First published 1978
Arna Bontemps opens his comprehensive historical account with the rich civilizations of ancient Africa, then follows the forced journey of enslaved people to American shores. He examines how American slavery developed and explores the roots of racial attitudes that persisted into his era. The narrative spans dramatic episodes including slave ship mutinies aboard vessels like the Amistad, the Haitian slave uprising, and daring escapes through the Underground Railroad. Bontemps profiles remarkable figures across centuries: Antar, the warrior poet of the desert; Martín de Porres of Lima; poet Phillis Wheatley, who won praise from George Washington; orator Frederick Douglass; educator Booker T. Washington; and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois. He tells the story of Henri Cristophe, a hotel waiter who became Haiti's king and built the famous Citadel fortress. Writing without bias, Bontemps presents the long struggle for freedom with inherent dignity, covering the history he wished his own textbooks had included during his California high school years.
Genres: biography, history, 20th-century, african-american, non-fiction, african-american-historical-fiction, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: biographical-account, historical-narrative
Setting: Africa, America, Haiti, Lima, California
Period: Ancient, Slavery Era, 19th-Century, 20th-Century
239 pages · Library Binding · Random House Childrens Books
Content warnings: racism, slavery