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Those Who Saw the Sun: African American Oral Histories from the Jim Crow South
The past is not past. We may think something ancient history, or something that doesn’t affect our present day, but we would be wrong.
Those Who Saw the Sun is a collection of oral histories told by Black people who grew up in the South during the time of Jim Crow. Jaha Nailah Avery is a lawyer, scholar, and reporter whose family has roots in North Carolina stretching back over 300 years. These interviews have been a personal passion project for years as she’s traveled across the South meeting with elders and hearing their stories.
One of the most important things a culture can do is preserve history, truthfully. In Those Who Saw the Sun we have the special experience of hearing this history as it was experienced by those who were really there. The opportunity to read their stories, their similarities and differences, where they agree and disagree, and where they overcame obstacles and found joy – feels truly like a gift.
P R A I S E
“These elders’ voices are a collective treasure.”
— Kirkus (starred)
“Compelling.”
— School Library Connection
Those Who Saw the Sun is a collection of oral histories told by Black people who grew up in the South during the time of Jim Crow. Jaha Nailah Avery is a lawyer, scholar, and reporter whose family has roots in North Carolina stretching back over 300 years. These interviews have been a personal passion project for years as she’s traveled across the South meeting with elders and hearing their stories.
One of the most important things a culture can do is preserve history, truthfully. In Those Who Saw the Sun we have the special experience of hearing this history as it was experienced by those who were really there. The opportunity to read their stories, their similarities and differences, where they agree and disagree, and where they overcame obstacles and found joy – feels truly like a gift.
P R A I S E
“These elders’ voices are a collective treasure.”
— Kirkus (starred)
“Compelling.”
— School Library Connection
320 pages, Hardcover
Published July 11, 2023
25 people are currently reading
2866 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 27, 2023
I listened to this audiobook collection of interviews with Black men and women in their 70s and 80s. They and their families had experienced Jim Crow laws, segregation and discrimination and were willing to share their memories. All of the interviews are read by professional narrators. The audiobook does not have the Appendix or pictures that are in the physical book, however at the end of the book it does contain tapes of some of the actual interviews. Unfortunately, the audio quality is not great in these interviews.
What impressed me most was the positivity expressed in the interviews. Each of the subjects had lovely memories of their childhoods. Yes, they had to drink out of white-only fountains and use outdated text books, but they had supportive parents and excellent and caring teachers. They drew strength from their association with their fellow students, including in college. Some even remain hopeful about the future of race relations, while acknowledging that the past few years have experienced a reversal of the progress for which they and their parents fought. They are not strangers to the current efforts to suppress voting rights.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
What impressed me most was the positivity expressed in the interviews. Each of the subjects had lovely memories of their childhoods. Yes, they had to drink out of white-only fountains and use outdated text books, but they had supportive parents and excellent and caring teachers. They drew strength from their association with their fellow students, including in college. Some even remain hopeful about the future of race relations, while acknowledging that the past few years have experienced a reversal of the progress for which they and their parents fought. They are not strangers to the current efforts to suppress voting rights.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher.
March 5, 2025
Black History Month 2025 #6
Memoir March 2025 #1
This is an incredibly important read, and I think, made much better on audio. The voices helped lend authenticity to the interviews, which sometimes appear dry on text. While a lot of the information given shouldn't be new to you, if you grew up in an area that doesn't teach Critical Race Theory, maybe it is.
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books
Memoir March 2025 #1
This is an incredibly important read, and I think, made much better on audio. The voices helped lend authenticity to the interviews, which sometimes appear dry on text. While a lot of the information given shouldn't be new to you, if you grew up in an area that doesn't teach Critical Race Theory, maybe it is.
🎧 Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books
March 21, 2024
"Jim Crow wasn't nothing but slavery, wrapped up in a nice little gift card." -Rev. John Kennard
Those Who Saw the Sun is a collection of oral histories from 10 Black Americans who lived in the Jim Crow South. They talk about a variety of topics including: their families and upbringing, tragic stories from their pasts, their views on integration, the importance of getting an education, famous people they knew, and so much more. Reading this book was like listening to the stories of your parents and grandparents. I enjoyed seeing the commonalities and throughlines between the interviews.
