by

Raul Colâon.

Call # C 323.1196 SHE

Level: K-Grade 3

From School Library Journal: When the author was a child, her father,

Andrew Young, was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Her first picture

book beautifully captures her childhood during those events that radically changed America. One

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episode recalls Shelton's unique contribution to the integration of restaurants. When white owners

refused to seat her family, Shelton sat down and cried loudly, an action she calls "my very first

protest, my own little sit-in." With this incident, she helps modern children understand the hurtful

effects of segregation. Shelton also recalls how the movement united its leaders. The Youngs, the

Kings, and other activists became like family because they "were brought together by a common

goal." This positive tone prevails throughout the book, which ends with the passage of the Voting

Rights Act of 1965. Colón's luminous watercolors effectively underscore the text's optimistic

viewpoint, imbuing scenes of struggle with light that represents the activists' hope for positive

results. The book therefore balances honesty about the challenges of the movement with the hope

that inspired activists to continue their efforts. An author's note explains how Shelton does not

always remember conversations verbatim, but draws on her family's shared memories. The back

matter includes information about the leaders who are mentioned. History comes alive in this

vivid account.—Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY.Schwartz & Wade Books, 2010.

Bright Eyes, Brown Skin - by Cheryl Willis Hudson & Bernette G. Ford;

illustrated by George Ford.

Call # E HUD

Ages 6-9.

From Publishers Weekly: Igus's comfortable story unwinds through a

gentle and credible conversation between an African American boy and

his grandfather. On his annual summer visit to the country, Noel engages

in his favorite activity: fishing off a small pier. The child listens intently

as his grandfather reminisces about his boyhood swims in the river, when he and his friends

swung into the water from a rope attached to a large tree. This memory evokes others, and

grandfather enumerates the many differences of that simpler era, when his family lived without a

refrigerator, TV, telephone, indoor toilet or car. As the elder recalls the past, Bond's strikingly

naturalistic, richly hued paintings give way to black-and-white drawings that effectively evoke

the lifestyle of the period. At last, Noel experiences the excitement of catching his first fish, and

as his grandfather remembers the thrill of his first catch, he concludes that "it's good to see that

the important things are still the same." Just Us Books, 1990.

Molly Bannaky – by Alice McGill and Chris K. Soentpiet

Call # E MCG

Level: Grades 1 to 2, Grades 3 to 5

Subject: Reading and Language Arts, Social Studies

Molly Bannaky tells the true story of a dairymaid exiled from England for the

crime of spilling milk (considered "stealing" in 1683) to work as an indentured

servant in America. Upon completing her seven-year sentence, she staked a

land claim -- unheard of for women in those days -- and further defied societal norms by

marrying an African slave. In the revealing conclusion, Molly inscribes a new Bible with her

grandson's name, Benjamin Banneker (mathematician, astronomer, scientist, published almanacs,

helped survey Washington, D.C.). Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999.

A Kid's Guide to African American History: More Than 70 Activities, 2nd

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ed. - by Nancy I. Sanders.

Call # C 973.0496 SAN

Level: Grades 1-5

From School Library Journal: A chronological look at the history of African Americans from the

pre-slavery days in Africa through today's celebration of Kwanzaa. With a straightforward,

readable text, one- to three-page topics, and simple illustrative drawings, even young children can

participate in this activity-based title. Although mentioning the hardships and inhumanities of

slavery and Jim Crow laws, the brutal details are left out. The emphasis is on the contributions of

African Americans, their courage, creativity, and inventiveness. The easy activities described in

detail include games, crafts (with patterns), songs, recipes, and stories. An extensive bibliography

of books, articles, and Web sites is included.-Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School,

Urbana, IL. Chicago Review Press, 2007.

