African-Americans

It's ironic (and shameful) that a nation which prides itself on freedom, equality and independence should have acquired a significant number of its citizens against their will. Equally shameful, however, is the assumption that the descendants of the slaves still need a leg up, that they're culturally backward and can't fend for themselves. Liberals propound this all the time, under the guise of "humanitarian efforts" and "affirmative action."

Anyone who thinks this way has never heard of Frederick Douglass, or Booker T. Washington, or George Washington Carver, or Richard Wright, or Ralph Ellison, or Langston Hughes....and that isn't even the beginning of the list. The way to think about African Americans isn't as African Americans, but simply as Americans whose ethnic and ancestral roots are in Africa.

Putting African Americans in a whole different category is condescending and hypocritical. Still, they do constitute a significant demographic, and many of them relish and maintain their cultural heritage far more assiduously than European Americans (though probably less carefully than most Asian Americans).

The use of regional modifiers before the word "American" is a bit counterintuitive. We are all Americans, and to identify ourselves as a particular type belies the equality we so highly praise publicly. Perhaps the best way to break these walls of separation is to learn as much about our African American brothers and sisters as possible, till we see the differences between us are insignificant and synthetic.

To that end, we offer you African American biographies. Many of those we carry are specifically oriented toward Christian men and women, though secular writers, scientists, musicians, politicians and athletes are also represented. We hope these life stories are inspiring, and that they lead to increasingly genial relations between members of all ethnic groups who collectively inhabit the United States of America.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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95 Items found Print
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Amazing Mind of Granville Woods
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1951 Newbery Medal winner
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Booker T. Washington
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2000 Newbery Medal winner
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Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
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2000 Newbery Medal winner
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Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
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2000 Newbery Medal winner
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Chasing Space for Young Readers
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Crispus Attucks: Black Leader of Colonial Patriots
Childhood of Famous Americans
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Crispus Attucks: Boy of Valor
Childhood of Famous Americans
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Dear Benjamin Banneker
by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
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Famous African-American Women - Coloring Book
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Forty-Acre Swindle
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Frederick Douglass: The Right to Dignity
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2007 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
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Freedom's Pen
Daughters of the Faith
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George Washington Carver
Heroes of History
by Geoff & Janet Benge
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Biography for 4th-7th grade
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George Washington Carver
by Matt Doeden
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George Washington Carver
by Tonya Bolden
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George Washington Carver - Unit Study Curriculum Guide
Heroes of History
by Geoff & Janet Benge
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Biography for 4th-6th grade
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$3.00 (1 in stock)
George Washington Carver: America's Scientist
Heroes of History for Young Readers
by Renee Taft Meloche
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George Washington Carver: The Peanut Wizard
by Laura Driscoll
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Girl From the Tar Paper School
by Teri Kanefield
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Go Free or Die
by Jeri Ferris
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Gold Cadillac
by Mildred D. Taylor
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Great African Americans - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Taylor Oughton
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Harriet Tubman
Heroes of History
by Geoff & Janet Benge
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Biography for 4th-7th grade
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Harriet Tubman
by Ann Petry
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Harriet Tubman
Triangle Histories: The Civil War
by Lisa Halvorsen
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Harriet Tubman
by Frances T. Humphreville
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Harriet Tubman
by Ann Petry
from HarperCollins
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Harriet Tubman: Freedom's Trailblazer
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
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Heart and Soul
by Kadir Nelson
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2012 Coretta Scott King Award
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Her Story, Her Words
by Frances E. Ruffin
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History of the Civil Rights Movement - Coloring Book
by Steven James Petruccio
from Dover Publications
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House of Dies Drear
by Virginia Hamilton
Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks
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If You Lived at the Time of Martin Luther King
by Ellen Levine
Updated from Scholastic Inc.
Historical Non-Fiction for 2nd-5th grade
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by Bette Bao Lord
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Jackie Robinson Breaks the Color Line
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by Andrew Santella
from Scholastic Inc.
Non-fiction for 4th-6th grade
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Jackie Robinson: Young Sports Trailblazer
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Herb Dunn