Those Who Saw the Sun is a collection of oral histories from 10 Black Americans who lived in the Jim Crow South. They talk about a variety of topics including: their families and upbringing, tragic stories from their pasts, their views on integration, the importance of getting an education, famous people they knew, and so much more. Reading this book was like listening to the stories of your parents and grandparents. I enjoyed seeing the commonalities and throughlines between the interviews.
August 29, 2023
I took my time with this one, and I'm glad. The most remarkable thing about it for me was seeing certain similarities crop up among all of these different people. Nearly every, if not all, of the interviewees reflected on two specific circumstances that caught my attention. 1) The positive aspects of segregation. Obviously none of them were fans of Jim Crow, but there was a feeling of safety and community that simply was not available to them after instances of integration. This fracturing of community resulted in additional negative outcomes for local Black economies. 2) A smaller thing, but again almost every interviewee brought up that they were aware of only receiving second-hand (or third or fourth...) books at school. Another common thread was vastly positive experiences while attending Black schools with Black teachers who supported and cared for them. Unsurprisingly, that experience did not continue after attending predominantly white schools.
A wonderful collection spotlighting specific experiences that I hope will be widely read.
A wonderful collection spotlighting specific experiences that I hope will be widely read.
February 20, 2025
5⭐️
This should be required reading. A haunting and humbling collection of oral histories from Black elders who grew up in the segregated south.
What amazes me is how recent these stories are. The majority of the storytellers were born throughout the 40s and early 50s, making them the same age, or even younger, than my grandparents. And I’m 25 years old. Only one generation separates one of the biggest voting groups in the United States from enforced segregation, jim crow laws, and regular lynchings.
The degree to which these things are still happening, whether in written laws or in social norms, shows just how insidious our (white people’s) history of racism, violence, and hatred truly are.
It was also very interesting to hear Black perspectives on integration. As a white woman, I’ve always been taught that it was a step toward social equality. But these stories have shown me that integration was not the ending of segregation, but the slow colonization of Black communities and businesses through forced assimilation.
I am so grateful that I stumbled upon Avery’s collection. And I am so grateful to the wonderful Elders who shared their stories with vulnerability, honesty, humor, and hope.
I will continue asking myself the final question that Avery asked her interviewees: “do you think Dr. King’s dream is possible in this country?” And I will continue to listen to the answers.
This should be required reading. A haunting and humbling collection of oral histories from Black elders who grew up in the segregated south.
What amazes me is how recent these stories are. The majority of the storytellers were born throughout the 40s and early 50s, making them the same age, or even younger, than my grandparents. And I’m 25 years old. Only one generation separates one of the biggest voting groups in the United States from enforced segregation, jim crow laws, and regular lynchings.
The degree to which these things are still happening, whether in written laws or in social norms, shows just how insidious our (white people’s) history of racism, violence, and hatred truly are.
It was also very interesting to hear Black perspectives on integration. As a white woman, I’ve always been taught that it was a step toward social equality. But these stories have shown me that integration was not the ending of segregation, but the slow colonization of Black communities and businesses through forced assimilation.
I am so grateful that I stumbled upon Avery’s collection. And I am so grateful to the wonderful Elders who shared their stories with vulnerability, honesty, humor, and hope.
I will continue asking myself the final question that Avery asked her interviewees: “do you think Dr. King’s dream is possible in this country?” And I will continue to listen to the answers.
