Catalog Search Results
Author
Series
Description
Author Silvia Anne Sheafer relates the entertaining life and career of this legend of soul music, from her childhood in Detroit, through her struggles with personal heartache and racial prejudice, to her continued success as a major force in the music industry. Crowned the "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin has won fifteen Grammy Awards, and has also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Author
Series
Description
This is an interesting look at the life and career of this talented tennis legend, Arthur Ashe was the first African-American male ever to play professional tennis, and would go on to win thirty-three tournaments. A teacher, author, and activist, as well as a tennis star, Ashe continued to be politically and socially active until he died of AIDS-related pneumonia.
Author
Series
Description
Benjamin Banneker, born in 1731, was a man ahead of his time. As a free African American in a time of slavery, Banneker was not welcome in white society, and he spent most of his life on his Maryland farm. There he harnessed his keen and curious intellect to teach himself complex mathematics and astronomy. Banneker secured a place in history with his role in surveying the site for the capital city, Washington D.C., and his published almanacs with...
Author
Series
Description
Carter G. Woodson, born just ten years after the Civil War ended, grew up in the lingering shadow of slavery. The son of former slaves, Woodson became the first scholar of African-American history, creating this field of university study. He was also the creator of Negro History Week, which has now grown into Black History Month, celebrated nationwide. The life and career of this pioneering historian are detailed in this book.
Author
Series
Description
Today, thanks to the work of a brilliant young doctor, blood banks and successful blood transfusions are commonplace. Dr. Charles Drew's pioneering research with blood plasma and storage made this possible. At a time of crippling racial segregation and prejudice, Drew proved that black doctors were equal to white doctors. During World War II, he created the first large-scale system for preserving blood, shipping seventeen thousand pints overseas for...
Author
Series
Description
Duke Ellington's brilliance as a jazz composer; bandleader; and pianist has never been equaled. The winner of eleven Grammy Awards, Duke Ellington, achieved success in New York's Cotton Club, wrote musical scores for stage plays, movies, and even composed his own short opera. This book offers a fascinating look at the life and career of a music legend.
Author
Series
Description
Despite being a slave, Douglass learned to read and write. At age 21, he escaped from slavery and forged a new life for himself as a free man. Intelligent and charismatic, Douglass became the leading voice against slavery in the 1800s. "There is no way a nation can call itself free and accept slavery," said Frederick Douglass. Middle-grade readers and up will respond to Anne Schraff's fresh, lively retelling of Douglass' story.
Author
Series
Description
George Washington Carver spent his life asking questions and looking for the answers. He gained a reputation as the farmers' best friend. He taught farmers about crop rotation, which meant instructing them to grow peanuts and sweet potatoes to "rest" their soil between cotton crops. What could they do with all those peanuts? Carver developed more than three hundred peanut-based products including milk and printers' ink. He also invented more than...
Author
Series
Description
Sorting myth from truth in this amazing tale of courage and heroism, Anne Schraff breathes new life into the story of the most famous "conductor" on the Underground Railroad. "I grew up like a neglected weed, ignorant of liberty, having no experience of it. Now I've been free, I know what a dreadful condition slavery is." Harriet Tubman ran away from slavery in 1849, walking one hundred miles to freedom in the North. For the next sixteen years, Tubman...
Author
Series
Description
"Music has been in my blood from the day I was born," said Louis Armstrong. Author Wendie C. Old weaves a rich, colorful tapestry of the life of this beloved and brilliant musician known to his fans as Satchmo. Louis Armstrong rose from poverty and a troubled childhood to set the music world on fire with his lively trumpet playing and trademark raspy singing voice. With a natural talent for showmanship, Armstrong won fame while touring around the...
Author
Series
Description
At a time in history when many doors were closed to African Americans, Marian Anderson, with the power of her magnificent voice, triumphed over racial barriers. Andrea Broadwater's spirited profile breathes new life into Anderson's inspiring story. During a career that spanned four decades, this quiet, proud woman lifted herself out of poverty and obscurity to become a world-famous singer.
Author
Series
Description
"So, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream..." These now famous words were spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the March on Washington in 1963. The many historic milestones of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, life are examined in this informative biography. Examining the civil rights leader's life from his birth in Atlanta, winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the march to Selma, his "I Have a Dream" speech,...
Author
Series
Description
"I know why the caged bird sings," wrote Paul Laurence Dunbar in "Sympathy," one of his best-loved poems. Author Catherine Reef paints a rich and memorable portrait of the first African American to earn his living as a writer. Born in 1872 to former slaves, Dunbar touched the nation with poetry that portrayed the sorrows and the joys of African-American life. Dunbar's work spoke directly to the hearts of his readers, and his legacy inspired the generation...
Author
Series
Description
Paul Robeson, born 1898, was a two-time All-American football player and a law-school graduate in an era that offered few opportunities for African-Americans. He went on to win international acclaim as a singer and actor, breaking through barriers both on stage and in his life. Author David K. Wright tells the story of an exceptional entertainer who devoted his life to the causes of civil rights and equality. Robeson refused to compromise his integrity...
Author
Series
Description
Author, activist, scholar-outspoken W.E.B. Du Bois was the leading voice for justice and civil rights in the United States in his time. Born soon after the Civil War, Du Bois believed that educated African Americans must lead their people. He used his talent as a writer to advocate for change as he helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an organization dedicated to social activism. Du Bois was a controversial...
Author
Series
Description
An examination of the life and work of African-American author and storyteller Zora Neale Hurston, who has been recognized for her substantial contribution to American literature and southern African-American folklore. This book discusses her difficult personal life and nomadic existence, and how these struggles impacted her various written works.
Didn't find it?
Can't find what you are looking for? Let us know! Suggest a Title