REFERENCE

Black Firsts: 500 Years of Trailblazing Achievements and Ground-Breaking Events

by Jessie Carney Smith
Visible Ink. 4th ed ed. Jan. 2021. 704p. ISBN 9781578596881. pap. $29.95. REF
COPY ISBN
For the fourth edition of this work (last updated in 2013), Smith (librarian emerita, Fisk Univ.; editor, The Handy African-American History Answer Book) includes additions and updates to some of the thousands of entries, which range in length from a paragraph (Dave Chappelle) to a column (Madame C.J. Walker) and occasionally longer. Entries are arranged chronologically in broad professional categories (science and medicine; arts and entertainment), with photos and boxed text interspersed. Occasional tables on topics such as Black pioneers of higher education convey material succinctly. Sources appear at the end of each entry, with further reading found at the book’s conclusion.
VERDICT A wide-ranging overview that will result in hours of browsing and serve as a strong jumping-off point for research projects or deeper study.
Reviewed by Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley Sch., Fort Worth, TX , Feb 01, 2021
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