The Great Migration: An American Story

Book Description

Around the time of WWI, large numbers of African Americans began leaving their homes in the rural South in search of employment in the industrial cities of the North. In 1940, Lawrence chronicled their journey of hope in a flowing narrative sequence of paintings."This stirring picture book brings together the sixty panels of Lawrence's epic narrative Migration series, which he created in 1940-1941. They tell of the journey of African-Americans who left their homes in the South around World War I and traveled in search of better lives in the northern industrial cities. Lawrence is a storyteller with words as well as pictures: his captions and introduction to this book are the best commentary on his work. A poem at the end by Walter Dean Myers also reveals [as do the paintings] the universal in the particulars." --BL.

Notable Children's Books of 1994 (ALA)
1993 Books for Youth Editors' Choices (BL)
1994 Teachers' Choices (IRA)
Notable 1994 Childrens' Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
1994 Carter G. Woodson Outstanding Merit Book (NCSS)
1994 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)

Customer Reviews:

Art-lovers for life.......2002-10-02

Parents hoping to introduce their children to modern American art could do worse than to buy this edition reproducing 60 paintings by Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000), one of the finest African American artists in U.S. history.

First published for children in a 1993 limited edition, with a poem by Walter Dean Myers, this volume reproduces the Great Migration series that Lawrence created in 1940 and 1941 to tell the story of the African American migration north, from the plantations and cotton fields of the antebellum era.

Begun within a year after Lawrence completed a magnificent Harriet Tubman series, these tempura colored, poster paint works made Jacob Lawrence's career. It's easy to see why. Bold and unforgiving, these vibrant works grew from Lawrence's own childhood migration--from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Easton, Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia and finally, at 13, to Harlem--his exposure to African-American culture and his intensive training in the Utopia Children's House and New Deal-sponsored Harlem Art Workshop of the 1930s.

At that time, the WPA was still funding public art murals, but Lawrence was too young to gain a commission. Instead, he determined to show the African-American struggle for freedom in real-life stories that would tie the past to the present.

From 1938 to 1941, he used the New York public library for research, creating in swift succession five series of paintings telling the stories of Toussaint L'Ouverture, Tubman, Frederick Douglass, John Brown, and The Migration of the Negro.

In the last of these, Lawrence hoped to speak artistically of a mass escape from the rural, discriminatory and unjust South--a region of poverty and illiteracy--into an anxious era of hope and expectation in the North. The paintings depicted passage, with railways, train cars, suitcases, and hordes of people constantly in motion. Their visages and body language spoke in terms of expectation and fear. Lawrence wove bold colors and themes throughout the series, thereby joining the paintings into a unit.

In a documentary shown in a museum tour of Lawrence's work, the artist said he "didn't think in terms of history in that series. ...It was like I was doing a portrait of something." Portraits were "a portrait of myself, a portrait of my family, a portrait of my peers."

Lawrence's extraordinary talent was recognized when he was only 24, with the 1941 exhibition of these paintings in the downtown gallery of art dealer Edith Halpert, who had beforehand exclusively shown the work of white artists. So breathtaking were the paintings (as they remain), they instantly transported Lawrence across the U.S. racial divide of that era, making him deservedly famous. The Philips Gallery in Washington D.C. purchased the odd-numbered paintings; the Museum of Modern Art in New York took the even ones.

Treat your kids to this triumph of the human spirit, and to the fine accompanying Myers poem. These paintings make children into art-lovers, for life. Alyssa A. Lappen

A pleasure to read and a pleasure to see........2000-06-13

I checked this book out from the library over a year ago and knew from the illustration that Jacob Lawrence was a special person. I was drawn to the illustration because it is soothing. His illustration style is flat, yet there is a world of depth. It is the kind of art that I could have on my wall and never tire of. I remember more the art than the story. The art told a story. This book is as much for adults as it is for children. Since hearing that Jacob Lawrence died...I instantly felt the need to get one of his books for my home library.

Welcome to the Jungle: New Positions in Black Cultural Studies

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Mercer is the man (if I remember correctly).

Welcome to the Jungle: New Positions in Black Cultural Studies
Kobena Mercer
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Black British Cultural Studies: A Reader (Black Literature and Culture Series)
Appropriating Blackness: Performance and the Politics of Authenticity
Black Visual Culture: Modernity and Post-Modernity
Aberrations in Black: Toward a Queer of Color Critique (Critical American Studies Series)
Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics (Cultural Studies of the Americas, V. 2)

ASIN: 0415906350

Book Description

Welcome to the Jungle brings a black British perspective to the critical reading of a wide range of cultural texts, events and experiences arising from volatile transformations in the politics of ethnicity, sexuality and "race" during the 1980s. The ten essays collected here examine forms of cultural expression in black film, photography and visual art exerging with a new generation of black British artists, and interprets this prolific creativity within a sociological framework that reveals fresh perspectives on the bewildering complexity of identity and diversity in an era of postmodernity. Kobena Mercer documents a wealth of insights opened up by the overlapping of Asian, African and Caribbean cultures that constitute Black Britain as a unique domain of diaspora.

