By the Work of Their Hands: Studies in Afro-American Folklife

by John Michael Vlach

In this book, America's foremost scholar of African-American folklife revolutionizes our understanding of Afro-American material culture. Bringing to the essays his extensive research into the written, oral, and material sources of Afro-American culture as well as his impressive scholarly knowledge of folklife, social history, anthropology, and art history, Vlach presents the evidence of African influence on black American folklife, both past and present.

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[K.L. Brogdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it's just me — not everyone thinks this is a great book — but it opened my eyes to an oft neglected component of American history.