Know Your History

"Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history."

Carter G. Woodson

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It is your "gateway" to exploring the history of African Americans. The site provides information on how to order a new book entitled "CULTURESEEK: Connecting to African and African American History" by LaTonya Branham.

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CULTURESEEK: Connecting to African and African American History

About the Book

One of the most unique books to hit the market in 2006 is CULTURESEEK: Connecting to African and African American History. CULTURESEEK is an interactive book that provides interesting historical facts about African and African American culture. It is engaging, powerful, and educational for preteens to adults!

CULTURESEEK: Connecting to African and African American History was developed to actively connect readers to a rich culture that deserves worldwide attention. The fascinating messages within each historical fact can potentially educate and re-shape perceptions about African American people and their culture. It is for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge. After reading the historical facts, the word puzzles are available to further engage the reader. In addition to increasing your knowledge…it’s a mind stimulator.

Title Information:
160 pages – Paperback, 5.5” x 8.5”
Published by BabyStar Productions – 2006

Select topics include:

African Kings and Leaders
African Queens and Leaders
All About Business
Athletic Excellence
Countries in Africa
Educators and Scholars
Government and Law
Greek Life
Healing – Medicine – Science
Holidays and Celebrations
Inventors
Leaders of Rights and Justice
Military Life
Musical Legends & Trailblazers
Negro League Baseball
The Underground Railroad
Tuskegee Airmen
Visual and Performing Arts
Writers and Poets

Book Excerpts

(The bold and under-lined words can be found in the word puzzles that accompany each history chapter)

African Queens

* Nehanda - Mbuya (Grandmother) of Zimbabwe - In 1896, Nehanda and other leaders fought against English colonialism in Africa. She was well known for superior organizational and leadership skills.

Anti-Slavery

* John Brown, a White abolitionist, established a plan to help slaves in Virginia. He is well known for launching an attack on the U.S. arsenal in Harpers Ferry to obtain ammunition for a planned attack on Virginia slave owners. In 1858, Brown held an anti-slavery convention in Canada.

* In 1827, Sojourner Truth - an abolitionist and women's rights advocate was freed from slavery by the New York Gradual Abolition Act. She was a persistent and leading black woman in the fight against slavery. Her speeches electrified audiences all over the world.

Harlem Renaissance Era

* Countee Cullen was a leading poet during the renaissance era. He was born in New York City and became a distinguished writer at a very young age. Two of his famous published works includes “The Black Christ” (1929), and “Copper Sun” (1927).

Divine Guidance

* James A. Healey was the first Black Roman Catholic priest in America. He attended a Quaker school in Flushing, New York and was named Bishop of Portland, Maine in 1895.

The Power of Organizing

* A. Philip Randolph and the Pullman Porters organized and founded the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) in 1925. The BSCP was the very first African American labor union to sign a collective bargaining agreement with a major U.S. corporation.

The Inventors

* Jan Ernst Matzeliger invented the shoelasting machine. His invention eliminated the manual task of connecting the leather upper part of the shoe to the innersole - which changed the shoe industry forever.

Science Giants

* Norbert Rillieux was a sugar chemist and inventor. He developed a method for refining sugar.

Athletic Excellence

*Peter Westbrook is an American fencing champion. He won an Olympic bronze medal in Men’s Fencing at the 1984 games in Los Angeles. Peter has won the U.S. national men’s saber fencing championship 13 times. He founded the Peter Westbrook Foundation to help underserved youth.

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