From My People: 400 Years of African American Folklore – by Daryl Cumber Dance

Call # 398.2 Level: Grades 1 to 2, Grades 3 to 5, Grades 6 to 8, Grades 9 to 12

Subject: Reading and Language Arts, Social Studies, Arts

Author Daryl Cumber Dance knows there is some truth to the folk expression

"You’ve got to go there to know there." But he hopes he can move people closer

to understanding African American folklore through his detailed anthology From My People: 400

Years of African American Folklore. This landmark resource — comparable to the Foxfire series

in breadth and detail — is a rousing success. W. W. Norton, 2002.

Taneesha Never Disparaging – by M. LaVora Perry Call # PB C PER

Level: Grades 3 to 5 In Taneesha Never Disparaging, fifth-grader Taneesha faces many struggles. Her fellow students have never known a black Buddhist and are sure Taneesha and her family are headed to hell. Her best friend Carli gets even more teasing, because Carli wears a leg brace. And when Taneesha stands up to the bullies, they assure

her they will take revenge. Wisdom Publications, 2008.

A Sweet Smell of Roses – by Angela Johnson

Call # E JOH Level: Grades 3 to 5, Grades 6 to 8 Subject: Reading and Language Arts, Social Studies There is A Sweet Smell of Roses in the air as two young African American girls run through their neighborhood to join the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on a march for freedom. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers,

2005.

The Conspiracy of the Secret Nine (Mysteries in Time) – by Celia Bland and Donald L. Williams, Jr. Call # C BLA



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In 1898, an Irish American boy and an African American boy in Wilmington, N.C., were best

buddies until politics and racial tensions tore their friendship -- and their city -- apart. The young

adult novel The Conspiracy of the Secret Nine blends history and fiction into a suspense-filled

mystery that teaches about the complexities of race relations during Reconstruction. Silver Moon

Press, 1995.

A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet – by Kathryn Lasky and Paul Lee

C B Wheatley Level: Grades 3 to 5, Grades 6 to 8 Subject: Reading and Language Arts, Social Studies

A Voice of Her Own: The Story of Phillis Wheatley, Slave Poet portrays the life of a young slave girl who was taken from her West African home and brought to Boston in 1761, later becoming the first black woman poet in the U.S. Although

it was not illegal to teach slaves to read and write in the North, it was reportedly not done until Susannah Wheatley decided to teach Phillis. Phillis published her first poem at the age of 14 and copies of her first book of poetry, published in England, arrived in Boston shortly before the blockade of Boston Harbor in 1774. Candlewick Press, 2003. Going Back Home: An Artist Returns to the South – by Toyomi Igus and Michele

Wood

Call # C 759.13 IGU


Subject: Social Studies, Arts

An authentic view of African American life in the South before and after freedom

distinguishes the book Going Back Home: An Artist Returns to the South. Vivid paintings with

quilt-like backgrounds portray the resiliency of African Americans. Images of work, music and

ethnic traditions mirror a legacy of hope, love and faith from the artist's ancestral South.

Children's Book Press, 1995.

Sisters of Nia: A Cultural Enrichment Program to Empower African American

Girls – by Faye Z. Belgrave Call # 371.829 SIS Level: Grades 6 to 8

Sisters of Nia: A Cultural Enrichment Program to Empower African American

Girls is designed to bring out the strengths of African American preadolescent and adolescent girls. Research Press, 2008.

Becoming Billie Holiday – by Carole Boston Weatherford Call # C WEA

Level: Grades 6 to 8, Grades 9 to 12 Becoming Billie Holiday is a sequence of poignant poems that forms a fictional memoir of the singer. Boyds Mills Press/Wordsong, 2008.

I Heard God Talking To Me: William Edmondson and His Stone Carvings –

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by Elizabeth Spires Call # C 811 SPI Level: Grades 6 to 8, Grades 9 to 12

I Heard God Talking To Me: William Edmondson and His Stone Carvings chronicles the work of the Tennessee artist. Students can enjoy Edmondsons’s stone carvings with the help of accompanying poetry by Spires. Farrar, Straus and Giroux Publications, 2009.

