F. Erik Brooks

This accessible biography of Maya Angelou provides readers with an ideal introduction to the life and times of one of America's most beloved and influential Black artists.Maya Angelou: A Life in American History explores the life of one of the most significant figures of the 20th century. Chronological chapters chart major events in Angelou’s life, examining how these events influenced her personally and professionally. Her life is also deeply situated within the social and cultural context of her time, with an examination of the impact of era-defining events such as the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement.Through this biography, readers will understand how Angelou has and continues to shape and influence Black culture and American history, with an enduring legacy of artistry and meaningful social activism that continues to inspire millions of Americans and many more around the world.To enrich and consolidate understanding, the work includes a timeline of key events in Angelou's life, primary documents, and a bibliography to aid in further research.

When Shriley Chisholm was asked why she would dare run for president, her response was, why not her?Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm rose from being the child of immigrants to the United States to running for the highest office in the land. Her achievement in doing this as a Black woman was not in spite of her background but rather because of it. She became both the first African American woman elected to the US Congress and the first female African American of a major political party to make a serious run for president of the United States.She persevered by being steadfast in her political convictions and unwillingness to compromise on the issues she believed in. Chisholm directly challenged the political establishment and was successful because she galvanized women, minorities, young people, and the poor not only in her home district in Brooklyn, New York, but across the country. She was that catalyst for change who gave a political voice to so many segments of society who were, up until that time, ignored: women, minorities, the young, members of the gay community, domestic and agricultural workers, and the poor. Her run for the presidency in 1972 was a win in terms of her forging a unified grassroots campaign in which the voices of the previously voiceless joined together for a single cause of voting for someone who supported their diverse but collective interests.As many historians have pointed out, without Shirley Chisholm there may not have been a Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, or Kamala Harris.

A compelling resource for sports enthusiasts, Jesse Owens: A Life in American History places the life and athletic accomplishments of Jesse Owens within the context of race and American history in the early 20th century.The year 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the death of one of the greatest track and field athletes in intercollegiate and Olympic history. This book examines Jesse Owens' upbringing, religious and spiritual life, and collegiate years and includes an examination of race, politics, and Nazi Germany as a backdrop to the 1936 Olympics. It also considers Owens' personal economic hardships after his triumph at the Olympic Games, his death, and his legacy. This biography series title will appeal to general readers, history buffs, and sports enthusiasts. Chapters are organized around the major developments in Jesse Owens' life, from his birth in Oakville, Alabama in 1913 to his death in Tucson, Arizona in 1980, and all of his groundbreaking athletic achievements in between. Primary source documents, sidebars, a timeline, and a bibliography provide valuable additional information for readers. The final chapter, "Why Jesse Owens Matters," explores his cultural and historical significance.

An essential resource for readers analyzing the presidency of Barack Obama, this book provides a comprehensive summary of the life of 44th president of the United States.Barack Obama stated, "Our destiny is not written for us. It is written by us." Was the former president talking about himself and his rise to the American presidency?On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States, the first African American to be elected to this office. Former President Obama's politics of unity appealed to many segments of American society. When Obama became president, the United States faced challenges at home and abroad. Internationally, the country was stalled in two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Domestically, the country faced a financial and banking crisis, and poverty was on the rise. Undaunted by these colossal challenges, former President Obama noted, "We did not come to fear the future. We came to shape it." Barack Obama: A Life in American History discusses the life of Barack Obama chronologically and discusses his post-presidential life. Readers of all levels with an interest in Barack Obama, politics, political parties, political ideology, presidential elections, government, and the U.S. presidency will find this book compelling.

The president is arguably the most recognized and powerful individual in the United States. This reference work explores the American presidency in relation to issues of race concerning the African American community.This work provides a contemporary and refreshing examination of the American presidency through the prism of race and race relations in America, revealing a long and complicated relationship between the U.S. presidency and the African American community. The book evaluates each of the forty-five American presidents' policies, cabinet appointments, and handling of race matters in the United States. Following an extensive timeline, chronological chapters take an incisive look at each American president's life and career as well as the policies enacted during his presidency that affected the African American community. The presidents' personal writings, memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies frame their views on the issue of race and how they dealt with it before, during, and after their presidency.

An invaluable guide for potential collegiate student athletes, this guide presents strategies to assist student athletes with life skills both inside and outside of the classroom and athletic arenas.Student athletes must overcome a gauntlet of challenges in order to be successful in college. This guide supports student athlete success by identifying various potential issues and providing specific guidance and advice based on the author's direct experience and insider knowledge. It presents potential collegiate athletes with a wide-ranging and inclusive view of the intercollegiate sport experience and a comprehensive explanation of the role of the student athlete.This book is a comprehensive guide for student athletes and their families that will assist in deliberating scholarship offers from multiple institutions and setting a course for success in college. Readers will be equipped to determine which scholarship option—and in some cases, which sport or sports—is the optimal choice, be knowledgeable about their financial aid options and the rules of recruiting, and be prepared with a list of suggested questions that American student athletes should ask coaches and recruiting officials wishing to pursue their talents. This guide provides the essential strategies that will enable student athletes to gain life skills both inside and outside of the classroom and athletic arenas.

