The Book of Awesome Black Americans: Scientific Pioneers, Trailblazing Entrepreneurs, Barrier-Breaking Activists, and Afro-Futurists

by Monique L. Jones, Janina Edwards (Read by)

Overview

Making a Better America

Black Americans who have shaped their country and beyond: We are familiar with a handful of African Americans who are mentioned in American history books, but there are also countless others who do not get recognized in mainstream media. Their actions may not have appeared to shake the world, but their contributions to shifting American culture were just as groundbreaking.

There’s more than one way to make a difference: the achievements of the Black Americans included in this book range from athletic to artistic, literary to scientific. Their biographies vary greatly, but each one contributes to the course of Black history and its influence on the greater world. Their stories encourage listeners, especially teenage boys and girls, to find their own path to change.

Celebrate the successes made possible by diversity: African Americans have made history by challenging and changing the American landscape. This was accomplished not by shedding layers of originality, but by wearing their colors proudly and openly in the world. Growth has been made possible by a resistance to conformity and a fusing of cultures, African and American alike.

Monique L. Jones’s The Book of Awesome Black Americans is more than a Black history book. It’s a celebration of Black people. In this book, you will find

• amazing role models who brought on change by using their gifts and passions to overcome societal barriers;
• stories mainstream media failed to mention that are sure to inspire, motivate, and educate listeners of all backgrounds; and
• testimonies that demonstrate how American culture thrives when it celebrates diversity and promotes inclusiveness.

If you enjoyed books such as 100 African-Americans Who Shaped American History, Bedtime Inspirational Stories, or Becca Anderson’s The Book of Awesome Women, then The Book of Awesome Black Americans should be your next read!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781094103709
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	04/15/2020
Sales rank:	426,557
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 5.80(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Monique Jones is an entertainment and pop culture writer, media critic, and TV/Film reviewer. Jones has graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communications Studies from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and has written for ShockYa, TV Equals, Racialicious, Black Girl Nerds, The Nerds of Color, Tor, Ebony, Entertainment Weekly, SlashFilm, the Birmingham Times, and the Miami New Times. She also writes about pop culture and media as it relates to race, culture, and representation at colorwebmag.com.

Janina Edwards, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a native of Chicago and a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts acting program. Her 2016 performance of Voice of Freedom was a finalist for the Audie Award.

Table of Contents

Musical PioneersINTRODUCTIONRedefining BeautyBarrier BreakersUnsung HeroesBlack Americans in SpaceAfrican RootsEarly PioneersThe Foundations of Black EnvironmentalismEnvironmental Game-ChangersDance RevolutionariesWomen of the MovementThe Evolution of Black HaircareAfter Black Wall StreetTransatlantic SurvivorsLife-Changing DoctorsLeading Athlete-ActivistsChapter 1 - IN THE BEGINNINGChapter 2 - MAKING BOSS MOVESBlack Makeup EmergesLeading the ChargeBlack Scientific ExcellenceJournalist Role ModelsAthletic Dreams, Societal ProgressThe Bridge to FreedomMartyrs of the MovementBusinesspeople of the Twentieth CenturyChapter 3 - LITTLE-KNOWN CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERSChildren of the MovementArtistic PioneersBlackness in BusinessPioneering ModelsGoing Forward After SlaveryBeauty Is a Civil RightChapter 4 - BLACK LIBERAL ARTSBlack WritersEveryday HeroesThe Results of the MovementA Creative LegacyChapter 5 - BEAUTIFUL BLACKNESSChapter 6 - BLACK AMERICAN ENVIRONMENTALISTSChapter 7 - BLACK STEMChapter 8 - BLACK ATHLETICISMEPILOGUE

Editorial Reviews

In a warm, conversational tone, narrator Janina Edwards guides listeners through this aptly titled survey of black American excellence. Ranging from the familiar (athletes, inventors, civil rights leaders) to the less widely known (entrepreneurs, beauty innovators, and environmentalists), the collected mini-biographies are grouped by subject area. But this is no dry history lecture. Rather, Edwards’s approachable, engaging narration gives each section the feel of a podcast episode, making the audiobook well suited to sporadic listeners who prefer short bursts of information. Even those who are already well versed in African-American history will come away from this listening experience feeling inspired to dive deeper into the lives of the fascinating, accomplished Americans featured within. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

FEBRUARY 2020 - AudioFile