By David Jordan Jr
The right book can take you on a journey to a specific place on earth, a certain point in history or into the mind and life of an individual; all you have to do is simply flip a page. History books will tell a story but in many instances the story is distorted and told with an eye that holds an extreme bias. This tends to happen particularly with black history not only in America, but world wide. The story of blacks in the Americas has been well noted but the notes have been inaccurate on many occasions or one sided; simply focusing on a particular piece of history or intellectual thought rather than the complete history. There have been many books written by prominent figures in black history that have either detailed a life, expressed a pertinent ideology for the advancement of black people in this country and/or offered a pathway into a particular point in history. The following four books are a great jump start to feeding your brain the knowledge it’s been short changed by history books.
The Mis-Education Of The Negro by Dr. Carter G. Woodson (the father of Black History Month) was written with an emphasis on detailing the present state of blacks in the United States in 1933 and it provided a resourceful look into how blacks could help improve their lives utilizing their own mind and resources.
Up From Slavery was written by Booker T Washington and it was published in 1901. This autobiography gives you a detailed account of his life as he tells of his days as a slave, his journey toward freedom and how his desire for an education enabled him to not only help himself, but also help others. Washington described how the education he received at Hampton University was instrumental in him founding Tuskegee University and also playing a role in the advancement of blacks as individuals.
The Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass was written by Douglass in 1845. Douglass gives a thorough look into his life as a slave, as he details his day to day life, his relationship with his slave masters and his quest for freedom. Douglass shares his thoughts on him learning to read and how his day to day experiences eventually led him to becoming an abolitionist.
Considered by many to be one the most imporant books one would ever read, The Autobiography Of Malcolm X allows you the opportunity to hear the story of Malcolm X from his own mouth. Malcolm details his life as youth, his parents, his siblings and those that he interacted with and how every moment of his life was an important piece of his journey to the place he was at in his life before he was assassinated. From his time as a hustler, to incarceration, to joining the Nation Of Islam and to seeking more outside of the Nation Of Islam, this book is a must read for all people to see how a man has the power to transform his life and to continue to grow and elevate.
