A Most Stirring and Significant Episode


Book Description

When Atlanta enacted prohibition in 1885, it was the largest city in the United States to do so. A Most Stirring and Significant Episode examines the rise of temperance sentiment among freed African Americans that made this vote possible—as well as the forces that resulted in its 1887 reversal well before the 18th Amendment to the Constitution created a national prohibition in 1919. H. Paul Thompson Jr.'s research also sheds light on the profoundly religious nature of African American involvement in the temperance movement. Contrary to the prevalent depiction of that movement as being one predominantly led by white, female activists like Carrie Nation, Thompson reveals here that African Americans were central to the rise of prohibition in the south during the 1880s. As such, A Most Stirring and Significant Episode offers a new take on the proliferation of prohibition and will not only speak to scholars of prohibition in the US and beyond, but also to historians of religion and the African American experience.










Temperance And Racism


Book Description

One hundred twenty years ago, the Independent Order of Good Templars was the world's largest, most militant, and most evangelical organization hostile to alcoholic drink. Standing in the forefront of the international temperance movement, it was recognized worldwide as a potent social and moral force. Temperance and Racism restores the Templars, now an almost forgotten footnote in American and British social history, to a position of prominence within the temperance movement. The group's ideology of universal membership made it unique among fraternal organizations in the late nineteenth century and led to pioneering efforts on behalf of equal rights for women. Its policy toward African Americans was more ambiguous. Though a great many white Templars, especially those in Great Britain, rejected the extreme racism prevalent in the late nineteenth century, members in the American South did not. The decision to allow state lodges to rule on their membership eligibility led to the great schism of 1876-87. The break was mended only after British leaders compromised their ideals of universal brotherhood and sisterhood for the sake of the organization's international unity. Drawing on previously unused primary sources, David Fahey reveals much about racial attitudes and behavior in the late nineteenth century on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line, and on both sides of the Atlantic.




Steppin' on the Blues


Book Description

Former dancer Jacqui Malone throws a fresh spotlight on the cultural history of black dance, the Africanisms that have influenced it, and the significant role that vocal harmony groups, black college and university marching bands, and black sorority and fraternity stepping teams have played in the evolution of dance in African American life.




African-American Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs


Book Description

For as long as there have been blacks in the Americas, there have been African-American entrepreneurs.




Organizing Black America: An Encyclopedia of African American Associations


Book Description

With information on over 500 organizations, their founders and membership, this unique encyclopedia is an invaluable resource on the history of African-American activism. Entries on both historical and contemporary organizations include: * African Aid Society * African-Americans forHumanism * Black Academy of Arts and Letters * BlackWomen's Liberation Committee * Minority Women in Science* National Association of Black Geologists andGeophysicists * National Dental Association * NationalMedical Association * Negro Railway Labor ExecutivesCommittee * Pennsylvania Freedmen's Relief Association *Women's Missionary Society, African Methodist EpiscopalChurch * and many more.




African American History Day by Day


Book Description

The proof of any group's importance to history is in the detail, a fact made plain by this informative book's day-by-day documentation of the impact of African Americans on life in the United States. One of the easiest ways to grasp any aspect of history is to look at it as a continuum. African American History Day by Day: A Reference Guide to Events provides just such an opportunity. Organized in the form of a calendar, this book allows readers to see the dates of famous births, deaths, and events that have affected the lives of African Americans and, by extension, of America as a whole. Each day features an entry with information about an important event that occurred on that date. Background on the highlighted event is provided, along with a link to at least one primary source document and references to books and websites that can provide more information. While there are other calendars of African American history, this one is set apart by its level of academic detail. It is not only a calendar, but also an easy-to-use reference and learning tool.




Exilic Existence


Book Description

Reflections from Friends and fellow Ministers I met The Reverend J. Samuel Williams, Jr., on the campus of Shaw University in 1959, and I am privileged to call him a friend for more than fifty years. Having known him as I have, I am not surprised but greatly impressed with the fact that he has seen fit to include the contributions of Black churches to the modern Civil Rights movement. He has chronicled the call of God and the response of humans for the sake of human decency with expertise and exactness in this moving book. It was my delight to have had dealings with his two most meaningful mentors, the late Reverend Drs. Vernon Johns and L. Francis Griffin, and I am sure that you will discover their role in the development of Brother Williams as he made contributions to the civil rights movement with his leadership, articulation and involvement of others in the struggle. In Exilic Existence, the reader will find several detailed accounts of the marriage of church and culture for the cause of decency and dignity among those who are too often considered the least and the left out in this society. Percy L. High--Durham, North Carolina It was my pleasure as a young college student attending the First Baptist Church in Farmville, Virginia to make the acquaintance of the Pastor, the Reverend Dr. J. Samuel Williams, Jr. Little did I know that I was in the presence of a Civil Rights activist with his finger on the pulse of the unrelenting, Movement. This historical record, Exilic Existence..., captures for future generations, important details disclosing and preserving the identities of individuals and documenting incidents which have contributed significantly to the report of our story in History. How fitting that the report is set straight by a Prophet from Prince Edward County. A must read for everyone who wants to know what really happened to bring us to this place in social justice and human equality. Dr. Carla E. Lightfoot, Immediate Past President of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Richmond and Vicinity (2007-2010) Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Richmond Virginia Seminary




African American Firsts, 4th Edition


Book Description

Updated With The Latest Facts And Photos "A Black history buff's dream." --Ebony From ground-breaking achievements to awe-inspiring feats of excellence, this definitive resource reveals over 450 "firsts" by African Americans in fields as diverse as government, entertainment, education, science, medicine, law, the military, and the business world. Discover the first doctor to perform open heart surgery and the youngest person to fly solo around the world. Learn about the first African Americans to walk in space, to serve two terms as President of the United States, and many other wonderful and important contributions often accomplished despite poverty, discrimination, and racism. Did you know that. . . At her first Olympics, Gabrielle Douglas became the first African American woman to win gold in both the team and individual all-around Olympic competitions. Sophia Danenberg scaled new heights as the first African American to reach the top of Mount Everest. Dr. Patricia E. Bath revolutionized laser eye surgery as the first African American woman doctor to receive a patent. Shonda Rhimes was the first African American woman to create and produce a top television series. Ursula Burns was the first African American woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Spanning colonial days to the present, African American Firsts is a clear reflection of a prideful legacy, a celebration of our changing times, and a signpost to an even greater future. Over 100 Pages of Photographs Fully Revised and Updated "Fascinating. . .an excellent source for browsing and for locating facts that are hard to find elsewhere." --School Library Journal "I recommend this book, a tool with innumerable possibilities which will help individuals understand. . .the contributions and inventions of African Americans." --The late Dr. Betty Shabazz "For browsing or serious queries on great achievements by blacks in America." --Booklist