July 17, 2024
what an amazing collection of testimonies, i really enjoyed reading each and every single interview about these people’s experiences growing up in jim crow. there was some varying of experience, but something pretty much every single person talked about was the affront of realizing every school textbook they had was a hand me down from white schools. i think every one of them mentioned that, checking out books and seeing 5 names already carved into it, desks that were marked up and used, just these seemingly small ways of being told you aren’t the first choice for anything.
being able to read about the people, as well as their family members and what they’ve accomplished was really interesting as well, musicians and politicians and cartoonists and teachers and welders etc.
what a fascinating, and necessary, read! i liked this a lot
being able to read about the people, as well as their family members and what they’ve accomplished was really interesting as well, musicians and politicians and cartoonists and teachers and welders etc.
what a fascinating, and necessary, read! i liked this a lot
September 3, 2023
This is such an important book; oral history is so sacred and I really appreciate the author taking the time to allow the interviewees to be themselves and talk about what they did remember about the Jim Crow Era, and not pressure them into talking about things they really couldn’t. It’s important to note that most of the interviewees are well established people from thriving Black communities. The dumb myth white supremacy created was that Black communities weren’t even close to successful as white ones. Walt Carr said in his chapter that, “Ive always credited white folks as the ones who started the hood—the ghetto—because of segregation.” YUP!
As a non-black, Latina person, I can respect and appreciate their recollection of events and experiences. These perspectives and their advice to young Black people, are truly valuable. Although the advice wasn’t meant for me to take, I nonetheless reflected on the importance of looking to our elders and their efforts for motivation and advice. I also reflected on the importance of community and it truly taking a village to raise a kid, a family, a legacy.
As a non-black, Latina person, I can respect and appreciate their recollection of events and experiences. These perspectives and their advice to young Black people, are truly valuable. Although the advice wasn’t meant for me to take, I nonetheless reflected on the importance of looking to our elders and their efforts for motivation and advice. I also reflected on the importance of community and it truly taking a village to raise a kid, a family, a legacy.
September 27, 2023
This is an important collection of oral histories from people I expected would be "old" but who are essentially my contemporaries. Several things stood out. First was that the interviewees often talked about the positive aspects of segregation and the loss of community that came with integration, along with the loss of relationship with teachers who genuinely cared about them. Another thing that was mentioned often was that many felt discouraged by the fact that their textbooks were always discarded books from the "white" schools. Plessy vs. Ferguson didn't work so well, eh? And as well-meaning as integration was intended to be, it wasn't so great, either. It gave me a lot to think about going forward, especially with the problem of restoring community.
March 21, 2024
"When you change the law, you don't change hearts"
Oletha Barnett’s heartbreaking quote captures the moral injury of racism and inequity that can never be removed by the legal system. As relevant to the 1960s consciousness raising civil rights era or the divided cultural status quo of the 2020s, we need stories to bridge difference. We need disclosure for connection. We need healing for change.
Jaha Nailah Avery documents community elders in “ Those Who Saw the Sun: African American Oral Histories from the Jim Crow South” As she states "there were stories that I couldn't understand. They were stories about a world that no longer existed, a world that was for me to even imagine. it was ruled by somebody named Jim Crow" (p.2). One reason these interviews are so profound and impactful is because of the lack of distance between Avery and the storytellers. In her words, she interviewed church members, outside of work hours, “neither structured or scheduled”, and simply enjoyed hearing people talk about their lives. I wouldn’t say these people are ordinary - they are accomplished, communicators, generative, wise and heroic, but these are the people we would encounter at church or a community center. Avery writes “We all know Dr. King, Rosa Parks, Angela Davis, but there are people walking among us who were heroes too. this book uplifts the lives and experiences of people that we haven't heard about yet (p.3).
Integration has always been at the unassailable idea to me. The moral truth to target Dr. Martin Luther King’s message about character and moving toward a post-racial world has always been in my bones as the goal we are moving toward. After reading these 10 interviewees, many in their 70s and 80s, I was struck by how the question of integration has been so complicated. Themes of community and safety in African American neighborhoods were contrasted with psychological wounds from interactions with classmates, coworkers or bosses in mainstream white-led institutions. Only two or three generations removed from enslavement by a country with a creed for “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, the disillusionment among the interviewees is overwhelming. These are people who lived through the fear of the Klan, the heinous atmosphere of lynchings and police brutality, and the murder of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Medgar Evans. As Reverend John Kennard stated “Jim Crow wasn't nothing but slavery wrapped up in a nice little gift card (p.182). It’s a hard topic to discuss, but it’s there in the consciousness of this generation.
