Literary Collections

Fear, rumor and white supremacist ideals clashed with an unprecedented labor action spawned an epic tragedy.

On November 23, 1887, white vigilantes gunned down unarmed black laborers and their families due to strikes on Louisiana sugar cane plantations. A future member of the U.S. House of Representatives was among the leaders of a mob that routed black men from houses and forced them to a stretch of railroad track, ordering them to run for their lives before gunning them down. According to a witness, the guns firing in the black neighborhoods sounded like a battle. Author and award-winning reporter John DeSantis uses correspondence, interviews and federal records to detail this harrowing true story.

Through a fascinating narrative and stunning vintage photographs, readers will discover the struggles and triumphs of the African Americans of Hampton Roads.

It was in Hampton Roads, Virginia, that hundreds gained their freedom. The teeming wharves were once a major station on the Underground Railroad, and during the Civil War, escaped slaves such as Shepard Mallory, Frank Baker and James Townsend fled to Fort Monroe to become contrabands under the protection of General Benjamin Butler. Upon arrival in the region, many took up arms for the Union, and the valiant deeds of some placed them among the first African American Medal of Honor recipients. Join Professor Cassandra L. Newby-Alexander as she charts the history of this remarkable African American community from the Civil War to Reconstruction.

Slavery is a tragic chapter in the history of Wilkes County with a lasting legacy. Prominent businessmen and celebrated civic leaders, like General William Lenoir and William Pitt Waugh, were among the county's largest slaveholders. Judith Williams Barber endured forty-five years of slavery and garnered respect from both white and black residents. Her story is linked to free person of color and noted landowner Henderson Waugh, whose illustrious, slaveholding white father connected the two families—one slave and the other free. Author Larry Griffin takes readers on an emotional journey to separate fact from myth as he chronicles the history of slavery in Wilkes County.

 Prominent businessmen and celebrated civic leaders, like General William Lenoir and William Pitt Waugh, were among the county's largest slaveholders. Judith Williams Barber endured forty-five years of slavery and garnered respect from both white and black residents. Her story is linked to free person of color and noted landowner Henderson Waugh, whose illustrious, slaveholding white father connected the two families—one slave and the other free. Author Larry Griffin takes readers on an emotional journey to separate fact from myth as he chronicles the history of slavery in Wilkes County.

Seen on the roadways of Charleston County and in museums and galleries worldwide, handmade sweetgrass baskets have been crafted in the Christ Church Parish of Mount Pleasant, SC for more than 300 years.

An ancient African art, sweetgrass basket making utilizes sweetgrass, bullrush, pine needles, and palm leaves to create unique, handmade pieces. Traditionally, artisans use a piece of the rib bone of a cow and a pair of scissors as their only tools for construction. When English settlers founded Christ Church Parish in the late 1600s, they saw a place rich in natural beauty and ideal for harvesting rice, cotton, and indigo. Skilled agricultural laborers were needed, and consequently, South Carolina became the top importer of enslaved West Africans. Finding a landscape similar to their homeland, those who came kept many of their traditional practices. Today, the richness of the West African presence can be seen in Charleston's architecture, basketry, and ironworks.

African Americans have made rich contributions to Florida throughout its history in all avenues of public and private life, from education, to business, to politics, a keystone of which was the ability to own and sell property. Author Jada Wright-Greene showcases this legacy through historic photographs of black American’s homes, detailing the lives of the people who lived in them through engaging narrative.

Discover the landscapes, culture, and communities that shaped one of the South’s most beloved literary voices through an immersive journey across South Carolina’s storied Lowcountry. From the tidal marshes and historic streets of Charleston to the quiet charm of Beaufort, readers are invited to explore the places that inspired a lifetime of storytelling by Pat Conroy. This engaging history and travel narrative highlights the region’s rich heritage, coastal beauty, and vibrant culture while tracing the author’s deep personal connection to the communities he called home.

Follow the path through beloved Lowcountry destinations including Fripp Island, St. Helena Island, and Daufuskie Island—locations that appear frequently in Conroy’s novels and memoirs. The journey also explores formative chapters of his life, from his time as a cadet at The Citadel to his years teaching in Beaufort County schools and on remote coastal islands.

