Black Women in America

"A classic work of feminist scholarship, Ain't I a Woman has become a must-read for all those interested in the nature of Black womanhood. Examining the impact of sexism on Black women during slavery, the devaluation of Back womanhood, Black male sexism, racism among feminists, and the Black woman's involvement with feminism, hooks attempts to move us beyond racist and sexist assumptions. The result is nothing short of groundbreaking, giving this...

"An extraordinary exquisitely written memoir (of sorts) that looks at race in a fearless, penetrating, honest, true way. ... 'I am black-and brown, too,' writes Emily Bernard. 'Brown is the body I was born into. Black is the body of the stories I tell.' These twelve telltale, connected, deeply personal essays explore, up close, the complexities and paradoxes, the haunting memories and ambushing realities, of growing up black in the South with a family...

Often photographed in a cowboy hat with her middle finger held defiantly in the air, Florynce "Flo" Kennedy (1916-2000) left a vibrant legacy as a leader of the Black Power and feminist movements. Traces the life and political influence of this strikingly bold and controversial radical activist. Rather than simply reacting to the predominantly white feminist movement, Kennedy brought the lessons of Black Power to white feminism and built bridges...

Before John Glenn orbited the earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as "human computers" used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in...

"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is the first full-length narrative written by a former woman slave in America. It tells the story of Harriet Jacobs's early life as a slave in North Carolina; her fugitive years in New York, Boston, and Rochester, where she became an abolition activist; and her struggle for freedom, hard won in 1852. This text is a reprint of the 1861 first edition, with explanatory annotations and an introduction by Nellie Y....

The autobiography of Sojourner Truth, the nineteenth-century African-American woman who moved from slave labor to preaching and promoting abolition and women's rights; also includes a collection of writings and anecdotes dating from Truth's lifetime.

Bundles, a journalist and great-great-granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker, offers a lively portrait of an American businesswoman. Walker, the first freeborn child of slaves, rose from poverty to establish a successful hair-care business, became one of the wealthiest women in the U.S., and devoted herself to a life of activism and philanthropy toward race and women's issues. photo insert.

"Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues reimagines what education might look like if schools placed the thriving of Black and Brown girls at their center. Morris brings together research and real life in this chorus of interviews, case studies, and the testimonies of remarkable people who work successfully with girls of color. The result is this radiant manifesto -- a guide to moving away from punishment, trauma, and discrimination and toward safety, justice,...