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Jesse Jackson
by Pat McKissack
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Jesse Owens: Gold Medal Hero
Sterling Biographies
by Jim Gigliotti
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Jesse Owens: Young Record Breaker
Childhood of Famous Americans
by M. M. Eboch
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Journey to Freedom
by Charles W. Carey Jr.
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Kid's Guide to African American History
by Nancy I. Sanders
from Chicago Review Press
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King of the Mound
by Wes Tooke
Reprint from Simon and Schuster
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Madam C. J. Walker: Entrepeneur
by Alelia Bundles
from Chelsea House Publishing
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Mahalia Jackson
Sowers Series
by Evelyn Witter
from Mott Media
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Many Thousand Gone
by Virginia Hamilton
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
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Martin Luther King, Jr.: Young Man with a Dream
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Dharathula H. Millender
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Meet Maya Angelou
by Valerie Spain
from Random House
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New Kid
by Jerry Craft
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One More Valley, One More Hill
by Linda Lowery
from Random House Books for Young Readers
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People Could Fly
by Virginia Hamilton
1st edition from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 4th-8th grade
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People Could Fly
by Virginia Hamilton, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
from Scholastic Inc.
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Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe.
by Bette Greene
from Puffin Books
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1975 Newbery Honor Book
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Picture Book of Frederick Douglass
by David A. Adler
Reprint from Holiday House
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Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall
by David A. Adler
1st edition from Holiday House
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Picture Book of Thurgood Marshall
by David A. Adler
from Holiday House
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in Clearance: Biographies (Location: ZCLE-BIO)
Planet of Junior Brown
by Virginia Hamilton
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Planet of Junior Brown
by Virginia Hamilton
Aladdin Paperbacks: May.2006 from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-5th grade
1972 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.99
Portraits of African-American Heroes
by Tonya Bolden
from Puffin Books
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in Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) (Location: HISA-20CIV)
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Ralph J. Bunche
by J. Alvin Kugelmass
Revised from Julian Messner
for 4th-7th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Ray Charles: Young Musician
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Susan Sloate
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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Rosa Parks: Young Rebel
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
from Aladdin Paperbacks
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$7.99
Shoes for Everyone
by Barbara Mitchell
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Biography for 4th-6th grade
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Sojourner Truth
by Patricia & Frederick McKissack
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 4th-7th grade
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Sojourner Truth: Voice for Freedom
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$7.99
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1970 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1970 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from Harper & Row
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1970 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
South Town
by Lorenz Graham
from Follett Publishing Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Stealing Home
by Barry Denenberg
50th Anniversary from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.99
Storm Warriors
by Elisa Carbone
from Yearling
for 4th-6th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
Story of Booker T. Washington
from Children's Press
Biography for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of George Washington Carver
Signature Books #17
by Arna Bontemps, illustrated by Harper Johnson
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Grosset & Dunlap Signature Books (Location: VIN-SIG)
Story of George Washington Carver
by Eva Moore
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Story of Harriet Tubman
Dell Yearling Biography
by Kate McMullan
from Yearling
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Story of the Reconstruction
Cornerstones of Freedom series
by Brendan January
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Story of the Underground Railroad - Coloring Book
by Peter F. Copeland
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$4.99
Thurgood Marshall: Young Justice
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Montrew Dunham
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$7.99
Toothpaste Millionaire
by Jean Merrill
from Sandpiper Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$9.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Toothpaste Millionaire
by Jean Merrill
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 4th-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Walking the Road to Freedom
by Jeri Ferris
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
What Are You Figuring Now?
by Jeri Ferris, Illustrated by Amy Johnson
from First Avenue Editions
for 2nd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Who Was George Washington Carver?
Who Was?...Series
by Jim Gigliotti, illustrated by Stephen Marchesi
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Who Was Harriet Tubman?
Who Was?...Series
by Yona Zeldis McDonough
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 2nd-5th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
Who Was Louis Armstrong?
Who Was?...Series
by Yona Zeldis McDonough
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 3rd-6th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$5.99
Witness
by Karen Hesse
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.50 (2 in stock)