12 Million Black Voices [Paperback]

Richard Wright (Author), Dorothea Lange (Photographer), Walker Evans (Photographer), Arthur Rothstein (Photographer), David Bradley (Introduction), Edwin Rosskam (Photo research)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000

12 Million Black Voices, first published in 1941, brilliantly captures the lives of black people in America during the Great Depression. By combining the powerful prose of Richard Wright with startling photographs by Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and Arthur Rothstein, this book poignantly depicts the lives of black people during that era, from crowded, run-down farm shacks to Harlem storefront churches.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Thunder's Mouth Press; Reissue edition (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560252472
• ISBN-13: 978-1560252474
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,347,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard T. Wright holds a Ph.D in biology from Harvard University and is professor emeritus of biology at Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and is widely sought as a lecturer in biology and ecology.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Prophetic Voice, October 4, 2010

By 

chelofilm "chelofilm" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 12 Million Black Voices (Paperback)

In Twelve Million Black Voices, Richard Wright, in a beautifully poetic prose, recounts the conditions African Americans endured when they migrated North during the early Twentieth Century. His love for his people and his hurt over their suffering comes through and helps readers understand what those times were like. In Twelve Million Black Voices, Wright expands on the themes of Black Boy but in a less personal way. The photos in the book, taken by some of America's foremost photographers, complement the writing, and illustrate the conditions under which African Americans lived.

Unfortunately, 21st century living conditions in America's inner cities too closely mirror what Wright describes in Twelve Million Black Voices. Perhaps when people read this book, they will be moved to change the conditions in which many children of color still live, or at the very least, understand the plight of inner city families and youth.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Reveiw of History, August 16, 2008

By 

Shawn C. Kennedy - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 12 Million Black Voices (Paperback)

I'm always impressed with writings by Richard Wright. This book took me on a written and pictorial journey in history of the plight of African Americans in this country. Wright did an excellent job of connecting the past with the present. What a wonderful history lesson!

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good Book to explore, December 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: 12 Million Black Voices (Paperback)

A Good Book to explore the culture and history of the pain that they went through. The struggle which we don't see or realize.