Resources for AA history and culture

I was just going to share some of my favorite things that fit this topic, but thought it would be better to also invite others to share theirs, too. When we adopted our first child with AA blood, in 1989, I felt like I knew more about what African Americans had faced in America than many caucasians, but wanted to learn more. The more I learned, the more I realized I had left to learn. In Sept. 1992, when Thomas was three, the National Geographic arrived and I immediately noticed that one of the cover articles was "African Slave Trade: The Cruelest Commerce", by Colin Palmer. I had been thinking a lot about what I was going to teach my son about slavery in America, when he got a little older. This article was a Godsend to me. It tells how awful it all was, but that isn't all it says. It talks about the strength of character of those people who survived it all. It gave me a tremendous respect for them and it made me feel a responsibility to raise Thomas, and the two other black children we adopted, later, to respect them, too. I think the topic of slavery is often ignored and it just kind of looms over the heads of black children, like it is something to be ashamed of. It drags them down, when it could strengthen them, depending on what they are told about it. Anyway, I don't know if the NG article is available on the internet anywhere, but I will look. Maybe I could even make photocopies and send them, if anyone would like a copy. Another I love is the book "The Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Was Shot". It was actually made for young people, but it is a very good general introduction to AA history, which inspires you to look for more information, at least it sure did with me! There are many good books out there. Some of my favorite authors are Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and the late Alex Haley. There are some really good documentaries, too. One more thing I'm going to recommend is a cook book, called "The Black Family Reunion Cookbook; recipes and food memories". It was put out by the National Council of Negro Women, about 20 years ago. It isn't just recipes, but a great resource, in other ways. Some of the recipes I have not tried, like Chicken Feet Stew, but I love those kind of examples of how African American women used their creativity, along with hard work, to make delicious meals for their families, out of things that most other Americans just threw away. Here's one good place to look for the books: [url=http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=6176792047&searchurl=sts%3Dt%26tn%3Dthe%2Bday%2Bmartin%2Bluther%2Bking%252C%2BJR.%2Bwas%2Bshot%26vci%3D51315977%26x%3D32%26y%3D13]The Day Martin Luther King Jr. Was Shot by Jim Haskins: Scholastic Paperbacks 9780590436618 - Better World Books[/url]