African American Activists

by Carol Ellis

Published 1 September 2012
The Civil War finally ended slavery in the United States in 1865. But blacks didn't suddenly enjoy all the rights other Americans took for granted. They had to struggle against racism and discrimination to claim those rights. African-American Activists traces that generations-long struggle. In this book, you'll meet early activists like Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, who had very different ideas about how blacks should take their place in American society. You'll read about activists who worked for integration and equality under the law during the civil rights movement, including Rosa Parks and John Lewis. And you'll learn how a new generation of African-American activists, such as Majora Carter and Van Jones, continue to work for a better society today.

African American Artists

by Carol Ellis

Published 1 September 2012
From quilts to marble, from comic strips to welded steel, African Americans have created exciting works of art for more than a hundred years. African-American Artists traces the struggles and shows the work of many of these men and women. This book will introduce you to Harriet Powers, who was born a slave and who told legends and stories on her quilts. You'll meet Horace Pippin, who taught himself to paint and kept painting even after he lost the use of his arm. Cartoonist Aaron McGruder and digital artist Angela Perkins are among the African-American artists who continue to enrich the nation's culture today.