African American Odyssey, Combined Volume

This history of Black Americans follows their experience from its African origins through the centuries of slavery, emancipation and the long struggles for civil rights, up to the twenty-first century. The authors present the African American past as a central part of the nation's story rather than a side chapter, showing how it connects to broader social, cultural and political developments. Their account gives weight to the communities and cultures that people built, the drive for freedom, and the resistance to racism and oppression. It also looks at differences of class and gender within Black communities, moving between the lives of ordinary people and those of prominent leaders. Written as a textbook, the work includes study aids and primary source excerpts for students.