School Library Journal Review
Gr 6 Up-Organized by the calendar year, this expansive reference work covers the people and events that have shaped African American history. Covering from January 1, 1880, when the transatlantic slave trade was banned in the U.S., to December 31, 1930, when blues singer Odetta was born, the book touches on the breadth of the African American experience in politics, education, civil rights, art, literature, sports, and science. Each date highlights a major entry, with year, description, excerpts from primary sources, and a list of books and websites for further reading. Most days also include other "Also Noteworthy" events. Educators can find lesson connections here for every day of the year, while an extensive bibliography and index provide multiple ways to get at the information. Unlike other recent books on the topic, Carrillo focuses on events in a historical context, rather than merely presenting the same lists of famous African Americans. The day-by-day approach allows the author to go beyond the well-known to celebrate more events and people who shaped American history.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
This ready-reference guide provides fascinating nuggets of both well-known and little-known milestones and historic moments in African American history. Certainly, this is not the first time a calendar or almanac of sorts has been assembled to highlight such trivia, but this collection is one of the most comprehensive. Every date follows the same pattern: a year, an event described in a paragraph or two, an excerpt from a reference source or primary document, and four sources for further information (two books and two websites). Many dates feature one to four additional entries, which adds all the more value to the work. A useful bibliography of the books and websites cited in the work is included at the end of the work, as is an index for quick reference to people and events. This book would be a good place for students to begin research on African American events and people in history that go beyond common knowledge. It is easy to envision an instructor using this guide every day and including a fact in his or her lesson plan, or jotting an important but perhaps lesser-known event in history on the classroom whiteboard. Appropriate for students of all ages, this is recommended for most school, public, and academic libraries.--Jones, Joslyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Carrillo provides concise, chronologically arranged information on events, people, social movements, legislation, Supreme Court decisions, and education that had significant influence on African-American history. Most dates have at least one or two major entries followed by lesser-known but noteworthy events. The first day listed is January 1, 1808, which saw the banning of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the United States by President Thomas Jefferson; an excerpt from the act is included at the end of the entry. Other noteworthy entries' coverage includes the opening of Alcorn State University, Aretha Franklin's birth, the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold provisions of the Voting Rights Act, formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the publication of the first issue of the North Star in Rochester, New York. At the conclusion of each entry are references to books and websites for additional information. Verdict Researchers needing to find a date for a specific event will find this book to be a valuable resource. It will be a solid addition to the reference collections of high school, academic, and public libraries.-Diane Fulkerson, University of South Florida, Lakeland (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
