Review by Choice Review
Setting the historical record aright is no small task, but the more than 500 well-researched, exceptionally written entries by 281 scholars are up to the task set by this brilliant editor. Completely restructured and employing a thematic approach, these volumes meld biographical essays and information about organizations, events, institutions, and concepts in a very cohesive manner. The biographical entries attest to the kaleidoscope of experiences and achievements of black women, including scientists, composers, producers, politicians, religious leaders, sports figures, activists, educators, and many more. Some 45 feature articles, shaded gray and embedded within the entries, provide a vehicle that highlights many more women (e.g., museum founders, opera singers, lawyers, physicians) involved in myriad professions than otherwise would have been possible; 44 sidebars animate historical fact. Information on the scope and lived experience of black women since 1992 is presented, with new essays highlighting the lives and contributions of such figures as Pearl Cleage, bell hooks, and Cassandra Wilson. In addition to biographical and historical entries, essays provide insight into theoretical concepts, e.g., "Race as a Social Construction." Most entries included in the first edition have been entirely rewritten, incorporating new scholarship and perspective. The appendix includes a thematic outline of entries, a listing of occupations and professions, biographical subjects, and a complete list of contributors. The select bibliography includes essays, books, and listings of research centers and archival collections consulted. The chronology spans four centuries starting in 1619. The index works well with the new structure and places main entries in bold. These volumes, beautifully enhanced with dozens of archival photos, will complement research in virtually any field. ^BSumming Up: Essential. Academic libraries. Highly recommended. Other libraries. P. M. Salela University of Illinois at Springfield
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Black Women in America: An Historical Ency0 clopedia (Carlson, 1993) was universally acclaimed, winning the 1994 Dartmouth Medal. The second edition,\b \b0 also edited by Hine, now comprises three volumes. The first edition's chronological coverage began with 1619 and ended in 1992. This edition extends coverage through 2004, noting Condoleezza Rice's confirmation as Secretary of State, Johnnetta Cole's leadership of United Way, and Laila Ali's boxing title. It includes approximately 150 topical entries and 325 biographies. Seventy-eight of the topical articles are new, including Black Pan0 ther Women, Marriage, Rape, Revolutionary War, Rock and Roll, Vietnam, and Voodoo.0 Updating, restructuring, and revising resulted in many first edition articles being incorporated into more comprehensive entries. For example, Historically Black Colleges and Universities 0 replaces articles on individual colleges. Most topics that no longer have separate entries are accessible through the detailed index. Conversely, topics that have increased in importance since publication of the first-edition now have specialized articles. The second edition still includes a general article on Sports0 but also offers articles on Basketball, Golf, Tennis,0 and Track and 0 Field. RBB praised the first edition for the quality of its illustrations; this edition includes 600 carefully selected illustrations ranging from archival images (e.g., a 1773 drawing of Phillis Wheatley from the Schomberg Center) to photographs of contemporary sports and entertainment figures (e.g., both Serena and Venus Williams). The new edition includes special features, often topical compilations of biographies. Biographies of 11 female entrepreneurs accompany the article on Beauty Culture,0 and Rock and Roll0 includes biographies of rhythm-and-blues singers. Sidebars highlight items of special interest, such as the text of a letter written by journalist and activist Ida B. Wells-Barnett ( Antilynching Movement0 ) and a biography of Union spy Elizabeth Bowser ( Civil War0 ). Biographical articles added to this edition include those for Halle Berry, Gail Devers, Alexis Herman, and Condoleezza Rice. Both new articles and those retained from the first edition have updated bibliographies, including books, articles, and Web sites. A chronology, a thematic outline of entries, a bibliography listing items published through 2004, and a directory of contributors complete the set. Some contributors are also subjects of articles (e.g., Marian Wright Edelman). The second edition of this landmark reference work is an essential purchase for academic, public, and high-school libraries, especially those with well-worn first editions. Because Black Women in America0 is such a valuable source and because the new edition does not include all of the entries in the first, libraries should retain the first edition, perhaps in the circulating collection. --Christine Whittington Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
First published in 1993, this second edition contains over 600 illustrations, more than 150 new entries (for a total of over 500), and over 300 mostly updated profiles of women from the 1800s to the present, including writers, activists, entrepreneurs, educators, ambassadors, and many others, interspersed with the roles they played in Islam, the Left, librarianship, journalism, the labor movement, and more. There are some "firsts" here, too, like the first black woman judge in the United States (Jane Bolin), the first gospel singer to win a Grammy Award (Shirley Caesar), and the first black woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives (Shirley Chisholm). A new generation of women who have become successful in their chosen fields, like Venus and Serena Williams (sports), Condoleezza Rice (politics), and Ann Fudge (business), are also featured. Historian Hine (Michigan State Univ; coeditor, Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia) has gathered a distinguished group of independent scholars, professors, and journalists to contribute to this valuable resource. A comprehensive chronology dating from 1619 to 2004, an extensive bibliography, 70 index pages, and an outline of the entries by theme complete the work. Numerous sidebars reflecting the history and culture of black women enhance the rich text. Bottom Line Libraries will want to purchase this updated version, even if they own the first. Highly recommended.-Ann Burns, Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Starred Review. Gr 9 Up-Greatly expanded biographical essays and new topics enhance this impressive resource (Oxford, 1994). More than 330 biographies, each individually authored and accompanied by a large photograph or illustrated portrait and a bibliography, cover the lives of female slaves, suffragists, authors, civil-rights activists, educators, artists, entertainers, and political leaders. Featured individuals include author Harriet Ann Jacobs, abolitionist Sojourner Truth, scholar Anna Julia Cooper, artist Betye Saar, philanthropist Madame C. J. Walker (Sarah Breedlove), and politician Condoleezza Rice. Some popular culture icons, such as Oprah Winfrey and Halle Berry, are featured as main entries and many other present-day entertainers, athletes, educators, and children's authors appear in sidebar profiles and within the text of the more than 150 subject essays. Articles on âÇ£Black Women in the Military,âÇ âÇ£Science and Technology,âÇ âÇ£Gospel Music,âÇ and âÇ£EntrepreneursâÇ join new topics to this edition: âÇ£Black Arts,âÇ âÇ£Hip Hop (Rap) Music,âÇ âÇ£Childbirth,âÇ âÇ£Basketball,âÇ âÇ£Fiction,âÇ and more. In addition, many of the earlier entries have been completely rewritten and a number have been updated. The essays offer fascinating glimpses into black women's economic, social, and political contributions, even at the grassroots level, and explore issues such as spirituality, domestic servitude, and mixed-race identity in terms of how they have shaped history. A thematic outline includes biographical listings by occupation, and a chronology precedes an impressive list of contributors and a meticulous index. This comprehensive work will be appropriate for high school and public library collections.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by School Library Journal Review