Blending literary history, regional storytelling, and practical travel inspiration, this richly detailed guide offers readers a unique perspective on the South Carolina Lowcountry. Along the way, it highlights historic landmarks, Gullah Geechee heritage, scenic waterways, renowned coastal cuisine, and authentic local experiences that continue to define this extraordinary region.

Author Lynn Seldon details this unforgettable literary and historical journey through the places, people, and traditions that shaped Conroy’s enduring connection to the Lowcountry.

Durham is a progressive New South city, one in which both the white and black populations have economically and culturally prospered over the past
century.

Durham's Hayti opens a door into the community's past that will allow you to walk down
familiar streets into a time that may seem distant, but is not that far removed, and to experience the full life of Hayti, from its churches and schools to its businesses and recreational pursuits.

From Nashville’s earliest days as a pioneer town in Middle Tennessee, it would be nothing without its African American community.

Like many cities of the Antebellum South, Nashville was built by enslaved people, as African Americans built the first successful water system, maintained the streets, cultivated crops, and bred livestock. For years, Nashville was considered one of the wealthiest Southern cities, but after the Civil War, it struggled to regain that status while its newly freed Black citizens struggled to survive the South’s Reconstruction and subsequent Jim Crow laws. As the Civil Rights era brought long-needed reforms, the Black community of Nashville has persevered through their determination, spiritual strength, and the unique leadership fostered by the visionary city they call home.

Richmond is a classic Southern city, most notable as the Confederate capitol. However, the irony of Richmond is that much of its beautiful architecture was built by Black laborers.

The city's vast and varied collection of architecture provides an archive of African American history, both of enslaved and free peoples. Author Selden Richardson explains how iconic symbols of old Richmond and the generations of Black laborers who helped assemble it are embodied in both the preserved and the forgotten architecture of the city. After you finish this book, it will be as if the buildings in Richmond tell their own stories to you.

African Americans are greatly responsible for the impressive growth of Durham County in North Carolina, once known as the Capital of the Black Bourgeoisie.

Durham County, North Carolina, once called the Chicago of the South and the Capital of the Black Bourgeoisie, has long occupied an important place in the hearts and minds of those who called Durham County home. African Americans have played a vital role in the growth and development of the region over the years, from antebellum times to Reconstruction to the Civil Rights era and in the present. The African American citizens of this historic Tar Heel county share an impressive story marked by determination, economic achievement, and resilience, and they have made a difference in all walks of life - educational, religious, civic, and commercial. This pictorial history reflects upon the rich and vibrant role that African Americans played in the area following emancipation. In its earliest stages, residents in such neighborhoods as Hayti, Hickstown, Crest Street, Pearsontown, the West End, the East End, and Walltown each created sturdy surviving communities that have shaped Durham.

African Americans have lived in Boyle County, Kentucky, since the first settlement of the area in 1775. Mostly enslaved, by the Civil War, the county had one of the largest population of free Blacks in the area with the exception of Jefferson and Fayette Counties.

Their presence in Danville, the county seat, but also in population centers scattered throughout the county resulted in a deep and broad influence, much of which was lost in the early 1900s due to out-migration, deaths, and especially urban renewal between 1963 and 1975. Within Danville, the South Second Street area was the heart of the Black community. Restaurants, groceries, pool halls, barbershops, and beauty shops were the center of commerce from the 1890s until the 1970s. The Bate School also drew students from the outlying settlements that did not have high schools of their own. Today, the majority of the African American community continues to live in the city of Danville, with small pockets in Perryville and outlying areas of Boyle County.

Michael Thomas Hughes is a native of Boyle County and grew up in a segregated society. Michael J. Denis is a retired history teacher from Maine who moved to Boyle County and immediately fell in love with its history. The photographs in this book are mostly from the Danville Boyle County African American Historical Society Inc. collection (DBCAAHS), of which the authors are charter members.

From the Siege of Petersburg to the struggle for civil rights, the history of Petersburg's African American community is detailed in this volume.