There is also the topic of education and self-betterment. So many people interviewed came from farming or sharecropping family. Many were able attained education, power and community standing that their parents could not. This was the generation to break down the flagrant racism and double standards of the deep south. As Eleanor Boswell states, the "South had never been exposed the way it was when theTV cameras started rolling" (p.51). Leading sit-ins, voter awareness campaigns and diversity initiatives within firms, these are stories of young people finding the laws to find justice. Johnnie booker’s life story powerfully shines with powerful brazenness. Her personality crackles as she describes challenging practices at HUD that evicted african americans or pushing against the unwritten rules of the boys clubs she encountered in government and private industry. These are truly stories of people who faced the inhumanity of others and rose above it.
Race remains a central question of our times. In the last decade the Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality George Floyd have forced many of us to reckon with the assumptions of our mythology. For me personally, books like Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste” or Resmaa Menakem’s “My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies” have given me insight into the nature of our moment. Any honest person would agree there has been progress for the African American community at large. Representation and opportunities in the industry, university and even the presidency. And yet, that same honest person has to admit many African Americans don’t feel like this is a more perfect union. Reflecting on the critical race theory conflicts, Walt Carr states it amounts to “shielding white kids from grandfather heinous details”. There is a deep sadness and brokenness here that remains.
We often speak about the wisdom of elders, but so rarely do we give them a chance to speak. Avery has put together an impressive set of individuals to share their life stories, and give hearted advice to the next generation. Even for people like myself, outside of the african american heritage, I strongly recommend checking this out. This is a deeply compelling, empathetic, and thought provoking book about the power of recording and reckoning with your country’s complicated history.
Oletha Barnett’s heartbreaking quote captures the moral injury of racism and inequity that can never be removed by the legal system. As relevant to the 1960s consciousness raising civil rights era or the divided cultural status quo of the 2020s, we need stories to bridge difference. We need disclosure for connection. We need healing for change.
Jaha Nailah Avery documents community elders in “ Those Who Saw the Sun: African American Oral Histories from the Jim Crow South” As she states "there were stories that I couldn't understand. They were stories about a world that no longer existed, a world that was for me to even imagine. it was ruled by somebody named Jim Crow" (p.2). One reason these interviews are so profound and impactful is because of the lack of distance between Avery and the storytellers. In her words, she interviewed church members, outside of work hours, “neither structured or scheduled”, and simply enjoyed hearing people talk about their lives. I wouldn’t say these people are ordinary - they are accomplished, communicators, generative, wise and heroic, but these are the people we would encounter at church or a community center. Avery writes “We all know Dr. King, Rosa Parks, Angela Davis, but there are people walking among us who were heroes too. this book uplifts the lives and experiences of people that we haven't heard about yet (p.3).
Integration has always been at the unassailable idea to me. The moral truth to target Dr. Martin Luther King’s message about character and moving toward a post-racial world has always been in my bones as the goal we are moving toward. After reading these 10 interviewees, many in their 70s and 80s, I was struck by how the question of integration has been so complicated. Themes of community and safety in African American neighborhoods were contrasted with psychological wounds from interactions with classmates, coworkers or bosses in mainstream white-led institutions. Only two or three generations removed from enslavement by a country with a creed for “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, the disillusionment among the interviewees is overwhelming. These are people who lived through the fear of the Klan, the heinous atmosphere of lynchings and police brutality, and the murder of civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King and Medgar Evans. As Reverend John Kennard stated “Jim Crow wasn't nothing but slavery wrapped up in a nice little gift card (p.182). It’s a hard topic to discuss, but it’s there in the consciousness of this generation.
