No comments about Sterling A. Brown's A Negro Looks at the South.

5 comments about When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost : My Life as A Hip Hop Feminist.

1. As a strong black woman and proud of it I didn't understand Ms.Morgan's definition of a strong black woman so I didn't see eye to eye with her on that point. Overall I struggled to read through this book I wasn't feeling a lot of what Ms.Morgan had to say and plus I thought the book would be written in a more story telling type of fashion. The book is written as just Ms.Morgan rambling on about her opinions and ideals. I give a sista props for her opinions and being able to share them with an audience but I didn't understand her hatin' on "chickenheads" in one breath then wanna talk about her bond with sistahood in the next. She sound hypocritical to me. Ms.Morgan went on and on putting the "chickenheads" on blast for their sopposed wrongdoing but didn't say a word about the brothers that fall for these type of women I don't get that! I personally couldn't hate on a sista for doing her thing I don't want to hate on another woman period I feel that's the reason why us women can't and won't get far because we want to tear each other down before anybody else. I'm sure Ms.Morgan is an educated,opinioned,strong,classy woman but in her book she just comes off as hateful and bitter.



2. I have say that I was pleasantly surprised by Ms. Morgan's discussion of issues that have been rolling through my mind for the past couple of years. I could identify IMMENSELY with the STRONGBLACKWOMAN ideology. I guess you could say that I'm a STRONGBBLACKWOMAN type myself. I would say that I'm recovering, but it's really hard to do so when you're in college, holding an excellent GPA, and being a part of so many different ogranizations. It's just SO hard to say no!!! LOL

   As far as the rest of this masterpiece of feminine literature goes, I have to say that there were certain parts that I disagreed with. I was kinda hurt when she down talked African-American peeps from middle class backgrounds...I mean, why did she work so hard to have a good income to take care of her son if middle class peeps "don't wanna be reminded of their kinky roots"? Just something to think about...maybe I took it the wrong way, but that's just the way I see things.

   Secondly, I have to say that I in NO WAY envy Chickenheads...in fact, I'm glad that they're around to take all the weak men who fall for them off the market. One thing I can't stand is a man that's weak enough to fall for anything that has a big behind and a C cup!!! I want a strong, intelligent man that can appreciate a woman with class, home training, a solid head on her shoulders, and plenty of goals with the ambition to follow through on them like myself!!!

   I guess this book was a wake up call for me to write my own view on things. I come from a middle class home, unlike most African-American feminists that come from very poor backgrounds. I feel my voice needs to be heard and you can believe that I WILL put the work into writing a novel that speaks from the standpoint of sistas like myself!!! Good work Ms. Morgan!!! Thanks for encouraging me to keep perfecting my craft!!!




3. I could not put this book down. The book articulated thechallenges I felt in my own relationships and experiences. I certainly enjoyed the chapter "Love Notes". The author by no means male bashes but frankly puts out there the real deal.

   The book just had me saying AMEN!




4. Being caught at the tail end of the Baby Boom, I'd say that this book is really written from the viewpoint of young women a few years younger than I am. Still, it is reminiscent of Michelle Wallace's "Black Macho and The Myth of The Superwoman" which debuted some 20 odd years or so ago. Being a strong willed, independent Black woman is still as hard today as it was 20 years ago and I am glad that there are still fierce sistah's out there willing to address the issues at hand.

   Great view on a never vanishing topic from a new voice and new perspective !




5. This is a must read for the black feminist who doens't quite get the "N.O.W." viewpoint on feminism. Joan Morgan puts into words the conflicting feeling and emotions of being black, female, and a feminist from the generation X-ers viewpoint, using language that is easily related to. She doesn't sink down into dense theory that could be exclusionary in language and nature. Theory that can leave one feeling as if they should have taken a beginners course before attempting to delve into the mind bogling, high handed concepts. She maintains her focus and is concise as well as insightful. Most feminist theory tends to be a turn off since a lot of such material is geared towards a limited, elitist audience who leaves black feminist and other of an outside group feeling even more like an outsider because they don't address the differning issues and concerns that pertain especially to woman of color. Moreover, this is a book that should not only be read by black woman but by latina's as well. As a black female of latin descent I fould myself relating to almost every word. A must have. A must read.