The city of Petersburg has distinguished itself as a special place for African American history. African Americans in Petersburg have overcome racial and political obstacles placed in their paths. The city was the site of one of the largest free black populations in the South leading up to the Civil War, and more black soldiers participated in the Siege of Petersburg than in any other Civil War engagement. The city is the location of First Baptist Church, the nation's oldest black church; has produced trailblazers in political life, including Virginia's first black mayor; and is the site of the famous Halifax Triangle, a thriving black business district. This diverse and poignant collection of photographs reveals a heritage rich in entrepreneurial spirit, devotion to church life, and unshakable courage in the struggle for civil rights.

A fascinating history of Suffolk’s heroic African-American community. A must-have for African-American and Virginia history enthusiasts.

After the Civil War, African-Americans throughout Suffolk and Nansemond County fought against injustice by demanding equality before the law, the right to vote, and equal access to schools, employment, and professions. Because of their tolerance and sense of fortitude, they were able to own land and businesses and to establish churches, schools, and social organizations that paved the way for generations to come.

Suffolkis a result of the many contributions made by countless pioneers in education, business, religion, social organizations, and community leadership. In this volume, Suffolk native and archivist Annette Montgomery shares timeless, evocative images and passages for all to enjoy.

The civil rights movement in South Carolina has an epic and tumultuous history, beginning with the very first statewide meeting of the NAACP in 1939.

With stories of sit-ins, movements and the integration of state universities, this is the first comprehensive history of South Carolina's civil rights struggles. And behind every achievement are the major legal rulings that protected them, interspersed with the familiar names of Thurgood Marshall, Matthew Perry, Ernest A. Finney and Judge Waties Waring. Join former South Carolina NAACP president and activist James L. Felder as he recounts the epic struggle African Americans have faced, from fighting for the right to vote to the desegregation of public spaces and all the efforts in between.

See why and how Pine Bluff/Jefferson County has been one of the Arkansas Delta's most culturally-rich areas since its inception in 1829.

Serving as a haven for runaway slaves during the late years of the Civil War, the Pine Bluff/Jefferson County area attracted droves of African-Americans throughout the Delta and south Arkansas. Brimming with talent and expectations, they and their descendants traveled a road full of extremes. Although they endured what appears to have been the largest mass lynching in United State history in 1866, they also attained one of the largest per-capita concentrations of black wealth in the entire South by 1900.

As the hands that labored in the area's boundless cotton fields and sawmills joined with the hands that held books at the state's only historically black public college, astonishing accomplishments were churned out in every imaginable field. Naturally, Pine Bluff/Jefferson County's Delta roots made its blues, jazz, and gospel contributions a source of pride, with native or area-affiliated artists receiving multiple Grammy awards and nominations, as well as other distinctions.

African Americans of Fauquier details the perseverance the African American population of this town had through centuries of slavery and segregation.

Fauquier County, in Northern Virginia, was established in 1759. It was formed from Prince William County and was named for Virginia lieutenant governor Francis Fauquier. In 1790, there were 6,642 slaves in Fauquier County. By the eve of the Civil War, there were 10,455. From 1817 to 1865, the county was home to 845 free black people. The African American population declined at the end of Reconstruction, and by 1910, the white population was double that of blacks. The population imbalance continues today. Through centuries of slavery and segregation, Fauquier County's African American population survived, excelled, and prospered. This minority community established and supported numerous churches, schools, and businesses, as well as literary, political, and fraternal organizations that enhanced the quality of life for the entire county.

Join Author and historian Herman Skip Mason Jr. in this unique look at the rich history of the African-American community of East Point, Georgia.

An industrious, spiritual, and neighborly people, the African-American community of East Point, Georgia has a rich and enduring heritage, explored in this volume of vintage photographs. Notable landmarks such as South Fulton High School, Lige Sims Funeral Home, and Union Baptist Church-all long gone but not forgotten-are seen within these pages. The pioneering leaders who have contributed to the town's growth are highlighted as well, including the civic and social organizations they formed for the betterment of the community.

