African Americans, the descendants of slaves forcibly brought to America, have long played an important role in the cultural, scientific, and economic life of this country. Unfortunately, most people have little awareness of this history, despite the large gains made in recent years. What people need is ready way to learn more.
Summary
Title: 100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia
Author: Molefi Kete Asante
Publisher: Prometheus Books
ISBN: 1573929638
Pro:
• Easy to read and highly informative
• Provides information otherwise neglected in history courses
Con:
• Short index
• Writing doesn't always flow well
Description:
• Biographies of 100 African Americans
• Entries include dates and assessment of person's place in history
• Handy reference
Book Review
One book which may prove useful for many who do want to learn more was recently published by Prometheus Books. Molefi Kete Asante’s 100 Greatest African Americans explores the lives and contributions of 100 very different individuals. These aren’t people who have been the most popular, the most photogenic, or who have sold the most CDs. Asante explains the outlines he used as follows:
1. significance in the general movement of the African American people toward full equality in the American social and political system;
2. self-sacrifice and the undertaking of risk for the collective good;
3. unusual will and determination in face of the greatest danger and against the most stubborn odds;
4. a consistent posture toward the social, cultural, and economic uplifting of African American people;
5. personal achievement that calls attention to the capability and genius of the African American people.
This diverse group of people includes athletes, religious leaders, scientists, inventors, authors, poets, musicians, soldiers, and more. Some selections are very short while others are longer; the general brevity of all means that unfortunately, some information goes missing and the text doesn’t always flow as smoothly as one might like. Nevertheless, that seems inevitable in a work such as this and shouldn’t be regarded as a huge problem.
100 Greatest African Americans: A Biographical Encyclopedia
More serious perhaps is the lack of more critical information on the people’s whose biographies are presented. All are human and all had their flaws, but we read little about that part, and I would have preferred more balanced essays. For example, the biography of Malcolm X doesn’t explain his early beliefs about white people as “Satan†who would never be willing to live with black as equals and in peace.
Nevertheless, that is not necessarily a reason not to consider this book. It’s a very handy reference about a lot of important individuals who lived during the past 400 years of American history â€" people who made very important contributions to America, but about whom we normally hear very little. Students can certainly benefit a great deal from it, but so can anyone who is unfamiliar with African American history and would like a convenient way to learn more.
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