Selected New Materials: October 2008
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All About The Beat: Why Hip-Hop Can’t Save Black America. John Mcwhorter. Africana Library: E185.615 .M3538, 2008
The bestselling commentator, hailed for his frank and fearless arguments on race, imparts a scathing look at the hypocrisy of hip-hop and why its popularity proves that black America must overhaul its politics. One of the most outspoken voices in America? Cultural dialogues, John McWhorter can always be counted on to provide provocative viewpoints steeped in scholarly savvy. Now he turns his formidable intellect to the topic of hip-hop music and culture, smashing the claims that hip-hop is politically valuable because it delivers the only real portrayal of black society. In this measured, impassioned work, McWhorter delves into the rhythms of hip-hop, analyzing its content and celebrating its artistry and craftsmanship. But at the same time he points out that hip-hop is, at its core, simply music, and takes issue with those who celebrate hip-hop as the beginning of a new civil rights program and inflate the lyrics with a kind of radical chic. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
African Or American? Black Identity and Political Activism in New York City, 1784-18-61. Leslie M. Alexander. Africana Library: F128.9 .N4 A44 2008
During the early national and antebellum eras, black leaders in New York City confronted the tenuous nature of Northern emancipation. Despite the hope of freedom, black New Yorkers faced a series of sociopolitical issues including the persistence of Southern slavery, the threat of forced removal, racial violence, and the denial of American citizenship. Even efforts to create community space within the urban landscape, such as the African Burial Ground and Seneca Village, were eventually demolished to make way for the city's rapid development. In this illuminating history, Leslie M. Alexander chronicles the growth and development of black activism in New York from the formation of the first black organization, the African Society, in 1784 to the eve of the Civil War in 1861. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
The Black List. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell. Africana Library: E185.96 .G757 2008
In The Black List, twenty-five prominent African-Americans of various professions, disciplines, and backgrounds offer their own stories and insights on the struggles, triumphs, and joys of black life in America and, in the process, redefine "black list" for a new century. As seen in original portraits by renowned photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and in a series of incisive interviews conducted by award-winning journalist, critic, academic, and radio host Elvis Mitchell, this group exemplifies today's most accomplished, determined African-Americans, whose lives and careers form a trail of inspiration and example for people of all races. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
The Black Male Hand Book. Kevin Powell. Africana Library: E185.86 .B52566 2008
The Black Male Handbook a collection of essays for Black males on surviving, living, and winning. Kevin Powell taps into the social and political climate rising in the Black community, particularly as it relates to Black males. This is a must-have book, not only for Black male readers, but the women who befriend, parent, partner, and love them. The Black Male Handbook answers a collective hunger for new direction, fresh solutions to old problems, and a different kind of conversation -- man-to-man and with Black male voices, all of the hip-hop generation. The book tackles issues related to political, practical, cultural, and spiritual matters, and ending violence against women and girls. The book also features an appendix filled with useful readings, advice, and resources. The Black Male Hand book is a blueprint for those aspiring to thrive against the odds in America today. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
Black Star: African American Activitism in the International Political Economy. Ramla M. Bandele. Africana Library: E185.8 .B18, 2008
This book describes how the first African American mass political organization was able to gain support from throughout the African Diaspora to finance the Black Star Line, a black merchant marine that would form the basis of an enclave economy after World War I. Ramla M. Bandele explores the concept of Diaspora itself and how it has been applied to the study of émigré and other ethnic networks. In characterizing the historical and political context of the Black Star Line, Bandele analyzes the international political economy during 1919-25 and considers the black politics of the era, focusing particularly on the Universal Negro Improvement Association for its creation of the Black Star Line. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
Booker T. Washington and the Struggle against White Supremacy: The Southern Educational Tours, 1908-1912. David H. Jackson, Jr., Africana Library: E185.97 .W4 J33, 2008
This book narrates and analyzes the southern tours by Booker T. Washington and his associates in 1908-1912. The author provides analysis of the importance of these tours in early 20th-century race relations, and relates them to Washington’s racial philosophy and its impact on the various parts of black society. Instead of focusing on how Washington struggled against W.E.B. Dubois in a quest for leadership, this study emphasizes how he fought to undermine white supremacy. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction through the Lives of the First Congressmen. Philip Dray. Africana Library: E668 .D76, 2008