Join author and educator Evelyn Scales Thompson, Ph.D. as she recounts the rich history of the black communities in and around Surry County, North Carolina

From slavery in the 1800s to freedom in the 1950s, Black America Series: Around Surry County traces the footsteps of African Americans through their transition from house servants and field hands to landowners, farmers, and successful small business proprietors. This detailed pictorial history celebrates and honors the strong faith, courage, and determination of the Surry County area's black community.

Most people have heard the song: Tis Irish I am and ‘tis proud I am of it. But, what does it mean to be Irish?

When the Irish first came to Savannah, it meant they were either lace curtain or old fort. Lace curtain inferred that the family was prosperous, usually Protestant, and had come to Savannah with letters of introduction, money, and a plan. Old fort meant that the family had come to America in desperation and to Savannah with little but the clothes on their back, the desire to work, and hope for a better future. Old fort Irish were generally Catholic, attending Catholic schools and depending on the Church for far more than just Sunday worship. Today, the Irish have spread all over Savannah like shamrocks, making these designations a thing of the past. The Irish are involved in every facet of Savannah life, from politics, to business, to education. Catholicism remains the predominant religion and churches abound, as do Catholic schools. When the Season of St. Patrick begins, the Savannah Irish begin celebrating.   

Long before it came to prominence as the model city of the New South, Atlanta was a hotbed of entertainment, business, and civic life for African Americans.

At the same time that Harlem was undergoing its acclaimed renaissance, Atlanta could boast of excellent colleges, a thriving social environment, and an entertainment scene that could rival those of much larger cities, eventually earning the title “the new Motown. ” From Auburn Avenue, the hub of the city’s African American activity, a spirit of vibrant change and excitement radiated out to reach people across America, and draw them into the Hollywood of the South.

James Island remains one of the few places in the United States where descendants of slaves can easily trace their roots to one of the seventeen slave plantations.

For many African Americans, it is hard to imagine how far this small island on the coast of South Carolina has come. It has left them with a legacy of the pain of living in a time and place wrought with hardship but somehow still intermingled with the happiness that comes from a community built on family, love, strength and honor. In this powerful collection, local resident and oral historian Eugene Frazier chronicles the stories of various James Island families and their descendants. Frazier has spent years collecting family and archival photographs and family remembrances to accompany the text, while also paying homage to men and women of the United States military and African American pioneers from James Island and surrounding areas.

These pictorial images illustrate the people, places, and events that have shaped the African-American culture and history of St. Petersburg.

St. Petersburg's African-American community enjoys a rich history that is evidenced within these pages of treasured images and detailed captions. Captured are the people, places, and events that have shaped this community from its earliest days to the present. Highlighted are the city's first black settlers John Donaldson and Anna Germain, former slaves, employees of Louis Bell Jr., and true pioneers. Acknowledged is the impact that the blacks who migrated here in the late 1800s had on the city's development. Shared are fond memories of black neighborhoods like Methodist and Pepper Towns that no longer exist, but can never be forgotten. Remembered is the community's fight for racial equality-using both peaceful and militant means.

From Elbert Colored High School to Blackwell Memorial Cultural Center, this book brings to life Elbert County's African American history.

Elbert County, the granite capital of the world, is nestled in the northeast corner of Georgia, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The educational and political journey of many African Americans in this county began at Elbert Colored High School. African Americans in Elbert County helped shape their community and their country through sheer determination and faith, in the face of slavery and laws biased against them.

This book captures the historical impacts of the African American community of Key West, Florida.

Known best as a vacation destination and home to artists, beach bums, and celebrities, Key West also boasts a proud African-American heritage that has its roots in the immigration of Caribbean settlers in the late 1800s. Bringing with them valuable skills, such as shipbuilding and other marine trades, and a strong sense of family and community, these immigrants and their descendants made significant contributions to the life of this unique island.

From the Civil War period, Hampton's African-American community has fashioned strong churches, institutions, businesses, and a major university where political and economic leaders have emerged.

The indefatigable spirit of a people once called contraband has a remarkable story illustrated by vintage photographs of Emancipation Oak, Freedom Fortress, Aberdeen Gardens, Little England Chapel, Bayshore Beach, and other historic sites.

