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"As a contribution to illustrated history from a black point of view," writes acclaimed foreword author Charles Johnson, "Still I Rise is a unique achievement, one that will be valued -- like Art Spiegelman's Maus: A Survivor's Tale
. . . by students, educators, collectors, and general readers for a
long time to come." Newly available in an updated edition, the
compelling and irreverent graphic history that recounts the entire
scope of the African-American experience, now concludes with Barack
Obama's groundbreaking 2008 presidential candidacy.
Still I Rise traces the epic
struggles and victories of African-Americans in the face of racist
obstacles and unfathomable hardships. It follows the rise of slavery;
the Nat Turner Rebellion; military contributions of African Americans;
the birth of modern integration; Freedom Summer; the emergence of Black
Power; the Million Man March; and Hurricane Katrina. Cultural
milestones are also found here, from the Harlem Renaissance and the Invisible Man
to heritage festivals and artists who illuminate the complexity of
AfricanAmerican life. Heroic notables and visionaries are introduced:
Frederick Douglass; Sojourner Truth; Madame C. J. Walker; Ida B. Wells;
Malcolm X; Martin Luther King Jr.; and many more. Lesser-known
luminaries are also featured, including Carter G. Woodson, the father
of Black Studies, and Deadria Farmer-Paellmann, who campaigned for
restitution from modern companies that played a direct role in slave
trade.
The insightful text is sometimes acerbic, other times perceptively
humorous, and always powerfully honest. The authors' first-rate
scholarship is supplemented with a healthy dose of attitude, and Bey's
illustrations are both energetic and uncompromising.
Taking its title from a Maya Angelou poem, Still I Rise is a moving and inspirational account of the rich history of African Americans.
pub date: 2009-02-03 | paperback | 9781402762260
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Adam Mitzner
