Still I Rise: A Cartoon History of African Americans [Paperback]

Roland Owen Laird Jr. (Author), Taneshia Nash Laird (Author), Elihu Bey (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 039331751X | ISBN-13: 978-0393317510 | Publication Date: October 1997

A complete documentary history of African Americans in one cartoon narrative. As National Book Award winner Charles Johnson points out in his Introduction, the history of African American cartooning is itself a vibrant one, and almost unknown. STILL I RISE is a great contribution that not only recounts history, but also makes history.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Prize-winning novelist Charles Johnsonaptly describes Still I Rise: A Cartoon History of African Americans as "popular entertainment that enlightens." Like Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus, this is an unvarnished account. It begins with the arrival of the first Africans in Jamestown, Va., in 1619 and continues to document the achievements of black Americans despite overwhelming odds. The authors movingly depict black American soldiers fighting for their freedom in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, and fighting for equality in World Wars I and II. They show black slaves working to preserve their language and culture and excelling at trades such as blacksmithing or shipbuilding. Above all, they show how black Americans have persevered despite overwhelming odds. An excellent book to inspire learning about the history of blacks in America, Still I Rise also features an informative introduction by Johnson, who is himself a cartoonist.

From Library Journal

In comic-book form, this nonfiction work presents American history from the African American viewpoint and offers nuggets of little-known information on the impact of African Americans on American history. Though it is impossible to offer a comprehensive history in 206 pages, the Lairds?publishers of The Griots, a popular Afrocentic comic strip?and freelance artist Bey have done a credible job of raising issues of concern to all Americans. While the cartoon format draws readers in, the black-and-white illustrations are often simplistic, and the character dialog doesn't expand the story but serves primarily to reiterate the narrative description. Still, this is a worthwhile acquisition for public libraries with collections of graphic narratives or African American history.?Stephen Weiner, Maynard P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 204 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039331751X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393317510
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #535,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, December 6, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Still I Rise: A Cartoon History of African Americans (Paperback)

Very unique presentation of African American history. Basically use two elderly narrators, one male and one female to take the reader in time. Each narrator has a different "voice". The female narrator has a bit of black nationalism, while the male narrator has a more balanced view of America in terms of race relations. Though a cartoon narrative, the book seems to be written for older readers (teenagers to adults). I recommend it for the entire family *and* ALL RACES. As author Russell Banks (Rule of the Bone) says on the back of STILL I RISE, "It's not just the history of African-Americans; it's the African-American history of *all* Americans."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Alternative Instruction, May 16, 2002

By 

J. Hodge "Jay B" (Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Still I Rise: A Cartoon History of African Americans (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book. I've found it very useful in my classroom as a teacher of Juvenile Delinquents who dropped out of school. At first sight of the book my students think it's a joke, but I find it as effective as other text boks when teching History. It's FUN and DIFFERENT. A change in the admission of information is very helpful and effective in the acquisition of information in youths.