AfriWare Books Website
  • Store
  • Events
  • Blog
  • SEARCH
  • AUTHOR INFORMATION
  • ARTIST BIO/PRICE
  • NNEDI OKORAFOR BOOKS
  • PODCAST
  • LARUE'S HAND IN CLAY
  • About Us
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  • BOOK FAIR /SCHOOLS / CLUBS
  • Photo Gallery
  • EJP BOOK DRIVE
  • Videos
  • Newsletter/Articles
  • Archives
  • External Links
  • Afriware Statement on COVID-19
  • GREATER LAKES
  • Afriware Merchandise
  • AFFILIATE INFO
  • SEBRON GRANT ART DESIGNS
  • Mother's Day Bundles
  • Welcome
  • CARTOON

Categories

All
Artist Interview
Black Boy
Black History Books For Kids
Book Lists
Book Reviews
Irving Bunton Page
Journals
NATURAL HAIR
Reading List
TOURISM

Archives

October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
June 2022
May 2022
March 2022
January 2022
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
January 2016
December 2015
June 2015
August 2014

THE BLACK BOOK BY TONY MORRISON:  Books Every Black Person Should Read

10/24/2020

 
Picture

The Black Book:  Books Every Black Person Should Read

This article will be one of many to highlight books Every Black Person Should Read.  There are so many books to choose from, and yet, "The Black Book" does stand out from the rest because of its unique contents.
 
"The Black Book" is a virtual museum captured in book form.  It contains replicas of original photographs, newspaper articles from as early as the 1400's, letters, posters, drawings, and recipes to name a few.  Middleton Harris was one of the collectors of the original works and is credited as an editor.  It was first published in 1974.  The 30th Anniversary edition includes a poem written by Toni Morrison who was also an editor.

The book starts with the shocking reference to Christopher Columbus' writing in his own reports about his voyages to America that he "discovered" Black merchants who were in possession of gold, ivory and spices.  In a few pages, well placed at the beginning of the book, Morrison with a stunning 1-2-word-punch destroys the long held belief of the "discovery" of a continent by someone who was lost.  From there, you will find photographs of evidence of the African presence in the Americas long before Columbus' arrival.  You will find a handwritten letter by Frederick Douglass, schematic drawings of patents by Black inventors, lynching photographs with groups of people posing with the corpse to name but a few items.   

The photographs show the most obtuse examples of stereotypical images along with the crowning glories of our contributions.  A casual browse through the pages will bring forward a myriad of emotions due to the irrefutable nature of them.  It becomes evident that inventions such as the fountain pen, telephone system, lemon squeezer, typewriter, and lantern are an unmistakable part of the legacy of Black people.

The best person to describe the impact of her own work are the actual words of Toni Morrison captured in an article she wrote for "Black World" magazine called, "Behind the Making of the Black Book," which was published in Feb. 1974.   
Picture
Picture

Just after her death in 2019, a documentary came out of the life of Toni Morrison.  The trailer to the film is included below.  "The Black Book" is mentioned in the film. I highly recommend the movie to all.

 Intrigued?

Read the entire "Black World" magazine article here:
https://books.google.com/books?id=ojkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA3&source=gbs_toc&cad=2#v=onepage&q&f=false

To purchase your own copy of the book, please visit our website at:  www.afriwarebooks.com

Comments are closed.

    AUDIOBOOKS

    Picture

    MERCH

    Picture

    GIFTS

    Picture

    ​join email list

    Picture

    ACADEMIC BOOKS

    Picture
    Picture

    blog Author/
    ​EDITOR

    My name is Nzingha Nommo,  I've been in business since 1993 as owner/Founder of Afriware Books, Co.  Thought I could share a few things I learned from my journey.  I also dabble in veganism, natural hair and other odds and ends.  Learn more on our About Us page.

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    January 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    January 2016
    December 2015
    June 2015
    August 2014

    Categories

    All
    Artist Interview
    Black Boy
    Black History Books For Kids
    Book Lists
    Book Reviews
    Irving Bunton Page
    Journals
    NATURAL HAIR
    Reading List
    TOURISM

    RSS Feed

​AFRIWARE BOOKS CO. A COMMUNITY BOOKSTORE SERVING:



Berkely, IL
Brookfield, IL
Elmwood Park, IL

Franklin Park, IL
Hillside, IL



Maywood, IL
Belwood, IL
Broadview, IL

​River Grove, IL
​Westchester, IL

Oak Park, IL
​Forest Park, IL
Austin, Chicago, IL


Melrose Park, IL
​River Forest, IL
​

Global Communities online

AFRIWARE HOME PAGE
SEARCH OUR SITE
JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST

SEARCH | About Us | Blog |  FAQ |  Podcast |  Return Policy |  Shipping Policy | Donation

AFRIWARE BOOKS, CO,
1701 S. 1ST AVE., SUITE 400,
MAYWOOD, IL 60153
​708-223-8081


Holiday Hours:  Thurs-Fri. 12-6pm
​Sat. 12-5pm
(Face Masks Requested)
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
afriwarebooks@afriwarebooks.com
Want to try a great website builder, try Weebly at:  https://www.weebly.com/r/9SAD4V
  • Store
  • Events
  • Blog
  • SEARCH
  • AUTHOR INFORMATION
  • ARTIST BIO/PRICE
  • NNEDI OKORAFOR BOOKS
  • PODCAST
  • LARUE'S HAND IN CLAY
  • About Us
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
  • BOOK FAIR /SCHOOLS / CLUBS
  • Photo Gallery
  • EJP BOOK DRIVE
  • Videos
  • Newsletter/Articles
  • Archives
  • External Links
  • Afriware Statement on COVID-19
  • GREATER LAKES
  • Afriware Merchandise
  • AFFILIATE INFO
  • SEBRON GRANT ART DESIGNS
  • Mother's Day Bundles
  • Welcome
  • CARTOON