The violent events that took place near what is now Walla Walla on November 29, 1847 served for at least a century as a creation myth for the state of Washington, a legend of heroic sacrifice to noble ideals. But the traditional story of the Whitman Mission and the attack on its occupants is just …
Caste is an essential read, a lucid, no-holds-barred examination of race, our nation’s history, and the rigid caste system that has been such a destructive force to individuals, communities, and our democracy. Most people think of caste as a foreign system found in places like India. But Wilkerson, through her research, insight, and immersion, argues …
Martha Jones is a giant in the field of African American history and this book is her best yet. Beautiful storytelling, which incorporates Jones’s own family history, makes this the perfect book for any armchair historian. Jones brings to light the stories of dozens of black women who are often ignored in history books, proving that …
I am keeping this book and referring to it often to understand in plain easy to comprehend language what this document really means both when it was written and now in 2020 and going forward. –Jesica DeHart, Neill Public Library, Pullman, WA Get a deep understanding about the Constitution “word by word, sentence by sentence, …
Two true stories are told side by side here– that of the lead architect of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, and that of a serial killer who uses the fair to lure victims to his hotel. Elevating, yet creepy. Yet elevating. Oooh, but creepy. –Diana, Village Books, Bellingham and Lynden, WA It’s not quite …
From the archives: The March Trilogy is one of the most important graphic novels created. A superbly told history of the civil rights movement, John Lewis’s personal account of the actions of individuals and organizations throughout the South (but focused largely in Alabama) is a gripping, passionate, and richly detailed narrative of the events that would eventually …
This is so much fun! I loved playing this game in school when I was a kid. The artwork is very reminiscent of the actual game, and the path tabs are a fun alternative to the choose your own adventure style. The colors are bright and inviting. –Brandi Stewart, Changing Hands in Tempe, Arizona From …
. . .we have Wes Moore’s Five Days: The Fiery Reckoning of an American City. While the title sounds like it could be about any number of locations during the last few months, Five Days is about life in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray, back in 2015. Moore (with assistance from Erica L. …
Saidiya Hartman’s Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments contains some of the most imaginative, inventive, and radical history writing I’ve ever encountered. Taking as her subjects the black women excluded from the US historical archive, Hartman challenges and unsettles dominant understandings of who “makes” history. In vibrant and ecstatic prose, Hartman tells the story of how the wayward, the …
No matter your age, there is value for you in this video of an event hosted by The Brown Bookshelf, a group of authors and illustrators who came together to push awareness of the myriad of African American voices writing for young readers. The Brown Bookshelf is honoured to host the KidLit4BlackLives Rally that took …
