Invincible
Fathers and Mothers of Black America
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
This lyrical picture book explores the birth of Black America, focusing on the little-known men and women who fought for justice and for an America where freedom truly rang for all.
We’re familiar with the founding fathers of white America, but who are the founding fathers (and mothers!) of Black America?
In a poetic narrative of the origins of Black America, acclaimed Black author and publisher Wade Hudson teaches us about the little-known men and women who had a profound effect on the history of the nation. Black America was built by brave pioneers—men and women taken from Africa, who suffered and struggled to build a country, a culture, and institutions. Emphasizing that freedom didn’t ring for all when the United States gained its independence from Great Britain, Hudson shows the slow process by which Black Americans fought for justice over the course of many generations.
Ending with a call to consciousness and to action, Invincible is a powerful, informative, and inspiring account of a history that deserves to be better known.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Hudson and Lewis honor the "brave Black pioneers who built... Black America" in this picture book overview. Early lines detail how, "From Africa they were captured./ Chained and crammed into the hulls of/ ships.../ Mandinka. Fon. Bakongo. Chamba. Abron. Fulani./ Akan. Wolof. Igbo. Yoruba. Mbundu." Subsequent pages describe enslavement, restrictive laws, and brutality that extended well after freedom rang for others, and call readers to witness how "these courageous Americans of a darker hue, enslaved and free, push onward with freedom always a beckoning call." Their organizing ("contribution by/ contribution") leads to the creation of Black America, represented in a mid-volume outline that details figures and accomplishments from 1738 to 1831. Watercolor and gouache illustrations from Lewis are partially obliterated by rough opaque strokes of white until the timeline of Black America emerges in saturated hues. Extensive back matters includes creators' notes. Ages 7–10.
