-By Dr. Julianne Malveaux
I could not think of a better book to feature for Black History Month than Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History. This book captures the soul of Black people in the history of the United States. Dr. Malveaux has given us a gift wrapped with a pretty red bow.
Trust me, you want to open this treasure. You will find 365 little lenses to see into the past, not just of Blacks but of our country. I love that this book exists. I hope you will zoom in and zoom out to find your own best view of the amazing facts collected in this book.
I had the pleasure and honor of working on the publication of this book with Dr. Malveaux. I consider it one of my proudest accomplishments and opportunities. Surviving and Thriving is the sort of book that needs less of a review and more of a presentation. I think you may appreciate it best that way. The way this book is set up makes my job that much easier to share it with you.
In this book, Dr. Malveaux focuses on black economic history. In a hearty introduction she explains what economics is and why we need to understand it from our past, in our present and for the future. I want my youth to know this. I want us to know who we are to our country. I want us to remember the legacies we’ve come from. And to have an idea of how far we can go.
There are 365 brief facts printed in this book. That’s one-fact-a-day for a whole year. That is the way it was designed to work. I believe that’s the best way to read it. But until you get yours I will present you with one-a-week for the month of February.
This week was a bonus as there are ‘three’ facts in SOFLY Topics. Take another look at these facts and put yourself in its place. Ask your parents and teachers about these facts. Explore them further and spark a conversation.
Happy Black History Month!
See this week’s Black Economic History Fact Wednesday – 12:30.