100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia

by Molefi Kete Asante author of Revolutionary P

Overview

Since 1619, when Africans first came ashore in the swampy Chesapeake region of Virginia, there have been many individuals whose achievements or strength of character in the face of monumental hardships have called attention to the genius of the African American people. This book attempts to distill from many wonderful possibilities the 100 most outstanding examples of greatness. Pioneering scholar of African American Studies Molefi Kete Asante has used four criteria in his selection: the individual's significance in the general progress of African Americans toward full equality in the American social and political system; self-sacrifice and the demonstration of risk for the collective good; unusual will and determination in the face of the greatest danger or against the most stubborn odds; and personal achievement that reveals the best qualities of the African American people. In adopting these criteria Professor Asante has sought to steer away from the usual standards of popular culture, which often elevates the most popular, the wealthiest, or the most photogenic to the cult of celebrity. The individuals in this book - examples of lasting greatness as opposed to the ephemeral glare of celebrity fame - come from four centuries of African American history. Each entry includes brief biographical information, relevant dates, an assessment of the individual's place in African American history with particular reference to a historical timeline, and a discussion of his or her unique impact on American society. Numerous pictures and illustrations will accompany the articles. This superb reference work will complement any library and be of special interest to students and scholars of American and African American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781573929639
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	03/01/2003
Pages:	345
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.03(h) x 0.98(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Molefi Kete Asante (Philadelphia, PA), the creator of the first doctoral program in African American Studies, is professor of African American Studies at Temple University and the author of more than 50 books, including Erasing Racism: The Survival of the American Nation and Race, Rhetoric, and Identity: The Architecton of Soul.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	11
	Introduction	13
	Hank Aaron	23
	Ira Aldridge	25
	Muhammad Ali	27
	Richard Allen	31
	Marian Anderson	34
	Maya Angelou	37
	Arthur Ashe	39
	Crispus Attucks	41
	James Baldwin	44
	Benjamin Banneker	48
	Amiri Baraka	51
	Romare Bearden	54
	Mary McLeod Bethune	57
	Guion Bluford	61
	Arna Bontemps	62
	Edward W. Brooke	64
	Gwendolyn Brooks	66
	Blanche K. Bruce	69
	Ralph Bunche	72
	George Washington Carver	75
	Shirley Chisholm	78
	Kenneth B. Clark	81
	John Henrik Clarke	84
	John Coltrane	87
	Bill Cosby	92
	Alexander Crummell	94
	Countee Cullen	97
	Benjamin O. Davis Jr.	100
	Martin R. Delany	103
	Frederick Douglass	106
	Charles Drew	111
	W. E. B. Du Bois	114
	Paul Laurence Dunbar	118
	Katherine Dunham	120
	Duke Ellington	123
	James Forten	126
	John Hope Franklin	128
	Henry Highland Garnet	131
	Marcus Garvey	134
	Prince Hall	141
	Fannie Lou Hamer	146
	Lorraine Hansberry	150
	Dorothy Height	153
	Matthew Henson	155
	Charles Houston	157
	Langston Hughes	160
	Zora Neale Hurston	165
	Jesse Jackson	168
	Mae Jemison	172
	Jack Johnson	174
	James Weldon Johnson	177
	John H. Johnson	181
	Percy Julian	184
	Ernest Just	187
	Maulana Karenga	190
	Martin Luther King Jr.	194
	Edmonia Lewis	201
	Alain Locke	203
	Joe Louis	207
	Thurgood Marshall	210
	Benjamin E. Mays	215
	Elijah McCoy	217
	Claude McKay	219
	Oscar Micheaux	224
	Dorie Miller	227
	Garrett Morgan	230
	Toni Morrison	232
	Elijah Muhammad	235
	Jesse Owens	238
	Rosa Parks	242
	Adam Clayton Powell	246
	Colin Powell	250
	A. Philip Randolph	255
	Hiram Revels	259
	Paul Robeson	261
	Jackie Robinson	264
	John Russwurm	268
	Arturo Schomburg	270
	Benjamin "Pop" Singleton	272
	Mary Church Terrell	275
	William Monroe Trotter	279
	Sojourner Truth	284
	Harriet Tubman	289
	Kwame Ture	293
	Henry McNeal Turner	296
	Nat Turner	299
	David Walker	301
	Madame C. J. Walker	304
	Booker T. Washington	307
	Ida B. Wells-Barnett	309
	Phillis Wheatley	312
	Walter F. White	315
	Roy Wilkins	317
	Daniel Hale Williams	318
	August Wilson	320
	Oprah Winfrey	322
	Tiger Woods	324
	Carter G. Woodson	327
	Richard Wright	330
	Malcolm X	333

Editorial Reviews

Gr 9 Up-This one-volume, alphabetically arranged encyclopedia provides one- to five-page entries on African Americans who have made major contributions to American society since the 18th century. Written in a clear, engaging style, the book includes not only famous individuals, but also people such as John Henrik Clarke, Alexander Crummell, and Benjamin "Pop" Singleton, who are not well represented in other reference works, making it an important addition for libraries. There are entries on religious leaders, such as Richard Allen, Henry Highland Garnet, and Benjamin E. Mays; scientists and inventors, including Charles Drew, Elijah McCoy, and Ernest Just; and visual artists, among them Edmonia Lewis and Romare Bearden. Astronauts, explorers, educators, soldiers, entertainers, scholars, and other professionals are also covered. A black-and-white drawing or photograph depicts each person featured. Some students will be interested in reading this title cover to cover.-Joyce Fay Fletcher, Rippon Middle School, Prince William County, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

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