Buckingham County, located in the heart of central Virginia, was established in 1761.

Since Buckingham County's formation, African Americans have contributed to the history and legacy of the county and were the majority of its population from 1810 to 1910. Former residents include Frank Moss, a Reconstruction lawmaker, and Carter Godwin Woodson, noted African-American educator and the Father of Black History.

Join authors Vermelle Diamond Ely, Grace Hoey Drain, and Amy Rogers as they celebrate the rich history of the black community in Charlotte, North Carolina.

As in many cities in the early 20th-century South, the African-American citizens of Charlotte created their own society that mirrored the larger white community. Yet, black Charlotte was always self-sustaining, with its own schools, library, and businesses. Second Ward High School (1923-1969) was the area's first high school for blacks, and although the school and much of its surroundings have since been razed, the photo archive at the Second Ward Alumni House Museum helps keep alive the memories of the school and the entire black community.

Whether assisting escapes through the Underground Railroad, forming banks, publishing a newspaper, or providing recreational facilities, Portsmouth's African Americans created one of the most stable middle-class black communities in America.

African Americans in Portsmouth built a strong, insulated community because they were cognizant of the need to look inward. Early 20th-century leaders such as Dr. William Reid, Nancy T. Wheeler, and the Reverend Harvey N. Johnson Sr. were civic models and guiding forces for a community emerging from the ravages of slavery, and enduring the hardships of segregation.

Black America: Portsmouth, Virginia captures the world of an ever-changing community and a people who persevered, no matter the odds.

This intriguing collection of essays results from writer George Ellison's thirty-year fascination with Western North Carolina and its Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains.

These essays offer a window onto the rich heritage of this stunning and oft-misunderstood region. Hear stories in a distinctly Appalachian tone and glimpse into the mountain life and lore through a diverse cast of characters. Develop a new language fit for mountain life, and begin to understand the roots of the names Crooked Arm, Deeplow Gap and the Boogerman Trail. See the world through the eyes of the ancient Cherokees, for whom the Nantahala Gorge, was a chasm of horrors associated with the uktena, a mythic serpent from the dreaded Under World.

Aptly named for the area’s rich land, Lower Richland County encompasses approximately 360 miles in the heart of South Carolina’s geographic center.

Discovered by Virginia settlers over 250 years ago, this fertile swath of land, with the Wateree River in the east and the Congaree River bordering the south, the area immediately attracted settlers eager to make their fortunes. They became wealthy planters and accumulated large land tracts, creating plantation systems that sustained the economy built on cotton crops and the labor of enslaved Africans. The area became some prosperous that the state legislature voted to move the state capital from Charleston in 1786 to the city that would become Columbia, South Carolina’s capital to this day.

Discover the contributions notable Black South Carolinians gave to bring encouragement and inspiration to their communities.

Did you know that eighty-eight years before Rosa Parks's historic protest, a courageous black woman in Charleston kept her seat on a segregated streetcar? What about Robert Smalls, who steered a Confederate warship into Union waters, freeing himself and some of his family, and later served in the South Carolina state legislature? In this inspiring collection, historian Damon L. Fordham relates story after story of notable black South Carolinians, many of whose contributions to the state's history have not been brought to light until now. From the letters of black soldiers during the Civil War to the impassioned pleas by students of Munro's School for their right to an education, these are the voices of protest and dissent, the voices of hope and encouragement and the voices of progress.

Join author Fred Whitted as he recounts the unique history in this visual record of the black community in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

A city known historically for its ethnic diversity, Fayetteville has truly served as a leader and model in the state by providing opportunity to the African-American community. During the South's antebellum era, freedmen and local slaves established a strong black identity in the city, one that would grow cosmopolitan and evolve over the decades, surviving wars, depressions, and social inequalities. This work, with over 200 images, relates the black contribution to the city, featuring its earliest civic leaders, some of its older schools, such as Fayetteville State University, and a few of its outstanding citizens.