This encouraging guide coaches African American and first-generation college students on strategies for maximizing their experiences and success on university campuses.Marked gaps in academic achievements continue to exist between white and black students on college campuses in America. This motivational book, with contributions from academic role models from within the African American community, provides tools to help ethnically diverse students choose the best college, improve their study skills, and cope with academic anxiety. From college selection to graduation, this practical resource provides firsthand accounts of successful college experiences and the strategies used by former students to obtain their degrees. This work is divided into four parts. After an introductory section that addresses how to find the right college for aspiring students, the second part discusses the culture of an academic environment and reveals what incoming students may discover on a new campus. The third section introduces the language and lingo used in college settings. Finally, the guide concludes with conversations with successful African Americans who have achieved their undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees. The content also features a helpful college and university directory.

Savannah State University is Georgia's oldest public historically black university. From its inception as the black land grant college in1890, the roots of black activism were a core element of the school's existence. As a young boy, Savannah State's founder Richard R. Wright was asked by General O. O. Howard, ""What he should tell Northerners about the newly freed slaves in the South?"" Wright boldly responded, ""Tell them that we are rising."" Years after this encounter and as the leader of Georgia State Industrial College for Colored Youth, (Savannah State University's forerunner) Wright and many of the citizens of Savannah bravely and brilliantly advanced the ideas of black independence, self-reliance, and equal rights. These concepts would later be used as motivating factors in orchestrating demonstrations and boycotts in the Civil Rights movement in Savannah. In this provocative exploration of the issues of race, politics, and higher education in Savannah, Georgia, Brooks unveils how Georgia's political climate affected the growth and progression at Savannah State University. Brooks interweaves local, state, national politics, the history of the university, and the Civil Rights movement as a backdrop to showcase Savannah State University students' participation in the struggle for equality from the institution's beginning in 1890 to the election of Barack Obama as the first African American president of the United States in 2008. Additionally, Brooks reveals that not only have students fought for civil rights issues external to the university but they have also fought for rights internal to the university.

This book provides a detailed examination of the life and legal legacy of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, including a discussion of the many legal cases in which he was involved.Thurgood Marshall was the first African American Supreme Court Justice. As a lawyer, he won the Supreme Court Case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka that integrated all public schools in the United States. But Marshall's contributions extend far beyond significantly advancing the civil rights movement in this nation.Thurgood Marshall: A Biography discusses the life of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in a chronological fashion, and then discusses his legacy after death. Students at all grade levels—including undergraduate and graduate college students—as well as historians and general readers interested in African American history , civil rights, or the U.S. legal system will find this book insightful and useful.

This exhaustive analysis of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) throughout history discusses the institutions and the major events, individuals, and organizations that have contributed to their existence.The oldest HBCU, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, was founded in 1837 by Quaker philanthropist Richard Humphreys as the Institute for Colored Youth. By 1902, at least 85 such schools had been established and, in subsequent years, the total grew to 105. Today approximately 16 percent of America's black college students are enrolled in HBCUs. Historically Black Colleges and Universities: An Encyclopedia brings the stories of these schools together in a comprehensive volume that explores the origin and history of each Historically Black College and University in the United States. Major founders and contributors to HBCUs, including whites, free blacks, churches, and states, are discussed and distinguished alumni are profiled. Specific examples of the impact of HBCUs and their alumni on American culture and the social and political history of the United States are also examined. In addition to looking at the HBCUs themselves, the book analyzes historical events and legislation of the past 174 years that impacted the founding, funding, and growth of these history-making schools.

The U.S. government is an ever-more-complex system that few American citizens comprehend in any detail. Even some of its most basic operations, seemingly clear in concept, are in reality intricate and obscure. Although textbooks explain how the government is supposed to work in theory, they don't reveal how it actually works in practice. This book offers a concise and objective explanation of government operations, mapping the federal government's branches, departments, agencies, corporations, and quasi-official bodies—and the bureaucracies that support them. The authors effectively bridge the gap between the government's ideal, balanced structure, laid out in the Constitution, and its actual institutionalized form today, making this a superb resource for students and citizens at large.Coverage of the government's inner workings includes such subjects as executive-branch appointments, domestic and foreign policy development and execution, the federal budget, the legislative process, the Congressional committee system, the drawing of Congressional districts, the levels of the federal judiciary, aides in all three branches, and the various government offices and oversight agencies.25 black-and-white photographsFigures and charts capturing the structure of the federal government and many aspects of its functioning, such as the federal budgeting process, the apportionment of electoral votes, and U.S. government receipts and outlaysTimelinesQuick-reference chart listing past presidents, their years in office, and their party affiliation

The U.S. government is an ever-more-complex system that few American citizens comprehend in any detail. Even some of its most basic operations, seemingly clear in concept, are in reality intricate and obscure. Although textbooks explain how the government is supposed to work in theory, they don't reveal how it actually works in practice. This book offers a concise and objective explanation of government operations, mapping the federal government's branches, departments, agencies, corporations, and quasi-official bodies—and the bureaucracies that support them. The authors effectively bridge the gap between the government's ideal, balanced structure, laid out in the Constitution, and its actual institutionalized form today, making this a superb resource for students and citizens at large.Coverage of the government's inner workings includes such subjects as executive-branch appointments, domestic and foreign policy development and execution, the federal budget, the legislative process, the Congressional committee system, the drawing of Congressional districts, the levels of the federal judiciary, aides in all three branches, and the various government offices and oversight agencies.25 black-and-white photographsFigures and charts capturing the structure of the federal government and many aspects of its functioning, such as the federal budgeting process, the apportionment of electoral votes, and U.S. government receipts and outlaysTimelinesQuick-reference chart listing past presidents, their years in office, and their party affiliation