Required reading for Ethnic History class ( )

From Slavery to Freedom a history of African Americans actually starts earlier than slavery times beginning with a brief overview of some of the kingdoms and cultures of Africa and a general description about the way of life somewhat common to those groups from which most slaves were taken. It then goes on to colonial times in the Americas, including South America and the Caribbean in the early period, though the focus in later periods is definitely on the U.S. It continues through to the present time of the last revision which was in 2000. It covers a lot of ground, from political to economic, the arts, sport, Blacks in the military, etc. It covers some areas that I have read about in other books, such as the use of prison labor in the south which is covered much more extensively in Slavery by another Name and the institutional, including Federal support for segregation in the North, covered more completely in Sweet Land of Liberty:The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North. But, all in all, it is pretty thorough and a very readable overview. I would recommend it, as well as the other two books. ( )

Very biased. Simply tells the story from a Liberal perspective, celebrating only Liberal Blacks and Liberal Whites. Fails to mention Republicans voted for VRA of 1964 and VRA of 1965 in greater percentages than the Democrats. Fails to credit Nixon with signing Affimative Action into law. Fails to mention FDR nominated a former Klansmen to the Supreme Court (Hugo Black), and fails to mention that the filbuster of the Civil Rights Act was by Robert Byrd, then and now, a Democratic Senator from WV (and also a former Klansman). Can we get even a little balance? ( )

Earlier Editions: 1947, 1956, 1967, 1974, 1980, 1988, 1994