There is also the topic of education and self-betterment. So many people interviewed came from farming or sharecropping family. Many were able attained education, power and community standing that their parents could not. This was the generation to break down the flagrant racism and double standards of the deep south. As Eleanor Boswell states, the "South had never been exposed the way it was when theTV cameras started rolling" (p.51). Leading sit-ins, voter awareness campaigns and diversity initiatives within firms, these are stories of young people finding the laws to find justice. Johnnie booker’s life story powerfully shines with powerful brazenness. Her personality crackles as she describes challenging practices at HUD that evicted african americans or pushing against the unwritten rules of the boys clubs she encountered in government and private industry. These are truly stories of people who faced the inhumanity of others and rose above it.
Race remains a central question of our times. In the last decade the Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality George Floyd have forced many of us to reckon with the assumptions of our mythology. For me personally, books like Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste” or Resmaa Menakem’s “My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies” have given me insight into the nature of our moment. Any honest person would agree there has been progress for the African American community at large. Representation and opportunities in the industry, university and even the presidency. And yet, that same honest person has to admit many African Americans don’t feel like this is a more perfect union. Reflecting on the critical race theory conflicts, Walt Carr states it amounts to “shielding white kids from grandfather heinous details”. There is a deep sadness and brokenness here that remains.
We often speak about the wisdom of elders, but so rarely do we give them a chance to speak. Avery has put together an impressive set of individuals to share their life stories, and give hearted advice to the next generation. Even for people like myself, outside of the african american heritage, I strongly recommend checking this out. This is a deeply compelling, empathetic, and thought provoking book about the power of recording and reckoning with your country’s complicated history.
February 20, 2025
Those Who Saw the Sun is a powerful and necessary collection of oral histories that shines a light on the lived experiences of Black individuals in the Jim Crow South. Through firsthand accounts, Avery captures the resilience, struggles, and triumphs of a generation that witnessed both the oppressive weight of segregation and the complexities of integration.
One of the most striking themes in this book is the impact of integration, not as the unqualified victory we often hear about, but as a shift that, in many ways, disrupted thriving Black communities. While legal desegregation was meant to create opportunities, it also led to the decline of Black-owned businesses, schools, and neighborhoods that had once been strongholds of economic and social stability. Black schools, which had nurtured students in culturally affirming and supportive environments, were often closed, and Black educators lost their jobs as white schools refused to hire them. Likewise, Black-owned businesses, which had been the backbone of self-sufficient communities, struggled as integration funneled Black consumers into white-owned establishments.
Avery’s work challenges the traditional narrative of progress by giving voice to those who experienced these changes firsthand. Their stories force us to reconsider the cost of integration and acknowledge the ways in which Black communities were left to rebuild without the same level of institutional support.
This book is also a call to action: we, as Black people, must learn our history and keep it alive. Too often, the stories of our elders are overlooked or forgotten, but books like this remind us that our past holds valuable lessons for our present and future. If we do not actively preserve and pass down our history, we risk allowing others to tell it for us or worse, erase it entirely. Understanding where we come from helps us reclaim our power, build stronger communities, and ensure that future generations know the full truth of our resilience and contributions.
This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper, understanding of the effects of slavery, Jim Crow, and integration and the effect it has on American history that is often hidden.
One of the most striking themes in this book is the impact of integration, not as the unqualified victory we often hear about, but as a shift that, in many ways, disrupted thriving Black communities. While legal desegregation was meant to create opportunities, it also led to the decline of Black-owned businesses, schools, and neighborhoods that had once been strongholds of economic and social stability. Black schools, which had nurtured students in culturally affirming and supportive environments, were often closed, and Black educators lost their jobs as white schools refused to hire them. Likewise, Black-owned businesses, which had been the backbone of self-sufficient communities, struggled as integration funneled Black consumers into white-owned establishments.
Avery’s work challenges the traditional narrative of progress by giving voice to those who experienced these changes firsthand. Their stories force us to reconsider the cost of integration and acknowledge the ways in which Black communities were left to rebuild without the same level of institutional support.
