100 Greatest African Americans

Since 1619, when Africans first came ashore in the swampy Chesapeake region of Virginia, there have been many individuals whose achievements or strength of character in the face of monumental hardships have called attention to the genius of the African American people. This book attempts to distill from many wonderful possibilities the 100 most outstanding examples of greatness. Pioneering scholar of African American Studies Molefi Kete Asante has used four criteria in his selection: the individual''s significance in the general progress of African Americans toward full equality in the American social and political system; self-sacrifice and the demonstration of risk for the collective good; unusual will and determination in the face of the greatest danger or against the most stubborn odds; and personal achievement that reveals the best qualities of the African American people. In adopting these criteria Professor Asante has sought to steer away from the usual standards of popular culture, which often elevates the most popular, the wealthiest, or the most photogenic to the cult of celebrity. The individuals in this book - examples of lasting greatness as opposed to the ephemeral glare of celebrity fame - come from four centuries of African American history. Each entry includes brief biographical information, relevant dates, an assessment of the individual''s place in African American history with particular reference to a historical timeline, and a discussion of his or her unique impact on American society. Numerous pictures and illustrations will accompany the articles. This superb reference work will complement any library and be of special interest to students and scholars of American and African American history.

Presenting short biographies of 100 extraordinary African Americans, this volume serves as a reference for scholars and an inspiration to the general reader. Asante profiles individuals who overcame great difficulty to make a contribution towards social and political equality for African Americans. The author teaches African American studies at Temple University and is the founding editor of the Journal of Black Studies. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Lists and ranks those black Americans who have had the greatest impact on the progress toward complete participation in our society.

For the best story (enactment) of the life of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian, the greatest African-American chemist of the 20th century, google PBS NOVA "Forgotten Genius" YouTube. The present book is a good bibliography and sourcebook, with 48 photographs and illustrations, many in color.

From an article entitled “History’s Black Hole” from the January 10, 2016 global edition of the New York Daily News, Arthur Browne opines, “Across every field of endeavor, from the ministry to medicine and from education to entrepreneurship, book merchants balk at memorializing black experience and accomplishments.” Essentially, this book is a celebration of black accomplishments—over centuries and across continents—and seeks to fill a portion of that “black hole.” Of the roughly 7 billion people who inhabit this planet, some 1.5 billion are classified as white, and blacks account for 1.1 billion. The remaining over 4 billion are somewhere in the middle. Yet, throughout the years, a paucity of written materials have recorded the positive influences and myriad contributions that the great number of black citizens have made toward global peace, progress, prosperity, and pleasure.

A hundred years ago, any soapbox orator who called for women's suffrage, laws protecting the environment, an end to lynching, or a federal minimum wage was considered a utopian dreamer or a dangerous socialist. Now we take these ideas for granted— because the radical ideas of one generation are often the common sense of the next. We all stand on the shoulders of earlier generations of radicals and reformers who challenged the status quo of their day. Unfortunately, most Americans know little of this progressive history. It isn't taught in most high schools. You can't find it on the major television networks. In popular media, the most persistent interpreter of America's radical past is Glenn Beck, who teaches viewers a wildly inaccurate history of unions, civil rights, and the American Left. The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century, a colorful and witty history of the most influential progressive leaders of the twentieth century and beyond, is the perfect antidote.