As a result of the turbulent displacements of the 1980s, new forms of hybrid identity came out of the margins while others were progressively de-centered. Looking at the United States and Britain as societies of the black diaspora, ambiguous manifestations of this dynamic are critically examined across a variety of surfaces from Michael Jackson's ethnic androgyny to the cut`n'mix profusion of post-essentialist sensibility expressed in the medium of black hairstyles.

Customer Reviews:

Mercer is the man (if I remember correctly)........2004-06-02

Both professors and students quote hooks, Hall, and Bhabha all the time, yet few refer to Mercer's work. I find this to be such a wasted opportunity. In this collection, he writes on diverse topics such as Robert Mapplethorpe, black hair, Michael Jackson, etc. I saw him once in person and he kinda reminds me of a black George Michael. This was strong cultural studies that I think many black thinkers and gay thinkers (and when I say "thinkers" that includes "paper writers) should find useful. I don't agree with all of his conclusions. Still, there is so much here that would make any paper in cultural criticism look very well informed. My only question for the author would be: "When are readers going to get more great works of yours like this out there?!"

The Great Black Way: L.A. in the 1940s and the Lost African-American Renaissance

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A deliteful read...
At Last!
A Fantastic Journey into L.A.'s Past

The Great Black Way: L.A. in the 1940s and the Lost African-American Renaissance
R. J. Smith
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Bound for Freedom: Black Los Angeles in Jim Crow America (George Gund Foundation Imprint in African American Studies)
L.A. City Limits: African American Los Angeles from the Great Depression to the Present (George Gund Foundation Imprint in African American Studies)
Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Central Avenue Sounds: Jazz in Los Angeles (Roth Family Foundation Book in American Music)
Black, Brown, Yellow, and Left: Radical Activism in Los Angeles (American Crossroads)

ASIN: 1586482955

Book Description

This revelatory social history resurrects a forgotten place and time in African American and California history and discovers a scene as influential as the Harlem Renaissance--one which helped spawn, among other things, rhythm & blues and the civil rights movement

This book, like a major archaeological dig, unearths a little-known, now vanished civilization and changes how we understand history.

In the 1940s, when FDR opened up the defense industry to black workers, it inspired a massive wave of black migration to a small area of Los Angeles along Central Avenue-and cultural ferment in the arts, culture, and politics. In a neighborhood densely packed with black musicians, independent labels and after hours spots, rhythm and blues was spawned. Chester Himes fathered the black detective novel and a noir sensibility. Black comics took off minstrel blackface for the first time and addressed audiences directly with socially-tinged humor. And, Smith suggests, the civil rights movement helped get its start, as the strategy of building mass movements and giving power to ghetto dwellers gained favor in opposition to the top-down strategies of the NAACP and the Urban League. Harlem's Renaissance had been driven by the intellectual elite. In L.A., a new sense of black identity arose from street level. But when the moment was over, many hopes and lives were swept away with it.

Based on original research and interviews, told through an engaging narrative, this book shows convincingly that much that we take for granted today, from hip hop and slang to modern-day street fashion, all flowed from the 1940s scene along the Great Black Way.

Customer Reviews:

A deliteful read..........2006-10-15

The ghosts and shadows, spirits and voices long since quieted are awakened, resurrected and put on display for all to see. This is quite simply an excellent book. What the author captures is the pride and determination, intelligence and ignorance, the creative genius and social failures of a street which became an area and an area which became a neighborhood and a neighborhood and its cultures. Cultures and counter-cultures, the civic minded hustlers, businnessmen, club owners, jazz musicians, lawyers, spiritualists, con-men, pimps and whores, atheletes and common folk. Those who endured racial taunts only to serve up taunts of their own, thumbing their nose at society while making plans to kick down the door of barriers constructed to keep them in their place. The sights and sounds of black Los Angeles, the birth place of attitudes which prevail to this day. Rarely has the spirit of urban Los Angeles been captured so completely.

The recollections gathered from old newspapers, cards, letters and the fading memories of those still around leave the reader enraptured. Every page is a treat. The fantastic stories coupled with the brilliant personalities make this an enjoyable historic voyage. To understand the roots is to understand the fruit and the subject of this book is definately a root to be studied and enjoyed by all with an interest in urban Los Angeles.

At Last!.......2006-09-14

The history of our Los Angeles African-American roots have finally been given long overdue mention. With all the attention paid to Harlem, you'd think L.A.'s contributions to black American culture, civil rights, and religion pales in comparision. Hardly true!

Azusa Street, was literally the birthplace of the modern Pentocostal movement. And with certain recent documentaries on Jazz, it seemed no one had ever heard of Central Avenue's Club Alabam, or the hot and swingin' Bronzeville district of Downtown.