An award-winning historian offers a sweeping new look at the tragic era of Reconstruction. In this grand and compelling new history of Reconstruction, Pulitzer Prize finalist Philip Dray shines a light on a little known group of men: the nation’s first black members of Congress. These men played a critical role in pushing for much-needed reforms in the wake of a traumatic civil war, including public education for all children, equal rights, and protection from Klan violence. But they have been either neglected or maligned by most historians -- their "glorious failure" chalked up to corruption and "ill-preparedness." In this beautifully written, magnificently researched book, Dray overturns that thinking. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
The Colors of Poverty: Why Racial and Ethnic disparities Persist. Ann Chih and David R. Harris. Africana Library: HV4045 .C65, 2008
The Colors of Poverty reframes the debate over the causes of minority poverty by emphasizing the cumulative effects of disadvantage in perpetuating poverty across generations. The contributors consider a kaleidoscope of factors that contribute to widening racial gaps, including education, racial discrimination, social capital, immigration, and incarceration. The Colors of Poverty is a comprehensive and evocative introduction to the dynamics of race and inequality. The research in this landmark volume moves scholarship on inequality beyond a simple black-white paradigm, beyond the search for a single cause of poverty, and beyond the promise of one "magic bullet solution. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
Diaspora Memory Place:David Hammons, Maria Magdslena Campos-Pons, Pamela Z. Salah M. Hassan and Cheryl Finley. Africana Library: N7380 .H34 2008
A presentation and analysis of the work of three of the most exciting African Diaspora artists of our time - David Hammons, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, and Pamela Z. A series of essays by scholars and critics examine three site-specific installation and performances originally conceived by these artists for Dak 'Art 2004, the Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar, Senegal. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora: Origins, Experiences, and Culture. Carole Boyce Davies. Africana Library: DT 16.5 .E53 2008, Volume one-Three
The authoritative source for information on the people, places, and events of the African Diaspora, spanning five continents and five centuries. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
End of Empires: African Americans and India. Gerald Horne. Africana Library: E185.61 H82 2008
Martin Luther King Jr.'s adaptation of Gandhi's doctrine of non-violent resistance is the most visible example of the rich history of ties between African Americans and India. In The End of Empires, Gerald Horne provides an unprecedented history of the relationship between African Americans and Indians in the period leading up to Indian independence in 1947.Recognizing their common history of exploitation, Horne writes, African Americans and Indians interacted frequently and eventually created alliances, which were advocated by W.E.B. Du Bois, among other leaders. Horne tells the fascinating story of these exchanges, including the South Asian influence on the Nation of Islam and the close friendship between Paul Robeson and India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Based on extensive archival research in India, the United States and the United Kingdom, The End of Empires breaks new ground in the effort to put African American history into a global context. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
The Eternal Light of Egypt: A Photographic Journey. Sartie Sanders. Africana Library: DT47 S26 2008
Sarite Sanders issues the results of a thirty-year reconnaissance mission in her book, The Eternal Light of Egypt: A Photographic Journey. Conquering the sensitivity of infrared, Sanders’ impressions of Nile treasures are most welcoming. As the full gray spectrum is no longer hidden, gods and goddesses, mummies, rulers, colossi, temples and portals reveal a new likeness with prideful charm. Along with her timeless subjects, Sanders can rejoice with this mammoth personal and professional achievement. Eternal Light is deeply rich in substance like the dark fertile soil of the region. There is an immediate admiration for Sanders’ understanding of the difficulties with the entire process surrounding infrared technique. (www.abouttheimage.com)
Governing Hate and Race in the United States and South Africa. Patrick Lynn Rivers. Africana Library: E184 A1 R55 2008
In this book, Patrick Lynn Rivers asserts that states govern racist hate by governing racial constructs. Rivers maintains that state practices used to govern hate and race in both the United States and South Africa do not make citizens safer, even as the United States markets itself as a melting pot of cultures and South Africa touts its status as the new multicultural city on a hill. In effect, the regulatory practices of the neoliberal state aid in the redirection of responsibility for the eradication of racist hate away from the nation and toward the hated, leaving unaddressed the systemic causes of hate. In line with emerging scholarship on hate, but also taking advantage of the perspective that comparative analysis makes possible, Rivers advocates a particular brand of progressive activism for a socially engaged state and citizenry where race is central and racism is not anomalous. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
In the Balance of Power: Independent Black Politics and Third-Party Movements in the United States. Omar H. Ali. Africana Library: E185.18 .A45 2008