Within these pages, discover little-known facts about the county's past residents, including Bukumbo, the young girl who was brought from Africa to Decatur to serve as a nurse, who quickly became a beloved member of the family and died only a short while later.

Learn about the great impact that the Clark and Oliver families had on Decatur, and view famous sections and landmarks of the county, including Lithonia, Ellenwood, Stone Mountain, Doraville, Tucker, Chamblee, Clarkston, Lynwood Park, Scottdale, and South DeKalb. Whether one is well acquainted with the county's rich heritage or a newcomer just becoming familiar with the people and places that make up the county's history, African-American Life in DeKalb County: 1823–1970 offers something for everyone.

Explore the rich history of Haywood County, one of only two remaining counties in Tennessee with a majority African-American population.

Surviving slavery, Reconstruction, poverty, and the Civil Rights tensions of the twentieth century, Haywood County's black community has done much to shape the identity of this historic West Tennessee county. This volume, containing over 200 black-and-white images, highlights the county's settlement, the early slave culture, the legacy of its many soulful and talented musicians, such as Anna Mae Bullock (better known as Tina Turner), the hard-fought strides in bringing education to African-American citizens, the importance of church in molding the social and spiritual elements of life, and some of the county's most recognizable faces and names.

Author and historian Sharon Norris has composed a wonderful tribute, in word and image, to the black experience of Haywood County, capturing life of yesteryear in Brownsville and some of the smaller communities, such as Nutbush and Stanton. A visual treasure, Haywood County serves as fitting testimony to a community that has persevered through much of the South's darkest moments and has created a truly special place, full of spirit, fellowship, and melody.

In chapters ranging from food and drink to history and war, this book shares real-life stories that only New Orleans could produce. Errol Laborde founded Lundi Gras and the now-beloved tradition of Zulu meeting Rex at Spanish Plaza before a loud, excited crowd on the eve of Fat Tuesday. He tells that origin story here, along with other vignettes adapted from his national-award-winning Streetcar column in New Orleans magazine.

For generations, African Americans have enriched South Carolina's history, and the black families of Chesterfield County are no different.

During slavery, many African Americans in Chesterfield County were forced to provide domestic services and labor to build the towns in which they were never considered citizens. Many slaves mastered their crafts and used those skills to start a new life for their families after the Civil War. The images in African Americans of Chesterfield County are a testament to the contributions of black families who lived in the county from the 1800s to the mid-1900s, including entrepreneurs, educators, entertainers, farmers, ministers, and other individuals who assisted in making their county a better place to live. Most of the photographs were provided by private collections and archives in hope of preserving the black history of Chesterfield County.

The rich African-American heritage of Columbus, Georgia, comes alive in this engaging collection of images and stories.

From the town's early days when pioneers settled along the Chattahoochee River to its present status as a thriving metropolitan community, Columbus boasts an eventful history, one that would not be complete without the hard work and extraordinary achievements of its African-American community. Within these pages, the reader will discover such legendary figures as Eugene Bullard, the first black Aviator; Dr. Thomas Brewer, a champion of the Civil Rights movement; and Alma Thomas, a celebrated and accomplished visual artist.

After the American Civil War, many African Americans found a new life in River Town, later to become a major city in Kentucky.

Louisville became a historic marker for freed men and women of color who bought acres of land or leased shotgun cottages and lots from whites to begin their new emancipated life. Smoketown is the only neighborhood in the city of Louisville with such continuous presence. By 1866, Smoketown was settled by these freemen, and by 1871 the first public building, the Eastern Colored School, was erected. By the 1950 census, 10,653 people lived in Smoketown, and other historic black neighborhoods—such as Petersburg/Newburg, Parkland, California, Russell, Berrytown, Griffytown, and Black Hill in Old Louisville—were thriving. As these new neighborhoods sprang up, another historic event was taking place: in 1875, the first Kentucky Derby convened, and 13 of the 15 jockeys were black. Such astounding history embraces this city, and Images of America: Louisville's Historic Black Neighborhoods relives its magnificent and rich narrative.

Georgia and the Power of the Vote traces the history of Georgia’s enfranchisement and its influence on American politics from 1865 to 2023.

