Henry Louis Jr Gates Ordre des livres

The book explores the profound impact of Black writers in shaping self-identity and resistance against racism throughout American history. It draws from Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'s renowned course, highlighting influential figures like Phillis Wheatley, Frederick Douglass, and Toni Morrison. These authors crafted narratives that challenged oppressive definitions and fostered a sense of community amidst disagreement. The narrative illustrates how their literary contributions have transformed a historically marginalized group into a resilient culture, continually redefining what it means to be "Black" in America.

The eighteenth-century essays published for the first time provide a disturbing insight into the origins of racism, showcasing European intellectuals grappling with justifications for the atrocities of the Atlantic slave trade. In 1739, Bordeaux’s Royal Academy of Sciences announced a contest seeking essays on the sources of “blackness,” prompting sixteen submissions from across Europe, including naturalists, physicians, and theologians. These essays address the physical causes of black skin and African hair, as well as notions of degeneration, reflecting a range of opinions. Some authors argue that Africans fell from God’s grace, while others attribute blackness to climate or anatomical differences. Despite their varied perspectives, all essays converge on a common theme: the quest for a scientific understanding of race. This collection serves as a crucial record of Enlightenment-era thought that helped normalize the enslavement of Black individuals. The previously unpublished documents, now translated into English and accompanied by an introduction and headnotes from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Andrew Curran, reveal the foundational ideas that fueled anti-Black racism and colorism in the West, preserved for centuries in Bordeaux’s municipal library.

Host of PBS's Finding Your Roots and famed Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discusses African-American immigration and ancestry in the context of the American political climate.

The author takes readers on a journey spanning more than five centuries, from the intersection of Christianity and the transatlantic slave trade to today's political landscape. We emerge with a new understanding of the importance of African American religion to the larger national narrative: as a center of resistance to slavery and white supremacy, as a magnet for political mobilization, as an incubator of musical and oratorical talent that would transform the culture, and as a crucible for working through the Black community's most critical personal and social issues. -- adapted from back cover

For young Henry Louis Gates, Jr., growing up in a segregated West Virginia town, the church was a vital community hub, where song and support flourished. In this expansive exploration of the Black Church's significance in America, Gates traces its history over five centuries, from the intersection of Christianity and the transatlantic slave trade to contemporary politics. His reflections on the churches of his youth reveal the profound role of African American religion in the national narrative—serving as a bastion against slavery and white supremacy, a catalyst for political mobilization, and a nurturing ground for musical and oratorical talent that shaped culture. The Black Church has historically provided a rare safe space for the African diaspora, often targeted by white supremacists. From the earliest days of slavery, when worship was permitted, these gathering places faced surveillance and destruction. Even after slavery's end, acts of violence against Black churches persisted, exemplified by the tragic events at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. Gates illustrates that the Black Church embodies a complex legacy, central to the Black political struggle and the emergence of influential leaders. Yet, some denominations have resisted political engagement, fostering exclusion and division. As new generations advocate for dignity and freedom across identities, the Black Church remains a vital source of faith and resilience agains

"This is a story about America and the shaping of its democratic values during the Reconstruction era, one of our country's most pivotal and misunderstood chapters. In this stirring account of the Civil War, emancipation, and the struggle for rights and reunion that followed, one of the premier US scholars delivers a book that is as illuminating as it is timely. Real-life accounts of heroism, grit, betrayal, and bravery drive this book's narrative, spanning America's history from 1861 to 1915 and drawing parallels with to today from acclaimed author, critic, and inaugural MacArthur Genius Henry Louis Gates, Jr."--Page 4 of cover

This work presents a compelling alternative to contemporary white nationalism by examining African-American history, particularly the violence and injustices of white supremacy that have often been overlooked. It offers a profound exploration of the struggle for equality following the Civil War and the counter-revolution that re-subjugated African-Americans, framed through the lens of visual culture and the enduring racist ideologies that persist in American society. While the abolition of slavery and the civil rights movement are well-known, the century in between remains less understood. The author investigates why, despite emancipation, further marches for civil rights were necessary decades later. The narrative spans from the Reconstruction Era to the nadir of African-American experience under Jim Crow, through World War I and the Harlem Renaissance. By closely analyzing the visual culture of this tragic period, the author reveals the multifaceted nature of Jim Crow and its reinforcement of racial divisions. The story begins with the hope of the Emancipation Proclamation and the liberation of nearly 4 million enslaved individuals, detailing the subsequent struggles against white paramilitary violence and economic decline that led to the restoration of Southern home rule. Amidst this violence, figures like W. E. B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells emerged, creating a counter-narrative of resistance. This essential exploration

Village Voice columnist Greg Tate offers essays and tales of American music and culture, from Be-Bop to Hip-Hop. He examines music, books, newspaper reporting, and more to explore such issues as racism, poverty, sexism, homophobia, and political and economic injustices from a black point of view.

A scholarly primer by the Harvard University intellectual and author of the American Book Award-winning The Signifying Monkey collects three decades of his writings in a range of fields, in a volume that also offers insight into his achievements as a historian, theorist and cultural critic.

A director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard presents a sumptuously illustrated chronicle of more than 500 years of African-American history that focuses on defining events, debates and controversies as well as important achievements of famous and lesser-known figures, in a volume complemented by reproductions of ancient maps and historical paraphernalia. (This title was previously list in Forecast.)