1 comments about Southie Won't Go: A Teacher's Diary of the Desegregation of South Boston High School.

1. The book chronicles the change of South Boston high from and all white school to an intergrated school. It is does so remaing unbiased to either side. It is remarkably enlightening and interesting to read. Since it is non-fiction it really captures the reader, making him or her not want to put the book down. Even knowing the story from real life, I found the inside point of view very interesting.

5 comments about The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country.

1. The publication is a fine read for a person of any race and most ages (10 & above). However, I feel that the last sections of the book place excessive emphasis on contemporary cultural "pop" figures, i.e., persons in show business and sports. Too many black notables in the sciences and fine arts are ignored.

   As a previous reviewer noted, perhaps a future edition will be more balanced and will give the American Negro proper credit for invaluable contributions to our culture and society.




2. I found "The African American Century" to be informative and at times entertaining. Most of the time, real proud. I am planning on giving out copies as prizes for our African American History program at church. However, at times, I found some of the information and dates to be inaccurate. Despite that, it is a great book to give to schools and children, and it is highly recommended by me.



3. Even though this book gives brief biographical sketches of significant African Americans, I still give it five stars for the following reasons:

   1) It is a very neatly organized resource for notable African-Americans, that can give quick and accurate information about these people and their times. I like that each page clearly shows the decade during which that person made major accomplishments. For each person profiled, there is at least one photo, and a provocative, "boxed" quote.

   2) This kind of book is desperately needed by most of America's schoolteachers. Many are not well-informed about the achievements of African-Americans, and here they get a quick, clear, and stimulating profile of many who made major contributions. Further, Professors Gates and West provide a bibliography that leads the reader to at least one significant in-depth work about each person profiled, so those who want to know more are "pointed in the right direction."

   3) While there are some sports and entertainment figures, I don't think there is any bias in that direction. With personages like Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, and Hank Aaron, you MUST include them in a work like this because they really transcended sports, and became larger-than-life symbols of social issues.

   4) Professors Cornel West and Henry Gates Jr. write in a very clear manner, and don't candy-coat their subject manner. They point out the contradictions in many of these peoples' lives, mention their social critics, and demonstrate that meaningful lives are seldom neat and tidy ones. To professors Gates and West, I say "Thanks, fellas, for not coming across like the stereotypical "stuffy Harvard scholars!"

   Finally, if you know of a school teacher who is well-intended about teaching more about African American history, but maybe can benefit from an attractively presented and easily accessible resource book, think of this as a thoughtful gift to that person. Next time February (Black History Month) rolls around, they will have lots of suggestions for class projects and pupil reports.




4. What would the 20th century in America look like without the contributions of its African-American citizens? Henry Gates and Cornel West take up that very question in chronicling how African-Americans shaped the culture of the United States. The authors profile African-Americans from each decade of the 20th century and show how their accomplishments have impacted upon the country.

   Overall the authors have produced a good book for coffee table discussions and stimulating conversations about African American contributions. Its weakness lies in the fact that most of these persons are already known, it leans heavily towards those in the field of entertainment and many of the essays are unclear as to what the person contributed beyond being the first Black in their field.

   Another element missing is the lack of information regarding what was going on in the person's particular decade that enabled them to achieve against the odds. The African American Century falls short in giving you a full comprehensive look at what Blacks achieved throughout the decades. You are left with individual biographical portraits of those who "made it". I recommend the book as a referance guide for those unaquainted with the persons profiled. Perhaps the authors will come up with another volume that is more comprehensive of the achievements of African Americans in fields other than entertainment and sports.




5. The African-American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country by Cornel West and Henry Louis, Jr. Gates is an A+ reference book of Black historical figures who have contributed to and have transformed the life of the Black American in the making of America over the past 100 years. Decade by decade the authors give memorable history "sessions" about some of the greatest achievements made by these Americans in shaping a Democratic society, despite issues of racism, bigotry and the mere struggle to survive. I would recommend this book to anybody as an addition to your collection in your family library because in a true light, it embraces a positive understanding and influences made by even the most controversial figures or role models throughout the 20th century. I bought this book as a gift, but I'm glad I kept it for myself!

