Slavery and the African American Story

by Patricia Williams Dockery

Overview

Until now, you've only heard one side of the story: how slavery began, and how America split itself in two to end it. Here's the true story of America from the African American perspective.

From the moment Africans were first brought to the shores of the United States, they had a hand in shaping the country. Their labor created a strong economy, built our halls of government, and defined American society in profound ways. And though the Emancipation Proclamation wasn't signed until 300 years after the first Africans arrived, the fight for freedom started the moment they set foot on American soil.
This book contains the true narrative of the first 300 years of Africans in America: the struggles, the heroes, and the untold stories that are left out of textbooks. If you want to learn the truth about African American history in this country, start here.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593480465
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/12/2023
Series:	Race to the Truth
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	345,141
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	1290L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Dr. Patricia Williams Dockery is a writer, playwright, scholar-activist, and international commentator who is consulted for her expertise on diversity, equity, and inclusion; social justice; and Black women’s intersectional experiences.
She has developed educational public programs for grades K—12 and general audiences at the Field Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, and the College of Charleston Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture. She currently serves as associate vice president for academic affairs at Morgan State University.
Dr. Dockery is a Fulbright Scholar and earned a PhD in anthropology from University of Illinois Chicago. A transdisciplinary educator and artist, her play, Septima!, about the life and work of civil rights organizing mastermind and revolutionary educator Septima Poinsette Clark, debuted at Charleston’s PURE Theatre. She and her husband share a beautiful blended family of seven children and a loving boxer-hound mix named Sadie Mae.

Editorial Reviews

2023-07-13
The Black presence in the Americas began hundreds of years before the establishment of the Colonies and the practice of chattel slavery.

In her exploration of how slavery has impacted the United States throughout its history, Williams Dockery begins her narrative before colonization. For example, in the early 16th century, African conquistador Juan Garrido traveled with Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León in his search for gold in present-day Puerto Rico and Florida. The African slave trade became a point of fierce competition among Western European countries. Their economic ambitions initially led colonists to try to enslave Indigenous people, then use European indentured servants, and later turn to enslaved Africans. Once race-based slavery was established, it became codified in law and contributed to the economic foundation of the country. Every effort was made to ensure lifelong bondage. Resistance to slavery by enslaved people—both small gestures and larger-scale organized efforts—occurred from the beginning. Formerly enslaved persons used their experiences of brutality to help grow the abolitionist movement. Stories and anecdotes are woven throughout the lively text as the author encourages readers to ponder these issues and events. Because of the wide time range covered, most topics are briefly introduced and will require further reading. Williams Dockery concludes with an intriguing look at archaeological and genetic work being done to learn more about those who lived their lives in bondage.

A valuable introduction for budding historians exploring complex aspects of American history. (resources, notes) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews

"A valuable introduction for budding historians exploring complex aspects of American history." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher