African American Politics

Introducing Yes We Did! The Revolutionaries. A look into the lives of some of the most famous African American activists. What were they like before they made history? What made them become revolutionaries? What experiences prompted them to risk their lives for what they believed? The answers may surprise you.

For decades Americans have turned to LIFE magazine to see, understand, and remember the most important events and people of our time. The magazine now focuses its lens on Barack Obama. This book includes a Foreword by the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy and original essays by some of our finest writers, including Gay Talese, Charles Johnson, Melissa Fay Greene, Andrei Codrescu, Fay Weldon, Richard Norton Smith, Bob Greene, and several others.

In this powerful essay, the mother of Trayvon Martin shares her grief, reflections, anger, and hope in the wake of a single unforgivable moment that catalyzed the Black Lives Matter movement.

Maggie Comer was a poor, uneducated mother of five who believed that the only way her children were going to make something of themselves in the world was through education. Fighting obstacles such as racism, oppression, poverty, hardship, and World War II, Maggie made certain her childrenhad the opportunity to live the American Dream she never could.

Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was one of the most prominent leaders in advancing African American civil rights. He points out that those who are freed cannot be members of society because they are not given the same opportunities. Washington concludes the book with five principles that will aid African Americans in their fight to have equal rights and opportunities.

In 1970, C. T. Vivian, a close colleague of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a member of his executive staff, sat down to take stock of the civil rights movement and the progress it had made. His assessment was that it failed, and that the blame lay in the existence of myths about America. As prophetic today as it was fifty years ago, Vivian's voice rings out as a critique and a call to action for a society in deep need of justice and peace. The Black struggle for independence is more of an uphill climb than ever.

As women of color, we are scarce in the travel community, and there are several confusions attached to our experience. We feel a sense of pride after every trip. Anytime we step outside of our homes and set out on a new journey, it’s not just to see something beautiful, or to take great pictures for a blog; it’s about changing the reputation of black women everywhere.