AN EPIC, EVOCATIVE HISTORY-FROM JAMESTOWN TO THE MILLION MAN MARCH "In her own special, provocative language, Tonya Bolden gives a voice to the voiceless, a name to the nameless. Revelations abound in Strong Men Keep Coming, her singular take on the endless parade of black men who have fought, sung, cajoled, tricked, worked, wrote, or roped their way into the American experience...She has assembled a most rewarding cast, a phenomenal coterie of role models and phantoms, and she has done a splendid job of telling their stories."-Herb Boyd, coeditor Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America "Strong Men Keep Coming is long overdue [and] told in glorious detail. Bolden does an excellent job of obtaining information that's hard to come by."-Mosaic "Tonya Bolden has assembled an eccentric, eclectic, and highly readable collection of portraits of black male achievers. Bolden blends heartfelt tributes with humorous anecdotes."-Washington Post Book World Spanning four centuries, Strong Men Keep Coming captures the dynamic essence of the black male experience in America, shedding new light on towering icons like Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Malcolm X, while illuminating the lives of numerous forgotten strivers and pioneers. By turns triumphant and tragic, this vital collection brings to life the strength, courage, and tenacity of a truly remarkable brotherhood of men.

Table of Contents

Partial table of contents: FOREFATHERS. Broteer: "Colonial John Henry." Tom Molineaux: Boxer. Abraham Camp: Would-be Emigrationist. Ira Aldridge: Actor. David Walker: Abolitionist. Josiah Henson: The Uncle Tom Who Ran to Freedom. James McCune Smith: Physician. Jim Beckwourth: Mountain Man. James Boon: Contractor. George Moses Horton: Poet. Robert Smalls: Union Navy Hero. George Washington: Town Founder. Frederick Douglass: Activist. SONS OF THE DAWN. W. E. B. Du Bois: Activist-Scholar. Booker T. Washington: Founder of Tuskegee Institute. Roland Hayes: Concert Singer. Carl Murphy: Newspaper Publisher. Jackson Jordan, Jr.: A "Drylongso" Fellow. Chester Himes: Writer. Vernon Johns: Spiritual and Moral Leader. Fred Hampton: Black Panther. Arthur Ashe: Tennis Player. Index. Permissions.

Author Biography

TONYA BOLDEN is the acclaimed author/editor of ten books, including the bestselling 33 Things Every Girl Should Know, The Book of African American Women, Rites of Passage: Stories About Growing Up by Black Writers from Around the World, and And Not Afraid to Dare.