History of African Americans - by Thomas Davis (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Over the centuries Black peoples in America have nurtured distinctive attitudes, beliefs, characters, folkways, and manners. They have shared common circumstances and conditions that have distinguished them in America beyond reference to the continent of their ancestral origins or their physical appearance. Yet African Americans have never been singular in experience or outlook. They have ever been diverse peoples. Time, temperament, talents, opportunities, place, and interpersonal relations, among myriad elements of life, have invariably set Blacks apart from one another as individuals and as groups, even as pronounced racial distinction and discrimination have invariably set Blacks as a group apart from others in America. African American history is thus not singular or simple; it has many facets and layers; it spreads across time and place and personalities."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

This rich cultural history of African Americans outlines their travails, triumphs, and achievements in negotiating individual and collective identities to overcome racism, slavery, and the legacies of these injustices from colonial times to the present.

One of every five Americans at the nation's beginning was an African American-a fact that underscores their importance in U.S. growth and development. This fascinating study moves from Africans' early contacts with the Americas to African Americans' 21st-century presence, exploring their role in building the American nation and in constructing their own identities, communities, and cultures.

Historian and lawyer Thomas J. Davis's multi-themed narrative of compelling content provides a historical overview of the rise of African Americans from slavery and segregation in their anti-racist quest to enjoy equal rights and opportunities to reach the American Dream of pursuing happiness. The work features portraits of individuals and treats images of African Americans in their roles as performers, producers, consumers, and creators, and as the face of social problems such as crime, education, and poverty.

About the Author

Thomas J. Davis, PhD, JD, is professor of history at Arizona State University, Tempe.