The Legend of Buddy Bush - by Sheila P. Moses Call # C MOS Level: Grades 6 to 8, Grades 9 to 12


The Legend of Buddy Bush is a fictional account of the true story of an African

American man in the 1940s who was wrongly accused of attempting to rape a

white woman. The case received international attention and is retold here in a

compelling narrative likely to capture the attention of any teenager. Simon and

Schuster, 2004.

Norton Anthology of African American Literature – edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay

Call # 810.8 NOR Level: Grades 6 to 8, Grades 9 to 12

Subject: Reading and Language Arts

The Norton Anthology of African American Literature is a monumental

compilation of literary treasures. The works (from 1746 to present) of 120 authors

define the canon of African American literature and present a collection of oral narratives, novels,

drama and poetry. The anthology includes background introductions to each literary period,

footnotes and bibliographies. This is a significant contribution to U.S. history and culture. W. W.

Norton, 2004.

The African American Quiz Book for All Americans: A Wealth of Knowledge

About History & Culture Past & Present – by Milton Combs

Call # 973.0496 COM Level: Grades 6 to 8, Grades 9 to 12

Subject: Social Studies

The African American Quiz Book for All American contains a wealth of

information about individuals whose achievements, heroic acts and creation of

landmark organizations have helped make America great. Contains a compilation of more than

350 nontrivial questions and answers designed to stimulate learning and critical thinking.

Regent Press, 2006.

Why Monkeys Live in Trees and Other Stories from Benin – by Raouf Mama Call # C 398.2 MAM


Subject: Social Studies

Why Monkeys Live in Trees and Other Stories from Benin includes trickster

tales and sacred tales that involve the greatest and meanest that mankind has

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to offer. The Western African Republic of Benin is gifted with oral story-telling traditions, and

this book is a tribute to that gift. Curbstone Press, 2006.

Additional Books for High School Students

Marble Mountain – by Wayne Karlin Call # KAR Level: Grades 9 to 12 Marble Mountain ($15), by Wayne Karlin, is about Kiet Hallam, an adopted daughter of half-African-American and half-Vietnamese descent. The novel explores the lasting effects of war on soldiers, their families and the displaced children born during the war. Curbstone Press, 2008.

Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Phillis Wheatley –by Ann Rinaldi Call # PB YA RIN Level: Grades 9 to 12 Subject: Reading and Language Arts, Social Studies

What was early colonial life like for a young, gifted enslaved girl? The

historical novel Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons: The Story of Phillis

Wheatley narrates the life of the first African American published poet.

Wheatley's efforts to define self, develop literary gifts and fight for freedom are viewed through

the background of the Revolutionary War and the institution of enslavement. This is a "must-

read" book for students of U.S. history. Harcourt Brace & Co., 2005.

Tenderheaded: A Comb-Bending Collection of Hair Stories – by Pamela Johnson et al.

Call # 810 TEN

Level: Grades 9 to 12


African American writers tell hair stories in Tenderheaded. There’s the heat of

iron and smell of grease at the kitchen sink; girls waiting for the day they’ll be

old enough for hair-straightening; and a divorced father who learns intimacy as he struggles to

braid his daughter’s hair. Mixing true stories with fictional excerpts, Tenderheaded takes us (with

some explicit language) through the racial and sexual politics of "good hair," "bad hair," hair that

means business and hair that breaks your heart. Simon & Schuster, 2002.

Literature, Film, Media, and Music

Split Image: African Americans in the Mass Media – by Jannette L. Dates Call # 302.23 SPL From Library Journal: This is a collection of nine essays which examine the history of the images of African Americans in various mass media--music, motion pictures, radio, TV, print and broadcast news, and advertising. These essays are framed by introductory and concluding essays in which the editors argue for the

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importance of this topic and offer a strategy for dealing with some of the issues raised. The schism between black and white images of African Americans is highlighted, particularly given white dominance of media outlets. The volume is more coherent than most such works since six of the nine topical chapters are written by one or the other of the editors. This book is a solid contribution to the literature of African Americans and popular culture. - Joseph Stewart Jr., Univ. of Texas at Dallas, Richardson; Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. Howard University Press, 1993.