This book is also a call to action: we, as Black people, must learn our history and keep it alive. Too often, the stories of our elders are overlooked or forgotten, but books like this remind us that our past holds valuable lessons for our present and future. If we do not actively preserve and pass down our history, we risk allowing others to tell it for us or worse, erase it entirely. Understanding where we come from helps us reclaim our power, build stronger communities, and ensure that future generations know the full truth of our resilience and contributions.
This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper, understanding of the effects of slavery, Jim Crow, and integration and the effect it has on American history that is often hidden.
March 18, 2024
I love the idea of this book! Oral histories are important and add a lot of depth in an oft overlooked field. Some of the interviews were fantastic and I would recommend this to anyone, especially someone interested in history. It was incredible how similar each account was, and the general dislike of de-segregation came as a big surprise but one I should have seen coming. The general consensus of reintegration leading to significantly weaker black communities really struck me and is something I want to look into further. It is interesting to see how prominent the church is in so many of these peoples lives, and modernity has certainly weakened that connection for better or worse. I don't really think this is a book that should be rated; it is a collection of interviews and not a text which lends itself easily to literary criticism. Regardless I'll give it a 5 just to pump those numbers and because I think history which actually records primary source accounts is much needed in the current system, where old white men have dictated what should and shouldn't be taught in school. I found this book to be eye opening in its candor- the way these people were treated less than 100 years ago really makes me feel a need to act. These people lived in harsh times and fought to make them better- Shouldn't we do the same?
December 11, 2023
I loved the orality of this project and the audiobook really highlighted that. Listening to this book felt like sitting down among elders listening to them tell their stories. And so much of their stories were filled with joy despite this being an account of their lives during segregation. The people interviewed for this work spoke of community, resilience and a determination to prove themselves in a time when they were constantly told that they were inferior. It is interesting the pride in which they spoke of the [segregated] Black community - schools where teachers knew them personally and had their best interests at heart, successful Black owned businesses, spaces where people looked out for each other - and the negative impacts of desegregation to that community. I was also intrigued by the stories of families separated, one family member stealing away in the middle of the night because they had dared to fight back a white person and were about to be killed if they were found. Everybody interviewed seemed to have one of those stories. The reunion stories generations later? Absolute tearjerkers!
I think this book is such a necessary and impactful telling of history from voices who are not always heard and I really appreciated it.
I think this book is such a necessary and impactful telling of history from voices who are not always heard and I really appreciated it.
April 24, 2024
Such an impactful read! I learned a lot in this book and really enjoyed learning these individuals' histories and stories, though sometimes it was very disheartening with what some (or those near to them) endured. I'm so glad their stories have been preserved and hope that others being able to read them provides some insight and perspective that builds empathy for a situation that many of us haven't experienced or fully considered. I found the unique feelings and perspective on integration especially interesting as I didn't realize that they had good, supportive schools, businesses, etc but just needed the same resources and opportunities that their white counterparts were receiving. It is really sad how those integrating did have some negative affects on their previous community parenting that had extended into the schools and how many Black businesses went under once there were more choices. While some acknowledge the positives, it is upsetting that they also lost some of their culture and tradition in the fight. I really enjoyed the interview style back and forth and the authenticity and vulnerability of those she interviewed.
September 1, 2023
I love this book for so many reasons. I love the explanation of the importance of oral histories and of collecting those histories from our elders whenever possible. We never know what stories they have to share.
I was shaken by the author's introduction and realizing how many people might still be scared to tell their story because of the long-standing tradition of institutional bias and racism that they have fought against for so long. But I was just as moved by the stories that were shared. Of ways that people pushed against injustice. Of the unbelievable tragedies faced by these men and women who continued to push for better.
I also just feel like Jaha Nailah Avery did an incredible job of synthesizing these stories and these lives to show these through lines of people who lived in different places but experienced similar injustice.
I took my time reading this book and I am so glad that I did. The stories are rich and varied and worth sharing widely. The audiobook is also a treat, and includes the recordings from the initial interviews.
I was shaken by the author's introduction and realizing how many people might still be scared to tell their story because of the long-standing tradition of institutional bias and racism that they have fought against for so long. But I was just as moved by the stories that were shared. Of ways that people pushed against injustice. Of the unbelievable tragedies faced by these men and women who continued to push for better.
