Review by Choice Review
Although Houston has long been the home of a large and important African American community, until very recently almost nothing dealing with Houston's black history has appeared in print. This collection of 14 essays is a first effort to provide a history of Houston's black community from the time of slavery to the 1980s. The essays range in emphasis from social to political to economic history. One author describes the career of Houston's first African American legislator; another focuses on the sit-ins in the 1960s. Two essays contain older accounts of African American writers who witnessed life in Houston during the first half of this century. The more interesting of these is the diary of a man who sold black history books in Houston for the benefit of the Association for the Study of Afro American Life and History (ASAALH); this account is an entertaining yet analytical appraisal of black Houston in 1930. Perhaps the finest scholarly study here is that by Robert V. Haynes, tracing the evolution of the white primary in Texas. Haynes not only discusses court decisions, but also gives fascinating detail of the strategy of Houston attorneys involved in the various cases. The essays are tied together by the editors' thoughtful introductions. Useful index. Undergraduate; graduate; faculty. S. Cresswell; West Virginia Wesleyan College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