Since Reconstruction, Georgia’s enfranchisement history has captured the nation’s attention. During multiple waves, massive voter registration, mobilization, and suppression efforts were influenced by the pull-pull forces of those wanting to sustain power and those untiringly committed to acquiring it; those hoping to maintain the status quo and those steadfastly determined to disrupt it; and those trying to exercise their right to vote and those trying to suppress it. This historical tug-of-war amongst Georgians has consistently had national implications. The outcome, nevertheless, has shaped national policy, influenced landmark court decisions, ignited social movements, and produced national leaders.

Located in one of the Palmetto State's most picturesque regions, Georgetown County is a beautiful coastal county full of African-American traditions and the distinct Gullah heritage.

Derived from the West Africans who were brought to the Carolinas in bondage, the Gullah culture is a melting pot of traditions of different African nations, and while the Gullah region once extended from North Carolina and into Florida, today the Gullah area is mostly confined to Georgia and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. An integral part of the identity of the Lowcountry, the Black community has played a prominent role in the successful development of the county since the first Africans’ arrival in the 1600s. This volume serves to highlight and celebrate the county’s people, their struggles, and their achievements.

This volume pays homage to religion, work, service, education, and the human touch that brought families through undeniably difficult times.

Spotsylvania County, Virginia, was established in 1721, but it was not until after the Civil War that the names of approximately 4,700 African Americans born and/or living in the county were recorded for the first time. More than 150 African Americans were over the age of 70 as recorded in the 1870 census report. The county is best known as the namesake of its dynamic governor, Alexander Spotswood, and for its bloody Civil War battles. The African American community emerged from the ravages of war after more than 140 years of slavery. The community formalized the institutions they developed for survival during those years and charted a path for their growth.

Learn and discover how African-Americans have held a prominent place in the history of Chattanooga dating back to the 16th century.

Did you know that Chattanooga is the hometown of the first African-American appointed to lead counsel on a Supreme Court case? The home of the nation's oldest student, who learned to read at age 116? The home of the African-American blacksmith who put shackles on the Andrew's Raiders after the Great Locomotive Chase? The site of one of the first integrated police departments in the South? Author Rita Lorraine Hubbard chronicles the ways African-Americans have shaped Chattanooga, and presents inspirational achievements that have gone largely unheralded over the years - and so much more!

Louisville's African-American community dates back to the early 1800s. Before the 1850s, many Black churches such as the Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church were founded in the area.

Prominent African Americans, including Whitney M. Young, Woodford Porter, Frank Stanley, and Calvin Winstead, became Louisville's pioneer families in modern business and politics. Within the pages of this volume are many of the families who worked to become institution builders and leaders––in Louisville and around the world. African-American Life in Louisville covers the period from the late nineteenth century to the 1960s and focuses on the people and places in the Greater Louisville area, including Shelbyville. Author Bruce Tyler, Associate Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, Louisville, has created this unique collection of vintage photographs as a tribute to his community.

See how the African-American community has played a vital role in the development and success of Vance County, North Carolina.

The African-American community has been an integral part of Vance County's history over the years. From antebellum times, to Reconstruction, to the Civil Rights era, to the present, this community has been through it all. Making a difference in all walks of life—educational, spiritual, commercial, and civic—the black citizens of this historic Tar Heel county share an impressive story, one marked by a determination and undeniable will to succeed through economic hardships and social challenges.

In this volume discover the educational professionals and teaching strategies that shaped the lives of African Americans in DeKalb County, Georgia

A selfless and tireless educator, Narvie J. Harris has dedicated numerous years to the students and teachers of the DeKalb County School System. The impact she has made on this Georgia community is far-reaching—she has touched the lives of thousands through her words, her wit, and her example. In this unprecedented salute to her life and times, discover the incredible strides made in equal-opportunity education through a collection of images and memoirs, including the early Jeanes Supervisors who persevered in turbulent times to improve the quality of African-American education and the triumphant achievements of Mrs. Harris and others who dedicated countless hours to the betterment of the DeKalb County Schools.