Literature written for children is often an unselfconscious distillation of a national consensus or a national debate. The characterizations of African Americans in U.S. children's literature show how the white supremacy myth infected the mainstream collective consciousness and the degree to which features of the slavery era were retained. The…

The Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress holds 10,000 collections containing more than 50 million items. These collections document all aspects of American history and culture and include papers of presidents; cabinet members; members of Congress; members of the Supreme Court; and other prominent Americans whose lives reflect the…

This collection for children tells the stories of 16 African Americans who helped make America what it is today. African Americans can take pride in the heritage of these contributors to society. Biographies are given for the following: (1) Sojourner Truth, preacher and abolitionist; (2) Frederick Douglass, abolitionist; (3) Harriet Tubman, leader…

This book provides a guide to the study of genealogy, or family history, through the use of historical documents, artifacts, and private records. Intended mainly for students who wish to trace their family roots, it also can be used by anyone interested in the lives of African Americans throughout the years. Suggestions on how to find records that…

This volume compiles more than 230 noteworthy speeches delivered by over 130 prominent African, Asian, Native, and Hispanic Americans from the late 1700s through 1995. In bringing together these speeches, "Voices of Multicultural America" brings to life the people and events surrounding each speech with narratives that give the…

This biography for younger readers recounts the life of Fannie Lou Hamer, one of the first black organizers of voter registration in Mississippi. The book presents an overview of the civil rights movement while describing Hamer's life in Mississippi, her involvement in voter rights in 1962 at the age of 45, and her efforts as a civil rights…

This biography for younger readers describes the life of Malcolm X, the African American religious and political leader who was prominent in a movement to unite black people throughout the world. The book presents an overview of the civil rights movement and documents Malcolm's role as an advocate for black separatism, black nationalism, and the…

This biography for younger readers depicts the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Nobel Peace Prize winner who dedicated himself to the struggle for equal rights for African Americans while embracing the principle of nonviolent resistance. The book presents an overview of the civil rights movement and chronicles King's role as national leader…

This book is a guide to the central facts and key information necessary for an understanding of the black experience and its true place in the American experience. Timelines present, in chronological order, the dates of major events in African-American history from the fifteenth century to 1993. The events of each year are divided into subject…

This volume is a serious effort to provide a guide to the range of creative and scholarly work in the four major American ethnic literatures. The burst in creative energy among Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans has made it difficult for teachers to keep up with the primary literature, let alone the…

This biography for younger readers examines the life of Thurgood Marshall, an important legal activist in the history of the civil rights movement and the first African American to be appointed a U.S. Supreme Court justice. The book presents an overview of the civil rights movement in the United States while documenting the key role Marshall…

The nearly 300 biographical sketches in this dictionary focus on women who have made meaningful, although often unheralded, contributions to American history and culture. Although the collection concentrates on historical achievements, several women reflect contemporary accomplishments or historical firsts. The biographies span the time from…

This book provides details on hundreds of milestones involving African Americans. The volume is arranged in subject categories, and entries summarize events and include brief biographies of the people involved. The volume features illustrations, a bibliography, a timeline of key historical events, a calendar of firsts, and an index. Events are…

This biography for younger readers follows the life and career of Jesse Jackson, the African American civil rights worker who has twice sought a presidential nomination and continues to work for equal rights for all Americans. The book presents an overview of the civil rights movement in the United States and describes Jackson's role as clergyman,…

Beginning with the initial attempts to implement the educational provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, this book provides an analytical, historical overview of school desegregation from the mid-sixties through the Carter Administration. Asserting that national interest in desegregation waned as the United States concentrated on the Vietnam War,…