Living Black History

How Reimagining the African-American Past Can Remake America's Racial Future

Plot

Are the stars of the Civil Rights firmament yesterdayÕs news? InLiving Black Historyscholar and activist Manning Marable offers a resounding ÒNo!Ó with a fresh and personal look at the enduring legacy of such well-known figures as Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers and W.E.B. Du Bois. Marable creates a Òliving historyÓ that brings the past alive for a generation he sees as having historical amnesia. His activist passion and scholarly memory bring immediacy to the tribulations and triumphs of yesterday and reveal that history is something that happens everyday.Living Black Historydismisses the detachment of the codified version of American history that we all grew up with. MarableÕs holistic understanding of history counts the story of the slave as much as that of the master; he highlights the flesh-and-blood courage of those figures who have been robbed of their visceral humanity as members of the historical cannon. As people comprehend this dynamic portrayal of history they will begin to understand that each day we-the average citizen-are ÒmakersÓ of our own American history.Living Black Historywill empower readers with knowledge of their collective past and a greater understanding of their part in forming our future.