I also just feel like Jaha Nailah Avery did an incredible job of synthesizing these stories and these lives to show these through lines of people who lived in different places but experienced similar injustice.
I took my time reading this book and I am so glad that I did. The stories are rich and varied and worth sharing widely. The audiobook is also a treat, and includes the recordings from the initial interviews.
July 11, 2023
Jaha Nailah Avery has done the essential work of collecting firsthand accounts of what it was like to live in the Jim Crow South. These stories are important for ALL Americans to hear, both now and in the future. This book would make an excellent addition to any school curriculum teaching about this often glazed over point in our country's history.
The interviews are narrated beautifully for this audiobook, and the publisher has included the original interview recordings at the end of the book though the sound quality makes it difficult to understand them.
Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me access to the ARC audiobook version of this book. And thank you, Ms. Avery, for preserving this important piece of US History. I look forward to enjoying more of your work in the future.
The interviews are narrated beautifully for this audiobook, and the publisher has included the original interview recordings at the end of the book though the sound quality makes it difficult to understand them.
Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for allowing me access to the ARC audiobook version of this book. And thank you, Ms. Avery, for preserving this important piece of US History. I look forward to enjoying more of your work in the future.
March 12, 2024
Interviews with ten elders from the Black community about segregation, integration, growing up Black, if they think MLK's dream is possible... This is such an important oral history made permanent. It makes the Jim Crow south vivdly real and impossible to whitewash. I love the stories of family and community. I had heard from a Black administrator that I worked with about the strength of the Black teachers and the Black schools but it was reiterated in almost every single one of those narratives as well. I mourn the loss of Black teachers in our schools today and that not a single one of those folks think we are doing justice for Black students in schools now. It is so important that these stories do not get lost and that future generations hear their message. And that we do btter because of them. Highly recommend.
July 24, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an e-arc of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
This is a very timely and eye-opening audiobook. As those who remember life in the segregated South continue to age, this book preserves some of their stories and offers first-hand accounts of what life under Jim Crow was like. Many of the memories talked about in this book are good ones of happy childhoods and educational and professional successes, but nonetheless, segregation and racism were ever present.
Avery structured the interviews very well, tailoring each to the particular experiences of the person she is talking to but always ending with the same question about if they believe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream is possible in the US. A few answers surprised me, many were hopeful, and all of these life stories are worth reading about.
This is a very timely and eye-opening audiobook. As those who remember life in the segregated South continue to age, this book preserves some of their stories and offers first-hand accounts of what life under Jim Crow was like. Many of the memories talked about in this book are good ones of happy childhoods and educational and professional successes, but nonetheless, segregation and racism were ever present.
Avery structured the interviews very well, tailoring each to the particular experiences of the person she is talking to but always ending with the same question about if they believe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream is possible in the US. A few answers surprised me, many were hopeful, and all of these life stories are worth reading about.
October 18, 2023
A collection of stories that remind us all about the power of listening. The author uses the African proverb at the start "When an elder dies, a library burns" and that rings true both for the concept of the book which is a collection of oral histories from people in the south but also about why it is important in our own lives to listen and remember and share the stories of those that came before us and document our lives (which had a bit of a resurgence during the pandemic to "record history").
However, as with oral history and the want to keep it in its natural state, it is like someone talking to you and therefore bobs and weaves into different memories, includes verbal ticks, and isn't edited because it's their history, their truth.
Necessary.
However, as with oral history and the want to keep it in its natural state, it is like someone talking to you and therefore bobs and weaves into different memories, includes verbal ticks, and isn't edited because it's their history, their truth.
Necessary.
November 24, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review. Those Who Saw the Sun is a collection of interviews from African Americans who grew up in the time of Jim Crow/Civil Rights. Each story was a unique look into their lives-schooling, family life, events related to racism, etc- the lessons they learned and their thoughts for the future. The common thought I had while reading this was to have hope. Even as they described living through or adjacent to events that would (and did) destroy lives, you have to have hope. This comes through community and using your gifts to serve that community. Highly recommend.
