Taken from a variety of sources, including speeches, letters, essays, and poetry, powerful words of eminent African-Americans tell the history of the struggles to achieve freedom and then equality. From Benjamin Banneker’s letter to Thomas Jefferson to Lauryn Hill’s hip-hop lyrics, the reader is presented with an astonishing array of eloquent, passionate discourse. Because many of the pieces are written in 18th- and 19th-century language and cadence, it might prove difficult for young readers. But Hudson sets the writing in context, and provides a biographical sketch, and includes information about the contemporary response in a four-page spread for each selection. An introduction, conclusion, author’s note, time-line, list of sources, and index, all contribute to the wealth of information. Qualls’s blue-toned portraits and eye-catching large-print quotes in gold and white on a blue manuscript are visually stimulating. Absorbing. (Nonfiction. 10+)
