African American Wisdom

We all know the old sayings we hear from our parents and grandparents, but we never stop to think about where they came from or who said them first. This is a collection of those wise words and more. There's information about the origin of the sayings, as well as the chance to check out the virtues that were probably the reason the sayings keep getting passed down from generation to generation.

The common thread running through the fabric of our African-American community is a pride in our heritage. This collection of thoughts, dreams and wisdom celebrates our culture, our history and our people.

The contributors in this beautifully illustrated collection share truths, struggles, knowledge, and joy as they speak candidly on issues of African-American family, community, and worship. Includes thoughts by Maya Angelou, Nelson Mandela, Alvin Ailey, Frederick Douglass, Bobby Seale, Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, and Jackie Joyner Kersee.

This gift book is an elegant and valuable volume of collected wisdom, reflections, and folk sayings from African Americans. Contributors include Booker T. Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, Alice Walker, Sojourner Truth, Zora Neale Hurston, Alex Haley, and Bill Cosby.

A collection of reminiscences, personal anecdotes, and words of wisdom from fifty-four African American leaders over the age of seventy includes Ossie Davis, David Dinkins, Dick Gregory, Coretta Scott King, and Maya Angelou.

This handsome palm-size volume presents a chorus of voices filled with jubilation, with memorable quotes from black writers, poets, athletes, entertainers, philosophers, and leaders. A treasury of African-American wisdom, observations, and proverbs, its contributors range from Coretta Scott King and W.E.B. Dubois to Satchel Paige.

Who is addressing the African American condition? In RAAW: Rediscovering African American Wisdom, author Joseph W. Shorter III attempts to explore American life from the unique perspective of a thirty-something black male. Shorter approaches common issues found in most American families, but he specifically focuses on African Americans and how they have contributed to society at large. He does not intend his questions to cause an explosion of rebirth, but rather to begin a process of self-reflection and understanding by peeling back the layers of the everyday humdrum. Shorter also addresses the feelings of victimization in the African American community, pointing out that remaining a victim to circumstances is a choice and that black society has the power within to do something about it. Because many African Americans blame their state of existence on every outside force possible, Shorter believes that it is imperative for them to take responsibility to facilitate awareness. Through the use of anecdotes, poems, quotes, and quizzes, Shorter creates a highly readable discussion on the African American experience. RAAW presents a compelling argument for change within the black community.