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Autobiography of a People: Three Centuries of African American History Told by Those Who Lived It
Benjamin Banneker on Thomas Jefferson's hypocrisy * Old Elizabeth on spreading the Word * Frederick Douglass on life in the North * Sojourner Truth on black women's rights * W.E.B. Du Bois on the Talented Tenth * Matthew Henson on reaching the North Pole * and many more.
"It has been said, 'He who does not know history is doomed to repeat it.' We as African Americans must put forth a concerted effort to know and to write our own history...We have the knowledge, the know-how, the resources, and we were there."
--Rev. Bernice A. King
Celebrating the spirituality, courage, and intellectual achievements of African Americans, Autobiography of a People is the first anthology to effectively trace the history of the African American experience--from the Middle Passage to Emancipation, from the Civil War to Vietnam, from the Little Rock Nine to the Million Man March--by telling the story in the words of the men and women who lived it.
Editor Herb Boyd has combined a powerful chorus of voices from the past and present to create a compelling portrait of how African Americans have survived--and shaped--some of the most important events in United States history. The misery of slavery, the bloodshed of war, and the struggle for civil rights are just some of the pivotal experiences described in vivid detail throughout the book. Many of the most revered historical and intellectual figures, writers, religious leaders, and activists appear within these pages, such as Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Elaine Brown, Margaret Walker, and General Colin Powell. Yet this remarkable collection also includes riveting scenes from the lives of ordinary men and women whose accomplishments may not have been recorded in the history books, but whose experiences are equally important to the African American story.
Offering a wealth of historical detail and emotion, Autobiography of a People is a stunning accomplishment that brings African American history to life, in all its tragedy and triumph, in a brilliant testament to the black experience in America.
The book boasts an astounding roster of important historical and intellectual figures, writers and religious leaders, such as Phyllis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., General Colin Powell, and Angela Davis, as well as a generous selection of riveting accounts from ordinary people. The misery of slavery, the bloodshed of several American wars, and the struggle for civil rights are just some of the pivotal experiences described in vivid detail throughout the book. Linked by editor Herb Boyd's informative narrative bridges, these powerful voices from the past and present combine to create a compelling portrait of how African Americans have survived-- and shaped--some of the most important events in U.S. history.
A monumental achievement, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PEOPLE brings African-American history to life in all its tragedy and triumph, in a brilliant testament to the black experience in America. -->
"It has been said, 'He who does not know history is doomed to repeat it.' We as African Americans must put forth a concerted effort to know and to write our own history...We have the knowledge, the know-how, the resources, and we were there."
--Rev. Bernice A. King
Celebrating the spirituality, courage, and intellectual achievements of African Americans, Autobiography of a People is the first anthology to effectively trace the history of the African American experience--from the Middle Passage to Emancipation, from the Civil War to Vietnam, from the Little Rock Nine to the Million Man March--by telling the story in the words of the men and women who lived it.
Editor Herb Boyd has combined a powerful chorus of voices from the past and present to create a compelling portrait of how African Americans have survived--and shaped--some of the most important events in United States history. The misery of slavery, the bloodshed of war, and the struggle for civil rights are just some of the pivotal experiences described in vivid detail throughout the book. Many of the most revered historical and intellectual figures, writers, religious leaders, and activists appear within these pages, such as Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Elaine Brown, Margaret Walker, and General Colin Powell. Yet this remarkable collection also includes riveting scenes from the lives of ordinary men and women whose accomplishments may not have been recorded in the history books, but whose experiences are equally important to the African American story.
Offering a wealth of historical detail and emotion, Autobiography of a People is a stunning accomplishment that brings African American history to life, in all its tragedy and triumph, in a brilliant testament to the black experience in America.
The book boasts an astounding roster of important historical and intellectual figures, writers and religious leaders, such as Phyllis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., General Colin Powell, and Angela Davis, as well as a generous selection of riveting accounts from ordinary people. The misery of slavery, the bloodshed of several American wars, and the struggle for civil rights are just some of the pivotal experiences described in vivid detail throughout the book. Linked by editor Herb Boyd's informative narrative bridges, these powerful voices from the past and present combine to create a compelling portrait of how African Americans have survived-- and shaped--some of the most important events in U.S. history.