With the presidential election looming, the black voters; has been deemed a crucial portion of the electorate. Historically, most black voters have aligned themselves with one of the two major parties-the Republican Party from the time of the Civil War to the New Deal; and, since the New Deal, and especially since the height of the modern civil rights movement, the Democratic Party. However, as In the Balance of Power convincingly demonstrates, African Americans have long been part of independent political movements and have used third parties to advance some of the most important changes in the United States, notably the abolition of slavery, the extension of voting rights, and the advancement of civil rights. But despite the legal gains of the modern civil rights movement, elements of Jim Crow remain deeply embedded in our electoral process. In the Balance of Power presents a history and analysis of African American third-party movements that can help us better understand the growing diversity among black voters today. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
It’s Bigger Than HIP HOP: The Rise of the Post-HIP-HOP Generation. M.K.Asante, Jr., E185.61 .A725 2008
It's Bigger Than Hip Hop takes a bold look at the rise of a generation that sees beyond the smoke and mirrors of corporate-manufactured hip hop and is building a movement that will change not only the face of pop culture, but the world. M. K. Asante, Jr., a young firebrand poet, professor, filmmaker, and activist who represents this new movement, uses hip hop as a springboard for a larger discussion about the urgent social and political issues affecting the post-hip-hop generation, a new wave of youth searching for an understanding of itself outside the self-destructive, corporate hip-hop monopoly. Through insightful anecdotes, scholarship, personal encounters, and conversations with youth across the globe as well as icons such as Chuck D and Maya Angelou, Asante illuminates a shift that can be felt in the crowded spoken-word joints in post-Katrina New Orleans, seen in the rise of youth-led organizations committed to social justice, and heard around the world chanting It's bigger than hip hop. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement 1956-1968. Julian Cox. Africana Library: E185 .61 .C875, 2008
This publication presents a photographic narrative of some of the key moments in the civil rights movement, including the 'Freedom Rides' of 1961, the Birmingham hosings of 1963, and the Selma to Montgomery march of 1965. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur. Halima Bashir and Damien Lewis. Africana Library: DT159.6 D27 B37 2008
Like the single white eyelash that graces her row of dark lashes seen by her people as a mark of good fortune Halima Bashir’s story stands out. A tear of the Desert is the first memoir ever written by a woman caught up in the war in Darfur. It is a survivor’s tale of a conflicted country, a resilient people, and the uncompromising spirit of a young woman who refused to be silenced. Born into the Zaghawa tribe in the Sudanese desert, Halima was doted on by her father, a cattle herder, and kept in line by her formidable grandmother. A politically astute man, Halima’s father saw to it that his daughter received a good education away from their rural surroundings. Halima excelled in her studies and exams, surpassing even the privileged Arab girls who looked down their noses at the black Africans. With her love of learning and her fathers support, Halima went on to study medicine, and at twenty-four became her village’s first formal doctor (Bowker’s Books in Print)
Toward The Meeting of the Waters: Currents in the Civil Rights Movement of South Carolina during the Twentieth Century. Winfred B. Moore Jr. And Orville Vernon Burton. Africana Library: E185.93 S7 T69 2008
Bringing together voices of leading historians alongside recollections from central participants, this text provides a comprehensive history of the civil rights movement as experienced by black and white South Carolinians. (Bowker’s Books in Print)
America’s Original Sin: Obama, Race, Religion and Politics. Africana Studies and Research Center, Cornell University. 2008. 1 videodisc (85 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 382
Panelists Margaret Washington, professor of history; Rev. Kenneth I. Clarke, director of Cornell United Religious Work; Omer Bajwa, chaplain, Muslim Educational and Cultural Association; Nick Salvatore, professor of industrial and labor relations and of American studies; and James Turner, professor and founding director of the Africana Studies and Research Center, join a discussion on Senator Barack Obama’s March 18, 2008 speech on race, religion and politics. Participants: Speaker, Nick Salvatore, James Turner, Omer Bajwa, Margaret Washington, Kenneth I. Clarke, Sr.
Bonus Disc: Jazz Icons, Series 3. San Diego, CA: Reelin’ in the Years Productions; S.l.: Naxos, 2008. 1 videodisc (60 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 386, and GUIDE
Features unseen performances from three artists in the third series of Jazz Icons. Participants: Sonny Rollins, Nina Simone, Rahsaan Roland Kirk.
Duke Ellington: Live In ’58. San Diego, CA: Reelin’ in the Years Productions; S.l.: Naxos, 2007. 1 videodisc (80 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 388, and Guide
Presents the earliest-known filmed full-length concert by the Duke Ellington Orchestra, filmed at Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw on November 2, 1958. Participants: Duke Ellington Orchestra (Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, reeds ; William Cat Anderson, Harold Shorty Baker, Ray Nance, Clark Terry, trumpets ; Quentin Butter Jackson, John Sanders, Britt Woodman, trombones ; Jimmy Woode, bass ; Sam Woodyard, drums ; Ozzie Bailey, vocal ; Duke Ellington, piano, leader).
