First published 2022
Nikole Hannah-Jones presents the voices of 54 Black Americans from the oldest living generation, capturing their experiences through intimate interviews and portraits. The collection features civil rights lawyer Fred Gray, who defended Rosa Parks and Claudette Colvin in their bus seat cases, alongside educator Clarice Freeman, actor Andre de Shields, singer Patti LaBelle, and reproductive rights pioneer Faye Wattleton. Rising Black journalists from historically Black colleges conducted the conversations, while emerging Black photographers created the visual portraits. These elders discuss the lessons their parents taught them, strategies for living fulfilling lives, perspectives on aging, and memories from decades of activism and community leadership. The book takes its title from James Weldon Johnson's poem and hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing," known as the Black national anthem. The collection preserves the wisdom of a generation while showcasing the talents of young journalists and photographers ready to carry their stories forward.
Genres: history, african-american, non-fiction, biography-memoir, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, historical
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
256 pages · Hardcover · Hearst Home