Black Firsts
Jessie Carney Smith
(Author)
Description
A celebration of achievement, accomplishments, and pride!The first African American president, U.S. senator, and the first black lawyer in the Department of Education. The first black chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first African American commissioned officer in the Marine Corps. The first black professors in a variety of fields. The first African American advertising agency. The first African American Olympian. The first black pilot for a scheduled commercial airline. The first recorded slave revolt in North America. The first African American cookbook writer.
Revel and rejoice in the renowned and lesser-known, barrier-breaking trailblazers in all fields--arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, invention, journalism, religion, science, sports, music, and more. Black Firsts: 500 Years of Trailblazing Achievements and Ground-Breaking Events, Fourth Edition bears witness to the long and complex history of African Americans!
Expanded, updated, and revised for the first time in over eight years, Black Firsts collects more than 500 all-new achievements and previously unearthed firsts. This massive tome proves that African American accomplishments are wide-ranging and ongoing, documenting thousands of personal victories and triumphs.
Who was the first black American depicted on a postage stamp? (1940 Booker Taliaferro Washington)
Who was the first African American bookseller? (1834 David Ruggles, New York City)
Where was the first black car dealership? (1941 Edward Davis, Detroit, Studebaker)
When was the first black-owned company listed on a major stock exchange? (1971 Johnson Products)
Who was the first black U.S. senator? (1870 Hiram Rhoades [Rhodes] Revels, Mississippi)
Who was the African American columnist who won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary? (1989 Clarence Page)
Who was the U.S. Supreme Court's first black justice? (1967 Thurgood Marshall)
Who first broke the color barrier to become a flight attendant? (1958 Ruth Carol Taylor)
Who became the first black to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point? (1877 Henry Ossian Flipper)
Which model was the first black to grace Sports Illustrated cover? (1997 Tyra Banks)
Who became the American Medical Association's first black president? (1995 Lonnie Bristow)
What is the oldest surviving black church in America? (The African Meeting House, built in 1806 and known as the Joy Street Baptist Church, in Boston)
Who was the first regularly recognized black physician in the United States? (1780s James Durham [Derham])
What was the first black record company? (Pace Phonograph Company established 1921 by Henry Pace)
Who was the first black American to win the Nobel Peace Prize? (1944 Ralph Johnson Bunche)
Who was the first black named Association of College and Research Librarian of the Year? (1985 Jessie Carney Smith)
Which black first sang a principal role with the Metropolitan Opera? (1955 Marian Anderson)
Which black artist was the first to be featured in a solo exhibit at New York's Museum of Modern Art? (1937 William Edmondson
With more than 350 photos and illustrations, this information-rich book also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. This vital collection will appeal to anyone interested in America's amazing history and resilient people.
Product Details
| Publisher | Visible Ink Press |
| Publish Date | January 01, 2021 |
| Pages | 704 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781578596881 |
| Dimensions | 9.2 X 7.1 X 1.4 inches | 2.5 pounds |
About the Author
Reviews
"A valuable resource for young adult students and library reference desks, Smith's exacting overview of Black achievement will answer classroom questions and pique curiosity about innovators ..." - Booklist
"I really believe that this book empowers you to know that the narrative that's been placed upon [Black people] is not really what it is. We have done so many powerful things in this country. We need to teach kids about Black history." - Rockland/Westchester Journal News
"Black Firsts: 500 Years of Trailblazing Achievements and Ground-Breaking Events" is a proud celebration of Black success. ... now in its fourth edition, was begun nearly 30 years ago. It remains dedicated to "the abounding success of our people who, despite the odds, continue to reach new heights." ... Like the story of Black achievement in every field, it's a history of hard work and often incremental progress. ... the struggle goes on, and [Author Jessie Carney] Smith vows to keep chronicling it. "I am not yet done with writing about first black achievers and black hidden figures," she writes. "In the words of one of Fisk University's dean of women, Juliette Derricotte, who reflected on her travels in India, Japan, and China in the late 1920s, 'There is so much more to know than I accustomed to knowing -- and so much more to love than I accustomed to loving.'"-- New York Daily News
"For the fourth edition of this work (last updated in 2013), Smith (librarian emerita, Fisk Univ.) includes additions and updates to some of the thousands of entries, which range in length from a paragraph (Dave Chappelle) to a column (Madame C.J. Walker) and occasionally longer. Entries are arranged chronologically in broad professional categories (science and medicine; arts and entertainment), with photos and boxed text interspersed. Occasional tables on topics such as Black pioneers of higher education convey material succinctly. Sources appear at the end of each entry, with further reading found at the book's conclusion. VERDICT A wide-ranging overview that will result in hours of browsing and serve as a strong jumping-off point for research projects or deeper study."--Library Journal
"... uncovers African American accomplishments in all areas ... such as arts and entertainment, journalism, military, and religion, with separate sections devoted to local government, county and state government, federal government, and international government." - Protoview Book News
Praise for the previous edition ...
"The third edition of this invaluable resource of African American achievements updates the previous edition. Recommended for anyone from elementary-school age to adults who are interested in African American history."-- Booklist
"In the new book Black Firsts by Jessie Carney Smith, you'll find information on tens of thousands of folks who've gone before you - in a good way."-- Bookworm Sez
"Black Firsts is a book full of hope."-- Chicago Sun-Times
"A superb historical study of black achievement."-- Houston Chronicle
"The well-researched sketches provide a great deal of information. This is an excellent resource for starting research on black history, but its sheer volume may be overwhelming to casual researchers. The lesser-known figures, however, make the title worth digging into."-- Library Journal
"An exhaustive listing of the accomplishments of black Americans in the arts, business, education, the military, medicine and science, and sports."-- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"This authoritative work, with its brief biographies of many accomplished and famous African-Americans, is one that writers, researchers, and libraries will want to keep close at hand for its valuable information."-- Richmond Times-Dispatch
"This is a must-have reference."-- St. Paul Pioneer Press
"...comprehensively catalogs the achievements of everybody from Hank Aaron to Bruce Yuille..."-- Syracuse Post-Standard
"An excellent reference source, but, more than most such encyclopedia collections, it also can be read."-- The Salt Lake Tribune
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