July 7, 2025
This is a fantastic collection of oral histories, in an even more impressive physical package. Each interviewee discusses distinct experiences with structural racism under Jim Crow and unique perspectives on the future of race in America. Yet, many of their stories bear striking similarities. This repetition is deeply poignant.
I found each interview's concluding reflections on Dr. King's Dream to be insightful. They bound the oral histories together and affixed a forward-facing perspective to a book built on recollections of the past.
I found each interview's concluding reflections on Dr. King's Dream to be insightful. They bound the oral histories together and affixed a forward-facing perspective to a book built on recollections of the past.
February 17, 2024
*An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
This was a fascinating, oral history of the Jim Crow South told by interviews executed by the author with elderly folks who remembered and recounted their experiences growing up in the time. It was fascinating to hear the first-person perspective stories directly from the people who lived it. However, many stories were similar and they felt like they were blending together by the midpoint of the book.
This was a fascinating, oral history of the Jim Crow South told by interviews executed by the author with elderly folks who remembered and recounted their experiences growing up in the time. It was fascinating to hear the first-person perspective stories directly from the people who lived it. However, many stories were similar and they felt like they were blending together by the midpoint of the book.
May 5, 2024
I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Those Who Saw the Sun is a beautifully-written collection of short stories which I took my sweet time on, and re-read to fully grasp the book and any potential underlying motives. With this, I genuinely hope this gets the recognition it deserves, as it sheds light on important moments of history. I leave readers of this review to decide what they think of the book, but I urge it to be read.
Those Who Saw the Sun is a beautifully-written collection of short stories which I took my sweet time on, and re-read to fully grasp the book and any potential underlying motives. With this, I genuinely hope this gets the recognition it deserves, as it sheds light on important moments of history. I leave readers of this review to decide what they think of the book, but I urge it to be read.
November 22, 2024
I loved the question/response, interview/interviewee format of the book (kind of wished there were more narrators to give individualized voices to each of the people, but I can understand why it wasn’t done that way). The style allowed each interviewee to share their familial history and experience in a personal way and from their own unique voice. Overall — what an amazing way to preserve the experiences of those who come before us.
October 1, 2023
The author did such a great job of translating these stories into synced chapters without losing the character of each story. So many important perspectives/views in the book- especially as this generation is often overlooked. I highly recommend everyone read this! Approachable, intriguing, and important.
March 28, 2024
Great collection of stories telling the oral history of those who lived through Jim Crow segregation. These stories help illustrate an era of America that isn’t spoken of often and its effects on today’s society. Biggest criticism would be the interview format although I understand it was written in that format to allow the stories to be told organically.
September 26, 2023
Do the audiobook!! Avery includes recordings from the interviews. It's stunning. This is a great collection that showcases a very personal take on a side of history often glossed over (especially in our current educational state)
October 6, 2023
I’m keeping this book in my back pocket for my future middle school-aged children to listen to so that they can hear first-hand accounts from African-American elders about what life was like living in the Jim Crow south.
Highly recommend.
Highly recommend.
October 17, 2023
An important and timely African-American oral history from the Jim Crow South. As an Alabama ex-pat, I read interview no. 8 with Rev. John Kennard who grew up in the Black Belt of Alabama. It was a privilege to read his story. It spoke deeply to my white woman self.
May 5, 2024
4 stars.
Fascinating and important narratives about Jim Crow. 10 in all, I felt some were more compelling than others, but helps to see the flow of experience of being Black in America. Also motivated by the idea of keeping history alive.
Fascinating and important narratives about Jim Crow. 10 in all, I felt some were more compelling than others, but helps to see the flow of experience of being Black in America. Also motivated by the idea of keeping history alive.
August 25, 2023
3.5 stars
Interviews with older African-Americans so that the elders' stories aren't lost.
Interviews with older African-Americans so that the elders' stories aren't lost.
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