No comments about Free Indeed: African American Christians and the Struggle for Equality (Heroes of the Faith).

No comments about My Soul Looks Back And Wonders... How I Got Over: A Narrative Account Regarding the George-Kennedy-Anderson-Cathey Collective of African Descent in Maury ... Tennessee 1810-1920 C.E. 191-301 A.B.A..

1 comments about The Journals of Charlotte Forten Grimke (Schomberg Library of Nineteenth-Century Black Women Writers).

1. "The Journals of Charlotte Forten Grimke" are an extraordinary human document. Brenda Stevenson edited the journals for the Schomburg Library of Nineteenth Century Black Women Writers. The introduction gives the basic facts about the author. She was born in 1837 into a wealthy, free African-American family in Philadelphia. She had a distinguished career as a writer, teacher, and activist before she died in Washington, DC in 1914. The journals span the years 1854-92.

   Grimke's writings offer a fascinating window into the 19th century U.S. Her own life and interests are vividly portrayed. It is particularly interesting how great a role the anti-slavery movement played in her life; this cause strikes me as one of her truly great passions. She also discusses at length the authors who had an impact on her: Nathaniel Hawthorne ("The Scarlet Letter" is praised as a "thrilling story"), Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Milton, John Greenleaf Whittier ("the 'Great Poet of Humanity'"), Charles Dickens, Homer (she prefers Cowper's translation of the "Iliad" to Pope's), and more. She even recalls seeing Ralph Waldo Emerson lecture in person.

   Later entries tell of her own work as a teacher. There are some interesting little episodes, such as an account of getting her daguerrotype taken. And she also writes frankly of her experience of racism.

   This volume includes a chronology of the author's life, a list of people who played a part in her life, and over 80 pages of endnotes. Charlotte's voice is wonderfully likeable: full of life and intelligence. In these journals she emerges as an inquisitive spirit with a hunger for knowledge and a passion for justice. I recommend this book to those interested in 19th century American history, women's studies, and/or African-American studies, or to those who simply love great books as much as Charlotte did.

No comments about Gloria Naylor: Critical Perspectives Past And Present (Amistad Literary Series).

No comments about Who's Who Among African Americans: Biography - Major, Mr. Clarence (1936-).

1 comments about The last of the Scottsboro boys: An autobiography.

1. I came across this book quite by accident, and because I still remembered how much I appreciated and was engrossed by Scottsboro: A Tragedy of the American South, by Dan T. Carter, when I read it in December of 1969, I at once decided to read this book. This is a very different kind of book, and tells the story of the Scottsboro Boys from an entirely different angle, but it is just as compelling a book as is Carter's masterpiece. Clarenc Norris was one of the nine Scottsboro boys and since he only went to the second grade, his contribution to this autobiography was via tape recorder. Wisely, the collaborator with Norris did not fancy him up, and we get to know Norris as he was: burdened by the ways of the South toward the Negro in the 1920s and early 1930s, with no high regard for some traditional moral behavior, never hestitating to lie or steal or indulge his weaknesses, but nevertheless tremendously wronged by an almost unbelievably racist environment. There can be no doubt that the Scottsboro boys were innocent of rape, that they were accused because they got in a fight with some white boys and threw them off the train all were hitching a ride on. One stands in amazement at the mentality that would let them be condemned to death because they angered some white persons by failing to conform to the desired pattern of subservience. One mourns to learn that the white Southern judge who was conscientious enough to set aside a guilty verdict was at the next election rewarded by being voted out of office. The book does not rely on only Norris' account of what happened, but includes excerpts from the trial transcripts almost unbelievable to one used to fair courtroom procedure. And the life of Norris and his vicissitudes (many attributable to his own behavior) after he got out of prison is a fascinating window into a life most of us are unacquainted with, which I found just as attention-holding as the account of the horrendous prison situations which faced him. And the ending of the book, with a meeting with Governor George Wallace, is one to relish after so much that went before which makes one cringe. This is a compelling book which you will never regret taking the time to read. It was in our libray and is probably in yours, I hope.