ELLA Fitzgerald: Live In ‘57&’63. San Diego, CA: Reelin’ in the Years Productions, 2006. 1 videodisc (56 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 392
Features the First Lady of Song in two distinct performances, the first is the earliest known complete concert of Ella to be captured on film. Participants: Ella Fitzgerald, vocal ; Don Abney, piano ; Ray Brown, bass ; Jo Jones, drums ; Herb Ellis, guitar ; Roy Eldridge, trumpet ; Oscar Peterson, piano (1st segment) ; Ella Fitzgerald, vocal ; Tommy Flanagan, piano ; Jim Hughart, bass ; Gus Johnson, drums ; Les Spann, guitar (2nd segment).
John Coltrane: Live In ’60, ’61 & ’65. San Diego, CA: Reelin’ in the Years Productions; S.l.: Naxos, 2007. 1 videodisc (95 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 389 and Guide
Participants: John Coltrane, saxophone. In the 1960 set: John Coltrane Quartet (Wynton Kelly, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums) with Oscar Peterson, piano (5th work); Stan Getz, tenor saxophone (4th-5th works). In the 1961 set: Eric Dolphy, alto saxophone, flute; McCoy Tyner, piano; Reggie Workman, bass; Elvin Jones, drums. In the 1965 set: McCoy Tyner, piano; Jimmy Garrison, bass; Elvin Jones, drums
Louis Armstrong: Live In ’59. United States: Reelin’ in the Years Productions, 2006. 1 videodisc (55 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 391, and GUIDE
Filmed in Belgium in 1959, this set features many of Satchmo’s greatest songs. Participants: Performers include Trummy Young, Peanuts Hucko, Billy Kyle, Danny Barcelona, and Mort Herbert.
Make it Funky! The Music That Took over the World. Culver City, CA: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2005. 1 videodisc (110 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 381
Join a world-class lineup of artists as they slip, slide, strut and glide their way through the spicy sounds that took over the world. Jazz has influenced the course of popular music for over a century. A raucous tribute to the musical heritage of New Orleans, chock full of performances, archival footage and conversations with the remarkable men and women who created it. Participants: Narrator, Art Neville. Entertainers: Allen Toussaint, Bonnie Raitt, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Earl Palmer, Funky Meters, George Peter, Jr., Irma Thomas, Irvin Mayfield, Ivan Neville, Jon Cleary, Keith Richards, Kermit Ruffins, Lloyd Price, Monk Boudreaux, Neville Brothers, Poppa Funk’s Boys, Snooks Eaglin, Troy Andrews, Walter Wolfman Washington.
NINA Simone: Live In ’65 & ’68. San Diego, Calif.: Reelin’ in the Years Productions; S.l.: Naxos, 2008. 1 videodisc (64 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 390, and Guide
Performances featuring the jazz pianist/vocalist, filmed for the Dutch television program, Nina Simone, in 1965 and the British television program, Sound of soul in 1968. Participants: Nina Simone, piano and vocals ; Sam Waymon, organ, vocals and percussion (1968) ; Rudy Stevenson (1965), Henry Young (1968), guitar ; Lisle Atkinson (1965), Gene Taylor (1968), bass ; Bobby Hamilton (1965), Buck Clark (1968), drums.
This Nollywood. San Francisco: California Newsreel, 2007. 1 videodisc (56 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 385
Examines the burgeoning motion picture industry in Nigeria, and follows the shoot of an action adventure movie whose cast and crew explain the movie-making process in Nigeria.
Obama Campaign Speech on Race. Philadelphia Pennsylvania: Obama Presidential Campaign/ C-SPAN Video Library: National Cable Satellite Corporation, Copyright 2008. 1Videodisc (38min).Africana Library: Videodisc 383
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama delivered an address on race and politics. In an attempt to calm the turmoil surrounding controversial comments by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama rejected Wright’s comments but said that Wright had inspired his Christian faith and has been his spiritual guide for nearly 20 years. He talked at length about historical issues of racial division, black grievances, and white resentment while emphasizing that progress has been made in racial reconciliation. Senator Obama spoke at the National Constitution Center.
The Tales of Ordinary People. San Francisco, CA: California Newsreel distributor, 2007. 1 videodisc (90 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 384
Le franc: After the French government devalues the West African Franc; Marigo wins a lottery and finds his life changed in both comic and meaningful ways.
La petite vendeuse de Soleil: Sili Lam, a twelve year old paraplegic becomes the first girl to sell a daily newspaper and must rely on her inner strength to succeed in a world of bias and corruption.
Thelonious Monk: Live In ’66. San Diego, CA: Reelin’ In the Years, 2006. 1 videodisc (62 min.). Africana Library: Videodisc 387
Thelonious Monk revolutionized jazz with his innovative musical approach and these performances, filmed in Norway and Denmark in 1966, allow viewers the rare opportunity to experience Monk’s genius up close. Participants: Thelonius Monk Quartet (Thelonius Monk, piano; Charlie Rouse, tenor sax; Larry Gales, bass; Ben Riley, drums).
