October 7, 2008
The Breakthrough
Politics and Race in the Age of Obama
Written by Gwen Ifill
Available January 20, 2009
In THE BREAKTHROUGH, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama’s stunning presidential campaign and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power.
Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960s. She offers incisive, detailed profiles of such prominent leaders as Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and U.S. Congressman Artur Davis of Alabama, and also covers up-and-coming figures from across the nation. Drawing on interviews with power brokers like Senator Obama, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vernon Jordan, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and many others, as well as her own razor-sharp observations and analysis of such issues as generational conflict and the “black enough” conundrum, Ifill shows why this is a pivotal moment in American history.
THE BREAKTHROUGH is a remarkable look at contemporary politics and an essential foundation for understanding the future of American democracy.
June 13, 2008
Death or Liberty
African Americans and Revolutionary America
by Douglas R. Egerton
Available: Dec 2008
In Death or Liberty , Douglas R. Egerton offers a sweeping chronicle of African American history stretching from Britain’s 1763 victory in the Seven Years’ War to the election of slaveholder Thomas Jefferson as president in 1800.
While American slavery is usually identified with the cotton plantations, Egerton shows that on the eve of the Revolution it encompassed everything from wading in the South Carolina rice fields to carting goods around Manhattan to serving the households of Boston’s elite. More important, he recaptures the drama of slaves, freed blacks, and white reformers fighting to make the young nation fulfill its republican slogans. Although this struggle often unfolded in the corridors of power, Egerton pays special attention to what black Americans did for themselves in these decades, and his narrative brims with compelling portraits of forgotten figures such as Quok Walker, a Massachusetts runaway who took his master to court and thereby helped end slavery in that state; Absalom Jones, a Delaware house slave who bought his freedom and later formed the Free African Society; and Gabriel, a young Virginia artisan who was hanged for plotting to seize Richmond and hold James Monroe hostage. Egerton argues that the Founders lacked the courage to move decisively against slavery despite the real possibility of peaceful, if gradual, emancipation. Battling huge odds, African American activists and rebels succeeded in finding liberty–if never equality–only in northern states.
Canvassing every colony and state, as well as incorporating the wider Atlantic world, Death or Liberty offers a lively and comprehensive account of black Americans and the Revolutionary era in America.
June 13, 2008
Profiles in Black
A History for Christian Youth
by Marvin A. McMickle
edited by Jean Alicia Elster
AVAILABLE DECEMBER 2008
“Nothing is more important to the future of a people or a nation than a clear understanding of their past and of the roads and struggles that have led to any present moment.”—from the Preface
It’s been said that those who don’t learn from history are destined to repeat it. It is that conviction that makes this youthful Christian history of black America a vital resource for educators, parents, and students alike. Respected author, educator, and pastor Marvin McMickle offers readers:
* A sampling/survey of African American history written chronologically so that the reader can see how history has unfolded over time
* A celebration of those persons and movements that refused to allow racism to set limits on their hopes and dreams
* Insight into the struggles and achievements of the past, with the hope that these stories and biographies can inspire this and future generations
* A teen-friendly format with “Phat Facts” in history and biographical profiles that offer the “411” on important figures in history
From the first African slaves to the first black professional athletes, from the revival at Azusa Street to the civil rights movement, from the who’s who of historically black denominational leaders to the who’s who of popular African American culture, Profiles in Black highlights with rich illustrations, famous quotes, and “Phat Facts” the names and events that forged African American experience in the twenty-first century.
