Book of African-American Women: 150 Crusaders, Creators and Uplifters [Hardcover]

Tonya Bolden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

Right from the beginning, women of African descent have played an important and noteworthy role in American experience. The Book of African-American Women explores the trials and tribulations, but most of all the accomplishments, of 150 women who have made major contributions to American history and culture.

Some of these women are well known, while others will be a welcome addition to this emerging history. These are women who-knowingly or unknowingly-have changed American's destiny through their contributions as writers, artists, teachers, civic leaders, medical professionals, or entrepreneurs. And there are those who simply represent the collective black experience-from the days of slavery through abolition, the civil rights movement, and beyond.

Blending information and inspiration, author Tonya Bolden has assembled a truly unique collection of the lives of African-American women. With quotations from writings of and about many of these remarkable women, she presents an important new historical perspective. The elegance of her writing, and her ability to capture the essence of each individual woman's life, make this an invaluable resource as well as a wonderful gift.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This collection of brief biographies (most only a few hundred words long) begins in 1619 with a slave known only as Angela, one of 20 African captives brought to Jamestown, Virginia. A host of other women follow: actresses, entertainers, politicians, teachers, businesswomen, and historians. Tonya Bolden recounts their lives in clear (but often tart) prose. Although Bolden includes many justly famous women, one strength of this book is the number of profiles about largely unknown women, such as former slaves who in the 1930s recalled their bondage for interviewers.

Review

"Tonya Bolden has compiled a treasure chest of information about African-American women. Many of the names in this book will be new to the general reader. Bolden has provided us with wonderful documentation of people who are no longer invisible, The Book of African-American Women is not a reference book but instead a gift of love." -- E. Ethelbert Miller, Director, African-American Resource Center

Product Details

• Hardcover: 350 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media Corporation; 1st edition (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558506470
• ISBN-13: 978-1558506473
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 5.7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #824,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GOD bless the African American woman, December 2, 2001

By 

Beverly C. Sanders (USA, Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Book of African-American Women: 150 Crusaders, Creators and Uplifters (Hardcover)

THE AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN--cradle of civilization-- BOW when you enter her circle. O mightly spirit, direct her path and bless her every footstep for the world is beholding to her. The lesser informed among us would have you believe differently, but, research would prove my characterization of the Black Woman.

The 150 great women mentioned in this book did not include your mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, etc, but it could have if you are of African American decent. Please know that this author could only write about a limited number of women who have left an indilible impact on society. In 1619, only the" biggest and baddest" Africans survived the death-trap journies across the Atlantic Ocean in those filthy slave ships. They arrived here with their African names--no wonder some of the women were identified as unknown by name because their slavers had't forced them to adopt another European name by that time. The slavers surly were not going to call them by their rich African names. Those barbaric slavers were skilled in dismanteling one another as they only knew barbaric behavior. Culture existed only in Africa in 1619 and not in Europe or Asia- -which is the homeland of the slavers.

Bolden has done an outstanding job with this book and, if you are smart, you will surly put this book on your "must read" list.

It was a joy and pleasure to read about some of the women of a bygone era that I already knew about or learned about for the first time.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Much too shallow an attempt, April 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Book of African-American Women: 150 Crusaders, Creators and Uplifters (Hardcover)

Really, this is barely a service to African American women who fell through the cracks. Please!