african american political activists

A collection of writings in which African-American men and women share their impressions and experiences from the Civil War.

"In the early morning hours of December 8, 1969, hundreds of SWAT officers engaged in a violent battle with a handful of Los Angeles-based members of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP). Five hours and 5,000 rounds of ammunition later, three SWAT team members and three Black Panthers lay wounded. For the Panthers and the community that supported them, the shootout symbolized a victory, and a key reason for that victory was the actions of a 19-year-old rank-and-file member of the BPP: Wayne Pharr. Nine Lives of a Black Panther tells Pharr's riveting story of life in the Los Angeles branch of the BPP and gives a blow-by-blow account of how it prepared for and survived the massive attack. He illuminates the history of one of the most dedicated, dynamic, vilified, and targeted chapters of the BPP, filling in a missing piece of Black Panther history and, in the process, creating an engaging and hard-to-put-down memoir about a time and place that holds tremendous fascination for readers interested in African American militancy"--.

Examines the life of late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century author, educator, and political activist W. E. B. DuBois, whose work led to the formation of the NAACP.

Alphabetically arranged entries profile more than 185 African-American political leaders, with entries concentrating on the events in each person's life related to his or her accomplishments in politics and including a list of further readings.

Lawyer and civil rights worker Vernon Jordan tells his life story, from his childhood in Atlanta to his years as a leader in the NAACP, the United Negro College Fund, and the National Urban League and as an advisor to both businessmen and presidents.

Chronicles the experiences of African-American political prisoner Elmer Gerard "Geronimo" Pratt.