Story of the Negro

by Arna Bontemps, Raymond Lufkin (Illustrator)

"In the past thirty years I think I have owned and read every published history of the Negro. This is by all odds the best written, the most interesting, accurate, and concise work for the general reader." —Arthur B. Spingarn, President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

In this account of the history of his people, Arna Bontemps has told the story that, he says, "I would have given my eye teeth to know when I was a high school boy in California—the story that my history books barely mentioned."

Its scope is wide, for he traces the history of the Negro people from "as far back as it goes" down to the present. But the rich and colorful picture of the Negro in Africa is merely the background for what was to follow when boatloads of stolen men were brought to the shores of America to be sold as slaves. "Along the way," he says, "I tried to make clear how American slavery came about and what causes lay behind the present attitudes toward Negroes on the part of some people." The long, hard struggle that ensued is a story filled with courage and heroism. What adventure stories can rival the tales of the slave ships "Le Rodeur" and the "Saint Leon"; the mutiny of the "Amistad" captives; the insurrection of the Haitian slaves; the accounts of the escapes via the Underground Railroad? What success story can match that of the hotel waiter, Henri Cristophe, who became a "king" and built the Citadel in Haiti that is considered the eighth wonder of the world?

Mr. Bontemps introduces a long and varied procession of heroes, like Antar, the black warrior-poet of the desert; the blessed Martín de Porres of old Lima, Peru; Phillis Wheatley, the slave girl poet who charmed Boston and London and won the praise of George Washington; the orator Frederick Douglass; the educator Booker T. Washington; and the scholar and writer, W. E. B. Du Bois.

But aside from the drama and excitement that fill every chapter, there is an inherent dignity throughout the book—the dignity of a people fighting for freedom, a people about whom too little is known. In writing this much-needed story dispassionately and without bias, Mr. Bontemps has made a significant contribution to the education of the young people of America.

The book is illustrated with striking black and white chapter head drawings by Raymond Lufkin.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Childrens, African American, Juvenile

239 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1948

About the author

Works of poetry, history, and fiction, such as God Sends Sunday (1931) and Black Thunder (1936), established American writer Arna Wendell Bontemps as a leading figure of the renaissance of Harlem.

People note Arnaud Wendell Bontemps, an African novelist and librarian, as a member.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arna_Bo...

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly quick read. Rough beginning, in which the (Negro) author compares the majestic Watusi and the funny Pygmies and comes across as racist. Some narrative bits, but mostly a fairly straightforward account... which means that there was a *lot* of history, much new to me, fascinating, and illuminating, but which also means that the prose was more workmanlike than I expected from the poet Bontemps.

Almost no history of Africa or the rest of the world after colonization; it's more a 'history of the Negro of the US and some influences.' However, the timeline at the end did show world history in parallel, so some context was provided via that feature. (I wonder if that timeline is in the original, Newbery, edition.)

Not a bad book, and definitely an important one. I do hope there's something better that youth today are encouraged to read or study.

A few bits: There's a composer named Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, known sometimes as the "African Mahler," working several decades later than the poet.

"Mohammedan writings in Cairo speak of large boats undertaking voyages across the Atlantic from the Guinea coast as early as 1324."

The St.Lawrence Seaway was not opened until 1959.

And a good line: "The things slave-catchers said to themselves to put their consciences at rest would make a book of marvels."

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was originally published in 1948 and was not culturally offensive. How was this managed, you might ask? (And it is a very valid question, indeed, considering some of the other materials published around this time!) The author, Arna Bontemps, was not only African American, he was also a librarian, poet, and Harlemite. Qualifications? Excellent. It is perhaps unfortunate that the story ends before the Civil Rights Movement, but it is an excellent and interesting introduction. I learned quite a bit. Yes, the content and approach may be a bit dated for today's young readers. However, I'm glad that this book existed for the readers of its time. Having just read No Crystal Stair, I found myself wondering whether this excellent book was sold in Lewis Michaux's African National Memorial Bookstore in Harlem. I think it is probably a safe bet to assume it was.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars. This is a very good introduction to African American history, especially pre-Civil War. There was so much info about the slave ships that I never encountered even in college level American History classes. The primary focus was on the US, but Bontemps did include some history from Africa, the Caribbean, and South America, e.g. the Haitian slave revolt. Because of the scale of history, much of the book was devoted to the period pre-Civil War with the result that the rest felt very hurried. I would have liked more on Reconstruction and Jim Crow as well as contributions in WWI and WWII. Also the synopsis of African American creators neglected one that was very important but wasn't considered so in her time: Zora Neale Hurston. I read this for my 2019 Reading Challenge and my Newbery Challenge (Honor Book, 1949).

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was concerned about this one when I saw it on the Newbery list, but it's author, Arna Bontemps, was a Harlem poet and does not write from a racist perspective. This book is, of course, out-dated, but I hope it got the attention it deserved when it first came out. Bontemps here makes an effort to highlight the situation and contributions of black people throughout history, with special attention to famous individuals. Some of those are still well-known to me now, but others I hadn't heard about. His inclusion of the importance of faith and the work of many Christian organizations in the cause of abolition and subsequent education efforts stands in contrast to many current works that only bring out the complicity of churches in defending slavery and oppression.

[Joel Ackerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful synopsis of "the story," as well as a helpful who's who. Many moving stories.

[Desiree']

1949 Newbery honor book

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I ignored the last chapter in my 4-star rating. It wasn't bad, but it felt more political and didn't have the same feeling as the rest of the book. It was also written at least 9 years later considering this book was published in 1948 and the last chapter has stuff in it that happened in 1957. Oh, well.

Until the last chapter, the book was really good. I really liked how the author felt that the best situation for both Blacks and Whites was that people just didn't treat anyone any different whatsoever their race was. I completely agree.

I also liked how the author described truthfully all the crap that Black people had to deal with but also mentioned so many important events in Black history. And finally, the author made sure to mention different Blacks that had made remarkable achievements. I was really impressed.

And lastly, the book was well-written. It does jump from one thing to another pretty often and pretty quickly, but this was meant as a well-rounded overview of Black History, and I feel enlightened, even though the book was written so long ago.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think my only problem with this is that it felt incomplete. Part of that is due to when it was published but part of it was with how the author just ended it. No summation, no wrap-up, just the end. Otherwise it was an a solid history by an author who did a great job of accomplishing what he set out to do.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be very engaging and interesting. I liked the writing style of the author. I enjoyed the history of the people in Africa. I sometimes ponder how reconstruction would have been different if Lincoln hadn't been assassinated. But that's not what happened. And here we are. And we have to make the best of it.

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts as far back as the record allows with tribes in Africa. Jumps forward quickly to more recent history. Lots of names and those people's backgrounds.

[Scott Williams]

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