Black Film as a Signifying Practice: Cinema, Narration and the African

American Aesthetic Tradition – by Gladstone L. Yearwood Call # 791.43 YEA From the back cover: In Black Film as a Signifying Practice, Gladstone Yearwood explores cinema as part of the black cultural tradition. he argues that black film criticism is best understood as a 20th century development in the history of African-American aesthetic thought, which provides a substantive and accumulative aesthetic and critical tradition for black film

studies. The book examines the way black filmmakers use expressive forms and systems of signification that reflect the cultural and historical priorities of the black experience. It delineates how the African-American expressive tradition utilizes its own vernacular space and time for story telling in the cinema and how black film narration draws on the formal structures of black experience to organize story material. Yearwood focuses on signifying practices in the cinema and the symbol-producing mechanisms tht inform black filmmaking.The book proves valuable insights into the narrational processes at work in African-American expressive forms and in black culture. Using the frameworks of an Afrocentric model, Black Film as a Signifying Practice moves away from a preoccupation with black film as defined by the dominant society to emphasize how the expressive strategies and cultural mechanisms that have been critical to black survival influence in black filmmaking. Africa World Press, 2000. Part one presents an overview of black film and an introduction to black film culture. It surveys the emergence of the black independent film movement from the perspective of the black cultural tradition, and it presents a criticque of the major theories, concepts and issues that have shaped the history of the black independent film movement. Part two undertakes an intensive examination of problems in black film narration through an analysis of selected films. Black Film as a Signifying Practice is a useful resource for students of film studies, African-American studies, cultural studies, and the arts. Africa World Press, 1999.

If You Can't Be Free, Be A Mystery: In Search of Billie Holiday – by Farah Jasmine Griffin Call # B HOLIDAY From Publishers Weekly: This rumination on the famous jazz singer is a mix of hagiography, music appreciation and criticism of past biographers, yet on its own terms, it works. Griffin (Who Set You Flowin'?: The African-American

Migration Narrative), associate professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, sets out to examine the mythic figure Holiday created over the

years, but she states from the outset that her book is not meant to be a formal biography or musical study. She is, though, determined not to see Holiday as a tragic victim. Probably the best-known book about Holiday is her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, written "with" William Dufty (Griffin claims that Dufty actually created the book from talks and previously published interviews with Holiday). Griffin repeatedly points out errors in that work (e.g., it opens claiming that when Holiday was born, her mother was only 13, when in fact she was 19) and speculates as to why such errors might have been made intentionally (e.g., to portray her mother not as

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promiscuous but rather as the young victim of an older man). Griffin writes in a pleasant, easy tone, and many of her observations about the litany of notorious stereotypes applied to Holiday are astute, but the book suffers from a tendency to circle back over the same themes rather than expanding upon them. On several occasions, for example, Griffin compares Holiday to other artists, like Bessie Smith, L'il Kim and Mary J. Blige, only to decide that none can compete with Holiday; but then Griffin's trajectory changes again, and she devotes "the last chapter of this book... to Abbey Lincoln," whom she believes belongs in the same "pantheon" as Holiday and offers an alternative extension of her legacy. While this book sometimes wanders, in doing so it mimics the very music and elusive character it is describing; and while she has not organized her arguments in a superior fashion, Griffin engages readers throughout with her consistently intriguing observations. Agent, Loretta Barrett. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. One World/Ballantyne, 2002.

Black Women as Cultural Readers - by Jacqueline Bobo

Call # 791.43 BOB A pathbreaking study of African-American women's responses to literature and film. . . . Bobo focuses on a small group of middle-class African-American women as they process literature (by Terry McMillan, Alice Walker) that addresses their own experiences. . . . This work should command the attention of all scholars of American popular culture. -- Choice

How do black women react as an audience to representations of themselves, and how do their patterns of consumption differ from other groups? Interviews with ordinary black women from many backgrounds uses novels and films to reveal how black female audiences absorb works. -- Midwest Book Review. Columbia University Press, 1995.

Reference Books

The Timetables of African-American History: A Chronology of the Most Important

People and Events in African-American History - by Sharon Harley.

Call # 973.0496 HAR

Simon & Schuster, 1996.

The Black Book: 35th Anniversary Edition - compiled by Middleton Harris,

with the assistance of Morris Levitt, Roger Furman & Ernest Smith.

Call No.973.00496 HARRIS

Seventeenth-century sketches of Africa as it appeared to marauding European

traders. Nineteenth-century slave auction notices. Twentieth-century sheet

music for work songs and freedom chants. Photographs of war heroes, regal in

uniform. Antebellum reward posters for capturing runaway slaves. An 1856

article titled “A Visit to the Slave Mother Who Killed Her Child.”

In 1974, Middleton A. Harris and Toni Morrison led a team of gifted, passionate collectors in

compiling these images and nearly 500 others into one sensational narrative of the black

experience in America: The Black Book.

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Now in a deluxe 35th anniversary hardcover edition, The Black Book remains a breathtaking

testament to the legendary wisdom, strength, and perseverance of black men and women intent on

freedom. Prominent collectors Morris Levitt, Roger Furman, and Ernest Smith, as well as

Middleton Harris and Toni Morrison (then a Random House editor, now a two-time Pulitzer

Prize—winning Nobel laureate) spent months studying, laughing at, and crying over these

materials–from transcripts of fugitive slaves’ trials and proclamations by Frederick Douglass and

other celebrated abolitionists to chilling images of cross burnings and lynchings, patents

registered by black inventors throughout the early twentieth century to vibrant posters from

“Black Hollywood” films from the 1930s and 1940s.

A labor of love and a vital link to the richness and diversity of African American history and

culture, The Black Book honors the past, reminding us where our nation has been, and gives

flight to our hopes for what is yet to come. Beautifully and faithfully presented, and featuring a

new Foreword and original poem by Toni Morrison, The Black Book remains a timeless

landmark work. Random House, 2009.

1001 Things Everyone Should Know About African American History - by Jeffrey

C. Stewart.

Call # 973.0496 STE

In short, eminently readable mini-essays, a distinguished historian takes readers

on a journey through 500 years of African American history. Within seven broad

sections, Dr. Stewart covers people and events, both well-known and obscure.

200+ photos. Doubleday, 1996.

The African American Studies Reader, Second Edition - by Nathaniel Norment; Jr. Call # 973.0496 AFR From Library Journal: Edited by Norment (African American Studies, Temple Univ.), this reader charts the historical evolution of black studies in higher education. Most of the 61 articles, arranged in eight sections, were previously published from the 1960s through the 1980s, but determining their origins is

difficult because complete citations are not given. The selections address the African American intellectual tradition prior to the formal establishment of black studies, the advent of black studies on campuses as a result of student movements of the 1960s, and the debates that ensued regarding curriculum, structure, goals, and objectives. Many issues such as the origins of black studies, definitions of the discipline and of afrocentricity, the discipline's twofold mission of activism and scholarship, the relevance of black studies, and epistemological concerns of the field are revisited repeatedly throughout the text, which makes for tiresome reading. The focus is narrow and will interest only those studying the institutionalization and theoretical foundation of the discipline. Recommended for black studies collections. Sherri Barnes, Univ. of California Lib., Santa Barbara .Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. Carolina Academic Press, 2007.

Other Topics Revealing Whiteness: The Unconscious Habits of Racial Privilege (American

Philosophy) – by Shannon Sullivan Call # 305.8 SUL

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"[A] lucid discussion of race that does not sell out the black experience." -- Tommy Lott, author of The Invention of Race

Revealing Whiteness explores how white privilege operates as an unseen, invisible, and unquestioned norm in society today. In this personal and selfsearching book, Shannon Sullivan interrogates her own whiteness and how being white has affected her. By looking closely at the subtleties of white domination, she issues a call for other white people to own up to their unspoken privilege and confront environments that condone or perpetuate it. Sullivan's theorizing about race and privilege draws on American pragmatism, psychology, race theory, and feminist thought. As it articulates a way to live beyond the barriers that white privilege has created, this book offers readers a clear and honest confrontation with a trenchant and vexing concern. Indiana University Press, 2006. "Who Set You Flowin'?": The African-American Migration Narrative (Race and

American Culture) – by Farah Jasmine Griffin Call # 813 GRI Twentieth-century America has witnessed the most widespread and sustained movement of African-Americans from the South to urban centers in the North. Griffin looks at this migration across a wide range of genres--the literary texts of

Richard Wright and Dorothy West, the paintings of Jacob Lawrence, and the music of Billie Holiday and Arrested Development, as well as photography and correspondence. She identifies the Migration Narrative as a major theme in African-American cultural production, and argues that a dominant portrayal of migration is produced by its historical and political moment. Oxford University Press, 1995.

The Bite of the Mango - by Mariatu Kamara; with Susan McClelland.

Call # B KAMARA

When Mariatu set out for a neighborhood village in Sierra Leone, she was

kidnapped and tortured, and both of her hands cut off. She turned to begging to

survive. This heart-rending memoir is a testament to her courage and resilience.

Today she is a UNICEF Special Representative for Children and Armed

Conflict. Annick Press, 2008.

Langston's Train Ride - by Robert Burleigh; illustrated by Leonard Jenkins.

Call # C B HUGHES

Describes how the twentieth-century African American poet Langston

Hughes affirms his vocation as a writer through the composition of his

famous 1921 poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." Orchard Books, 2004.

As Good as Anybody : Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel's Amazing March

Toward Freedom - by Richard Michelson; illustrated by Raul Colón.

Call # C 323.092 MIC

The story of the march on Washington for civil rights. A.A. Knopf, 2008.

Shadow of the Leopard –by Henning Menkell; translated from the Swedish by

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Anna Paterson

Call # YA MAN

Originally published as The fury in the fire (Crows Nest, Allen & Unwin, 2009).

Sofia, who lost her legs as a child, is now grown up with children in Mozambique, but when she

discovers that Armando, the father of her children, is cheating on her, she leaves him, igniting his

terrible rage. Annick Press, 2009.

From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans –by John Hope Franklin & Alfred A.

Moss, Jr.

A.A Knopf, 2000.– but this is 2009 edition on Ellen’s list

Call # 973.049 FRA

The Top 25 Things Black Folks Do That We Need To Stop!!! A Breakdown and

Analysis of 25 Self-Perpetuated Issues that Adversely Affect the African-

American Community - by Demico Boothe & Michael Oryan Obama.

Call # 305.896 BOO

THE TOP 25 THINGS BLACK FOLKS DO THAT WE NEED TO STOP!!! is a

compilation of acute intellectual censure of certain longstanding belief systems,

traditions, and activities that many African-Americans have held and practiced,

both historically and presently. In this critical and very well articulated thesis, the authors specify

and expound upon 25 problematic issues that are adversely affecting blacks in America. Full

Surface Publishing, 2009.

A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School -

by Carlotta Walls LaNier ; with Lisa Frazier Page.

Call # 379.263 LAN

When fourteen-year-old Carlotta Walls walked up the stairs of Little Rock

Central High School on September 25, 1957, she and eight other black students

only wanted to make it to class. But the journey of the “Little Rock Nine,” as

they came to be known, would lead the nation on an even longer and much more

turbulent path, one that would challenge prevailing attitudes, break down barriers, and forever

change the landscape of America.

Descended from a line of proud black landowners and businessmen, Carlotta was raised to

believe that education was the key to success. She embraced learning and excelled in her studies

at the black schools she attended throughout the 1950s. With Brown v. Board of Education

erasing the color divide in classrooms across the country, the teenager volunteered to be among

the first black students--of whom she was the youngest--to integrate nearby Central High School,

considered one of the nation’s best academic institutions.