A monumental achievement, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PEOPLE brings African-American history to life in all its tragedy and triumph, in a brilliant testament to the black experience in America. -->
576 pages, Hardcover
First published January 18, 2000
About the author
Gordon Parks
110 books116 followersGordon Parks was a groundbreaking American photographer, musician, poet, novelist, journalist, activist and film director. He is best remembered for his photo essays for Life Magazine and as the director of the 1971 film, Shaft.
Parks is remembered for his activism, filmmaking, photography, and writings. He was the first African-American to work at Life magazine, and the first to write, direct, and score a Hollywood film. He was profiled in the 1967 documentary "Weapons of Gordon Parks" by American filmmaker Warren Forma. Parks was also a campaigner for civil rights; subject of film and print profiles, notably Half Past Autumn in 2000; and had a gallery exhibit of his photo-related, abstract oil paintings in 1981. He was also a co-founder of Essence magazine, and one of the early contributors to the "blaxploitation" genre.
Parks also performed as a jazz pianist. His first job was as a piano player in a brothel. His song "No Love," composed in another brothel, was performed over a national radio broadcast by Larry Funk and his orchestra in the early 30s. He composed Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1953) at the encouragement of black American conductor Dean Dixon and his wife, pianist Vivian and with the help of composer Henry Brant. In 1989, he composed and choreographed Martin, a ballet dedicated to civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
Beginning in the 1960s, Parks branched out into literature, writing The Learning Tree (1963), several books of poetry illustrated with his own photographs, and three volumes of memoirs.In 1981, Parks turned to fiction with Shannon, a novel about Irish immigrants fighting their way up the social ladder in turbulent early 20th-century New York. Parks' writing accomplishments include novels, poetry, autobiography, and non-fiction including photographic instructional manuals and filmmaking books. Parks also wrote a poem called "The Funeral".
Parks received over 20 honorary doctorates in his lifetime. He died of cancer at the age of 93.
Parks is remembered for his activism, filmmaking, photography, and writings. He was the first African-American to work at Life magazine, and the first to write, direct, and score a Hollywood film. He was profiled in the 1967 documentary "Weapons of Gordon Parks" by American filmmaker Warren Forma. Parks was also a campaigner for civil rights; subject of film and print profiles, notably Half Past Autumn in 2000; and had a gallery exhibit of his photo-related, abstract oil paintings in 1981. He was also a co-founder of Essence magazine, and one of the early contributors to the "blaxploitation" genre.
Parks also performed as a jazz pianist. His first job was as a piano player in a brothel. His song "No Love," composed in another brothel, was performed over a national radio broadcast by Larry Funk and his orchestra in the early 30s. He composed Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1953) at the encouragement of black American conductor Dean Dixon and his wife, pianist Vivian and with the help of composer Henry Brant. In 1989, he composed and choreographed Martin, a ballet dedicated to civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
Beginning in the 1960s, Parks branched out into literature, writing The Learning Tree (1963), several books of poetry illustrated with his own photographs, and three volumes of memoirs.In 1981, Parks turned to fiction with Shannon, a novel about Irish immigrants fighting their way up the social ladder in turbulent early 20th-century New York. Parks' writing accomplishments include novels, poetry, autobiography, and non-fiction including photographic instructional manuals and filmmaking books. Parks also wrote a poem called "The Funeral".
Parks received over 20 honorary doctorates in his lifetime. He died of cancer at the age of 93.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 13, 2017
The book aims to be a continuous first-person narrative of the African American experience from slavery to the present, and while the reading is rough in spots overall it achieves its stated goal. Being an anthology cherry picked from history, the selections range from totally eye opening to not-sure-why-this-was-included — though I doubt any two people would agree on which selections are which.
This is a really good book for understanding not what happened — in terms of dates and facts and such — but what is was like as it was happening. As a white kid in the suburbs, I knew about Jim Crow and discrimination, but not really what that felt like or what that does to a person. I won't now claim to be an expert on race relations, but I definitely feel like I understand more about how things got to be the way they are.
This is a really good book for understanding not what happened — in terms of dates and facts and such — but what is was like as it was happening. As a white kid in the suburbs, I knew about Jim Crow and discrimination, but not really what that felt like or what that does to a person. I won't now claim to be an expert on race relations, but I definitely feel like I understand more about how things got to be the way they are.
October 29, 2011
Although I did not finish this book, I was greatly impressed with the 1st-person narratives it contains. The stories at the beginning written by supposed ignorant savage people whose lot in life was supposed to be enslavement are touching and full of emotion. Their points are made, they knew they were being wrongly abused and desired their freedom. The first narratives are their remenisces of life in Africa and freedom, and their abject misery at what has befallen them. Those slavery apologists and those who long for revel in antebellum life in the South should read this and reconsider their positions.
The further I got into this book the more it reminded it me of Crossing the Danger Water. After the early entries of actual slave memoirs, I kind of lost interest. Maybe I'll pick it up again at a later date.
The further I got into this book the more it reminded it me of Crossing the Danger Water. After the early entries of actual slave memoirs, I kind of lost interest. Maybe I'll pick it up again at a later date.
August 16, 2016
Autobiography of a People really inspired me to overcome the standards and rise above what is expected of me. I loved the way this book was edited and translated. I think the mixture of poems, personal stories, and historical facts really made this book even more powerful.
March 8, 2021
This is a series of first person accounts, from the colonial period to about the late 1990s, of the black experience in America. The pieces are generally excerpts from books or other larger works, through there are a few letters from the Civil War era and accounts that appear to have been told to another person for transcription. There are slave accounts that are heartbreaking and enraging. The systematic effort to make slaves feel lesser can be seen here. Reading the words of people bemoaning their color and grateful for their enslavement so they could learn about Christianity is painful; perhaps these words were written — or, more likely, transcribed — to please the white person who was writing or reading them, but the internalization of racism is still there. As the book moves through the 1800s and 1900s, it contains accounts from leaders who sometimes disagreed with each other and its interesting to see the counterpoint arguments, but also how fighting racism and their second class status splintered the POC community, which was no accident. I appreciated the effort to include a variety of voices from various stations in life; a difficultly when for much of the book the subjects were either legally barred from literacy or very discouraged from it.
Some of the passages could use more context—for me at least, and they sometimes seemed to end abruptly. It might’ve have been nice to have more explanation with each passage, however this is already a fairly long book; it might become unwieldy. But I can’t think of a single passage I would cut to allow this to happen either; they’re well-selected.
Some of the passages could use more context—for me at least, and they sometimes seemed to end abruptly. It might’ve have been nice to have more explanation with each passage, however this is already a fairly long book; it might become unwieldy. But I can’t think of a single passage I would cut to allow this to happen either; they’re well-selected.
July 9, 2017
Wonderful to see a wide range of views from so many people in different times over three centuries. I learned about so many events I had never heard of.
April 1, 2014
Gather around everyone and I'll tell you a tale of stories to be told. Although there are only fragments in this book of stories told of a living history it is a fantastic collection. As one author says unless you have been there as they have you can't know what it's like to experience what they all had to go through. It's both sad, joyous, maddening and yet hopeful. The voices of the past were always hopeful for the future. Bit by bit they would lay the groundwork for the next generation and the next one after that. They lived it, we, the reader can only read it. But it comes alive again. Times changed, it could be said some circumstances, but then not nearly enough for the last story told in 1996, however, as in the final line in the book "we shall over come." Now in the 21st century and 18 years after the last story told it would be interesting to have another set of voices to add in an extra edition of this book. What new chapter in this book take shape? What kind of voices would be added?
October 26, 2013
I really enjoyed reading about the amazing stories of the many African-Americans mentioned in this book and the struggles they had and still have to this day which is senseless. America needs to look at how they treat their own people before telling other countries how to treat theirs.
December 18, 2012
A great overview of the real story and times of Black people. Amazing.
March 8, 2014
An anthology with very touching personal stories. A must read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews