Images of Blacks in American Culture

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Images of Blacks in American Culture A Reference Guide to Information Sources

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Jessie Carney Smith

Foreword by Nikki Giovanni

Book Code: SMM/

ISBN: 0-313-24844-3

ISBN-13: 978-0-313-24844-3

DOI:

407 pages, bibliog., illus.,

Greenwood Press

Publication: 6/28/1988

List Price: $99.95 (UK Sterling Price: £57.95)

Availability: In Stock

Media Type: Hardcover

Reviews:

Each chapter of this handbook is written by a specialist and presents a survey and a bibliography of the topic. `American culture' ranges from the musical theater, the film and television industry to toys, games, and dolls, children's books, the images of the black female and the black male. Sports are omitted. The last chapter is devoted to collecting black Americana. The surveys are well written, informative, and most are presented by historical period. But it is the bibliography portion which will be of most help in reference libraries. Some are very extensive, e.g., the bibliography for the chapters on `Literary criticism and black imagery' covers criticism since 1966 divided by genre including slave narratives, themes, and then individual authors. The film and television section gives filmographies, and screen credits and studies of black actors and actresses. The `Black Americana resources and collections' chapter includes a select list of galleries, museums, historical societies, libraries, private collectors, dealers, clubs, shows, etc. . . . This volume will prove of great value to any library which has black studies collection and programs.
—College & Research Libraries
In her preface, Jessie Carney Smith presents an overview of the stereotypical views or `images' of Blacks in American culture. Various authors have written the chapters that present information and bibliographies on blacks in these areas: American art, 1700-1900; the musical stage; film and television; instrumental music and song; literary criticism; children's books; the female in popular culture; the male in popular culture; and toys, games and dolls. The last chapter lists by state resources and collections in Black Americana, a most useful guide for researchers in the field. Each article is essentially an essay with references to bibliographical sources, followed by a listing of these sources and more. Index. A unique guide, recommended for all libraries supporting research in Black Studies.
—Reference Book Review
Jessie Carney Smith has edited ten excellent essays covering a variety of themes ranging from the images of black women to the early motif of blacks and toys. . . . This book has a wealth of references on black art, music, literature, children's books, popular culture, and the media. In addition to scholarly analyses by black experts assessing these black images, its chronologies, annotated bibliographies, and copious notes make the book an invaluable source for researching and understanding American culture, past and present.
—The Journal of Southern History

Description: This comprehensive work enriches and extends the subject matter and the scope of the leading books on the topic, and provides a ready reference for information published in scattered sources. It interprets the use of black images in a variety of media, such as works of art, popular titles, and other sources, and identifies the artifacts, books, films, and other materials that have been collected privately or in libraries. The ten chapters also discuss pertinent literature on the wide range of themes that they cover, and include a selective list of additional references for further study and research. Also included are numerous illustrations that provide an interesting pictorial perspective on this controversial topic.

Table of Contents:

Foreword by Nikki Giovanni
Preface
Illustrations
Aspects of Black Imagery in American Art by David D. Driskell
Blacks on the Musical Stage by Thomas Riis
From Uncle Tom to Cliff Huxtable; Aunt Jemima to Aunt Nell: Images of Blacks in Film and the Television Industry by Nagueyalti Warren
Images of Blacks in Instrumental Music and Song by T. J. Anderson and Lois Fields Anderson
Literary Criticism and Black Imagery by Arlene Clift-Pellow
Images of Blacks in Children's Books by Jessie M. Birtha
The Black Female: Mammy, Jemima, Sapphire and Other Images by Janet Sims-Wood
Sambo and Other Male Images in Popular Literature by Joseph Boskin
The Toy Menagerie: Early Images of Blacks in Toys, Games, and Dolls by Doris Wilkinson
Black Americana Resources and Collections: Evidences of Black Imagery by Jessie Carney Smith
Index

LC Card Number: 87-24964

LCC Class: NX652

Dewey Class: 700


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