But for Carlotta and her eight comrades, simply getting through the door was the first of many

trials. Angry mobs of white students and their parents hurled taunts, insults, and threats.

Arkansas’s governor used the National Guard to bar the black students from entering the school.

Finally, President Dwight D. Eisenhower was forced to send in the 101st Airborne to establish

order and escort the Nine into the building. That was just the start of a heartbreaking three-year

journey for Carlotta, who would see her home bombed, a crime for which her own father was a

15

suspect and for which a friend of Carlotta’s was ultimately jailed--albeit wrongly, in Carlotta’s

eyes. But she persevered to the victorious end: her graduation from Central.

Breaking her silence at last and sharing her story for the first time, Carlotta Walls has written an

inspiring, thoroughly engrossing memoir that is not only a testament to the power of one to make

a difference but also of the sacrifices made by families and communities that found themselves a

part of history.

Complete with compelling photographs of the time, A Mighty Long Way shines a light on this

watershed moment in civil rights history and shows that determination, fortitude, and the ability

to change the world are not exclusive to a few special people but are inherent within us all.

One World Ballantine Books, 2009.

Chanda's Secrets –by Allan Stratton.

Call # PB YA

A girl's struggle amid the African AIDS pandemic, Chanda, is an astonishingly

perceptive girl living in the small city of Bonang, a fictional city in Southern

Africa. When her youngest sister dies, the first hint of HIV/AIDS emerges,

Chanda must confront undercurrents of shame and stigma. Not afraid to

explore the horrific realities of AIDS, Chanda's Secrets also captures the

enduring strength of loyalty, friendship and family ties. Above all, it is a story

about the corrosive nature of secrets and the healing power of truth. Annick Press, 2004.

Chanda's Wars –by Allan Stratton; with an afterword by Roméo Dallaire.

Call # PB YA STR

Chandra Kabelo, a teenaged African girl, must save her younger siblings after

they are kidnapped and forced to serve as child soldiers in General Mandiki's

rebel army. Harper Teen, 2008.

B

DVDs

Ethnic Notions Call # DVD 305.8 ETHN Ethnic Notions is Marlon Riggs' Emmy-winning documentary that takes viewers on a disturbing voyage through American history, tracing for the first time the deep-rooted stereotypes which have fueled anti-black prejudice. Through these images we can begin to understand the evolution

of racial consciousness in America. Loyal Toms, carefree Sambos, faithful Mammies, grinning Coons, savage Brutes, and wide-eyed Pickaninnies roll across the screen in cartoons, feature films, popular songs, minstrel shows, advertisements, folklore, household artifacts, even children's rhymes. These dehumanizing caricatures permeated popular culture from the 1820s to the Civil Rights period and implanted themselves deep in the American psyche.

16

Narration by Esther Rolle and commentary by respected scholars shed light on the origins and devastating consequences of this 150 yearlong parade of bigotry. Ethnic Notions situates each stereotype historically in white society's shifting needs to justify racist oppression from slavery to the present day. The insidious images exacted a devastating toll on black Americans and continue to undermine race relations. Ethnic Notions has quickly become a mainstay of university, high school, and public library collections. It is a basic audio visual text for American History, Sociology, Black Studies, Anthropology, Social Psychology, Media Studies, and any training program concerned with stereotyping and cross-cultural understanding. Approaching a complex and delicate subject with great sensitivity, Ethnic Notions equips viewers to view media and other cultural representations with a more critical eye. It's a direct challenge to those who say, "It was just a joke." 1987.

Black History from Civil War through Today [videorecording (DVD)].

DVD 305.8 BLAC-1 VOL. 1






6 videodiscs (18 hrs., 31 min.); From the television program: Like it is.

