Story of the Negro by Arna Bontemps is a children's history book published by Knopf in 1948. It was the first African-American authored book[1] to receive a Newbery Honor.[2] The non-fiction book begins with a history of major African civilizations such as the Ghana and Mandingo Empires. The horrors of the Atlantic slave trade are described, together with the causes and conditions of slavery in America, the Haitian Slave Revolt, and the Underground Railroad. Several influential black leaders are examined, including Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and W. E. B. Du Bois.
The first edition was illustrated by Raymond Lufkin.
Publishing history
Knopf, 1948. First edition.
Knopf, 1955. Second edition, enlarged.
Knopf, 1958. Third edition.
Knopf, 1964. Fourth edition, enlarged.
Knopf, 1969.[3] Fifth edition. This edition included a new chapter on Black Power.
Revised editions of the book extend the history through the late 1960s.[4]
Awards
Newbery Honor (1949)
Jane Addams Children's Book Award (1956)
References
- ^ Connolly, Paula T. (2013). Slavery in American Children's Literature, 1790-2010. University of Iowa Press. ISBN 9781609381776.
- ^ "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present". American Library Association. Retrieved 2009-12-30.
- ^ "Story of the Negro". World Catalog. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
- ^ Gillespie, John T.; Corinne J. Naden (2001). The Newbery Companion (2nd ed.). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. p. 157. ISBN 1-56308-813-4.