Considers two books, Sara Lawrence Lightfoot's biography of her mother, "Balm in Gilead: Journey of a Healer" (1988), and Pauli Murray's autobiography, "Song in a Weary Throat: An American Pilgrimage" (1987), to illustrate that, by approaching such literature from perspective of social learning theory, one can learn more about…

The late 1950s and early 1960s were times of controversial innovation in jazz. Mary Lou Williams--the outstanding female instrumentalist in jazz history, female players of avant-garde music, and women currently in the jazz forefront are discussed. (RM)

Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954) was a women's suffragist, organizer, and Black educator. She was the first Black woman member of any board of education and served as president of the National Association of Colored Women, the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the NAACP, and the Women's Republican League of Washington, D.C. (Author/GC)

In this brief oral history, the life of Fidelia Adams Johnson is recounted with sections devoted to her family background, formative years, college experience, working life and retirement years as a black woman of influence. Her grandfather helped establish Tuskegee Institute and her father founded Louisiana's Grambling State College. Fidelia…

Chronicles the personal and professional life of Nike Twins Seven Seven (born 1951), a Nigerian batik artist, and her husband, Twins Seven Seven, a musician-artist, both of whom have received international acclaim. (BJV)

Interview with Alice Childress (born 1920), an actress, playwright, novelist, editor, and lecturer. Her "Gold through the Forest" (1952) was the first play by a Black woman to be produced professionally on the American stage. Her latest play, "Moms," was produced in New York City in 1987. (BJV)

Notes that black women, while making their marks in the history of song, have provided both windows opening onto the socio-cultural complexities of their times and, through their careers, reflectors of those times. (Author/AM)

Secondary teachers and librarians will find the bibliography a helpful tool for identifying women's biographies. Biographies are valuable for building reading skills, background of a subject, or personal development. These biographies are appealing to young people on the basis of subject interest, reading level, depth of detail, and writing style.…

This resource book provides information and activity sheets on the achievements and contributions of exceptional African American women, past and present. The book contains six sections, thematically organized around the central issue(s) affecting the lives of the women featured. Introductory questions, biographical portraits and skill-building…

Chronicles the author's development as an artist. By ignoring external judgments and overcoming personal barriers, she was able to become closer to God, to nature, and to herself. (BJV)

The International Sweethearts of Rhythm, a popular, long-lived, all-female jazz band of the 1940s, were the first racially integrated women's band in America. Their achievement has been largely neglected by music historians. A brief history of the band is presented, and their significance is discussed. (BJV)

Discusses the following aspects of the life and art of Harriet Powers (born 1837), a Black quilter from Georgia: (1) subject matter of quilts; (2) African continuity; (3) provenance of quilts; (4) Powers' personal history; and (5) historical context of quilts. (BJV)

Describes a Black woman's personal experience of having her grandfather pass on to her his secret method of weaving cane chair seats. (BJV)

This paper examines how the educational philosophies of two representative African American women university professors were influenced by multiple sojourns between Africa and North America. Two African American women born in the 1940s were interviewed about their early educational experiences, racial identity, and experiences in Africa. Each…

Chronicles the professional and personal life of Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, a sculptor of Afro-American and Narragansett Indian descent, who achieved prominence as an artist and a socialite in both France and the United States beginning in the 1920s. (BJV)