Selection of documentaries, interviews, and other archival footage illustrating African American

history.Contents: (vol. 1) In the beginning; (vol. 2) WWII, the beginning of change; (vol. 3) Civil

rights movement; (vol. 4) An historical overview; (vol. 5) The arts; (vol. 6) Sports & science. St.

Clair Vision, 2007.

American Cultural History. African Americans Facing the Challenges! [videorecording (DVD)]

Call # DVD 305.8 AFR

1 videodisc (69 mins., 50 sec.) :

Contents: We work again (1930); Negro colleges in wartime (1944); The plantation system in

Southern life (1950); Palmour Street (1957); Teddy (1971).

This DVD explores the social and cultural ancestry of African Americans in wide focus, and

cannot fail to expand our mental horizons on this valuable segment of our national community. In

the American Cultural History - African American DVD, we are given a humane look at the

social and everyday life of coloured Americans over a period spanning 40 years. A2ZCDS.com,

2005.

Underground Railroad [videorecording (DVD)] - produced by Triage, Inc.

for the History Channel; producer, Susan Michaels.

DVD 973.7115 UNDE

1 videodisc (2 hrs. 30 min.)

Originally produced for television broadcast in 1999.

Special features: Frederick Douglass episode of A&E's Biography series;

Emancipation Proclamation; Background information: the Dredd Scott Case;

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Harriet Tubman biography; timeline of key historical events.

Performer Hosted by Alfre Woodard.

Traces the journey to freedom taken by countless slaves, showing how they were guided,

protected and pursued along the way. The extraordinary story is told through historical

documents, visits to important sites, interviews with the descendants of noted abolitionists and

commentary from experts. A&E Home Video; Distributed by New Video, 2002.

African American Lives [videorecording (DVD)] -a film by Kunhardt

Productions ; executive producers, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., William R. Grant,

Peter W. Kunhardt; written by Henry Louis Gates. Jr.; series producers, Graham

Judd, Leslie D. Farrell; a production of Kunhardt Productions, Inc. and Thirteen/

WNET New York.

DVD 920 AFRI

1 videodisc (ca. 240 min.); Closed-captioned.

Performer Host: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; features Oprah Winfrey, Chris Tucker, Quincy Jones,

Sara-Lawrence-Lightfoot, Mae Jemison, T.D. Jakes, Ben Carson, Whoopi Goldberg.

Credits Music, Michael Bacon.

Originally broadcast as a four-part television series in 2006.

A compelling combination of storytelling and science, this series uses genealogy, oral histories,

family stories and DNA to trace roots of several accomplished African Americans down through

American history and back to Africa. PBS Home Video; distributed by Paramount Home

Entertainment, 2006.

African American Lives 2 [videorecording (DVD)] - a film by Kunhardt

Productions ; executive producers, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., William R. Grant,

Peter W. Kunhardt ; written by Henry Louis Gates. Jr. ; senior producer,

Graham Judd ; archival producer Lewanne Jones ; Leslie D. Farrell ; a

production of Kunhardt Productions, Inc., Inkwell Films, and Thirteen/ WNET

New York.

DVD 920 AFRI

1 videodisc (ca. 240 min.)

Originally broadcast as a four-part television series in 2008.

Contents The road home/ producer and director Jack Youngelson; editor, Sari Gilman-- A way

out of no way/ producer and director Leslie Asako Gladsjo; editor, Merril Stern-- We come from

people/ producer and director Jesse Sweet; editor, Ed Bartenski, Jr. -- The past is another country/

producer and director Graham Judd; editor, Kate Hirson.

Performer Host: Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; features Maya Angelou, Bliss Broyard, Don Cheadle,

Morgan Freeman, Peter Gomes, Kathleen Henderson, Linda Johnson Rice, Tom Joyner, Jackie

Joyner-Kersee, Chris Rock, and Tina Turner.

Genealogical investigations and DNA analysis help participants discover where they come from

and who they are. PBS Home Video, 2008.

ccsj books and dvds on african american studies at morgantown

Documents