There was the still standing Dunbar Hotel, a black oasis for many of the well known, and not so famous, to find shelter while visiting the "City of Angels." Not to mention black L.A.'s major contributions to standup comedy, and as much as anyplace else, the jumpstart for R&B music.

Checkout the early civil rights movement here that foreshadowed such major figures as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, or the black literary community of Los Angeles. A powerful reminder of the huge and highly forgotten contributions of the black Los Angeles community, to the African-American struggles in America. R.J. Smith should receive an honorary medal of human brotherhood.

A Fantastic Journey into L.A.'s Past.......2006-08-13

If you love Los Angeles and L.A. history, this book is a fantastic read. It both honors the African-American community's struggles for justice and respect in the city and introduces the reader to an extraordinary range of people-artists, journalists, civil rights leaders- who were indispendable to the development of black life and culture in Los Angeles.

Mr. Smith also does a superb job in communicating a sense of place and time, namely the sights and sounds of L.A.'s African-American neighborhoods in the 1940s.

No matter what your color or background, if you live in L.A.'s city's limits, reading this book wil make you proud to be an Angelino.

Small Acts: Thoughts on the Politics of Black Cultures

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Small Acts: Thoughts on the Politics of Black Cultures
Paul Gilroy
Manufacturer: Serpent's Tail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Civilization & Culture | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
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Against Race: Imagining Political Culture beyond the Color Line

ASIN: 185242298X

Book Description

an excellent collection of Gilroy's recent essays

Coretta Scott King Award Books: Using Great Literature with Children and Young Adults

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Coretta Scott King Award Books: Using Great Literature with Children and Young Adults
Claire Gatrell Stephens
Manufacturer: Libraries Unlimited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers
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ASIN: 1563086859

Book Description

During the past 30 years, the titles recognized by the Coretta Scott King Award have consistently presented excellent writing, storytelling, history, and values. Stephens's book is designed to help educators learn more about these fine titles and integrate them into the curriculum. After giving background about the award and its history, the author presents annotated bibliographies of all author and illustrator award winners and honor books. The second half of the book is devoted to providing activities based on specific titles. Helpful tips and reproducibles make this a classroom-friendly resource.

Black British Cultural Studies: A Reader (Black Literature and Culture Series)

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Black British Cultural Studies: A Reader (Black Literature and Culture Series)

Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Marxism and Literature (Marxist Introductions)
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ASIN: 0226144828

Book Description

Black British Cultural Studies has attracted significant attention recently in the American academy both as a model for cultural studies generally and as a corrective to reigning constructions of Blackness within African-American studies. This anthology offers the first book-length selection of writings by key figures in this field.

From Stuart Hall's classic study of racially structured societies to an interview by Manthia Diawara with Sonia Boyce, a leading figure in the Black British arts movement, the papers included here have transformed cultural studies through their sustained focus on the issue of race. Much of the book centers on Black British arts, especially film, ranging from a historical overview of Black British cinema to a weighing of the costly burden on Black artists of representing their communities. Other essays consider such topics as race and representation and colonial and postcolonial discourse.

This anthology will be an invaluable and timely resource for everyone interested in cultural studies. It also has much to offer students of anthropology, sociology, media and film studies, and literary criticism.

African American English in the Diaspora (Language in Society)

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African American English in the Diaspora (Language in Society)
Sali Tagliamonte , and Shana Poplack
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0631212663

Book Description

This provocative volume investigates the origins of contemporary African American Vernacular English (AAVE), one of the oldest, yet unsolved, questions in sociolinguistics.Exploring the hypothesis that contemporary AAVE is a direct descendant of colonial British English rather than of a widespread Creole precursor, this volume presents a comprehensive analysis of tense and aspect as manifested in recorded conversations with 101 former slaves and their descendants. The study is staged in three distinct diaspora enclaves in Canada and the Caribbean, whose language has evolved independently of AAVE, modern Creoles and neighboring speech varieties.Advanced quantitative methodology, combined with linguistically precise analyses of English dialects in historical context, make this an essential text for researchers and students of linguistics, the history of English and African American Studies.

Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Jazz (Fact Finders Biographies: Great African Americans)

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Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Jazz (Fact Finders Biographies: Great African Americans)
Megan Schoenberger
Manufacturer: Capstone Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Product Description

none

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Paul Robeson: The Great Forerunner
Freedomways
Manufacturer: Intl Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Death in Venice
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ASIN: 071780724X

The First Black Actors on the Great White Way

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Examines changing race relations and perceptions

The First Black Actors on the Great White Way
Susan Curtis
Manufacturer: University of Missouri Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Discrimination & Racism | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Examines changing race relations and perceptions.......2001-05-19

First Black Actors On The Great White Way tells the stories of the actors, critics and others involved in the production of Three Plays for a Negro Theater in the early 1900s, examining changing race relations and perceptions in light of both wartime and theater production of the times. An intriguing survey of black acting's changes in an early period of American rights issues just emerging.

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