African American Wisdom
   Edited by Reginald McKnight
  2000 New World Lib, Novato, CA USA
   ISBN: 1577311299


Here are hundreds of African American voices of pithy, tart, amusing & erudite sayings selected for the arbitrary, personal & idiosyncratic tastes of one worthy editor.

From Roots - Where We Sprang From to Sticks and Stones - Conflict, Trouble, Violence, renowned & not-so-well known African Americans say their piece on everything from Yearnin' Learnin' to On the Ladder Universal to R-E-S-P-E-C-T to If I Were Your Woman and You Were My Man to Hard Work to Freedom to Our Youth to Fortune, Plenty, Prosperity to Character, Virtues & Values.

This orange & black covered book fits perfectly into your pocket, is pleasingly laid out & is filled with delightful, witty, caustic & familiar quotes from four centuries of African Americans in all walks of life, from writers to politicians, athletes to singers, actors to physicians. From the pillars of society to the anonymous.

This is a lovely little book in which regional folk sayings are given a place of honor & make so much sense in these days of wishy-washy political correctness. Often tart, frequently pithy & sometimes stainless steel sharp - these observations range all over the life & times of being Black in America to being in Love to simply being alive.

Do you know who wrote:
“If you're going to hold someone down you're going to have to hold onto the other end of the chain. You are confined by your own system of repression.” or
“Don't look back. Something may be gaining on you.” or
“I am not a role model...I am paid to wreak havoc on a basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids.” or
“Our society allows people to be absolutely neurotic and totally out of touch with their feelings, and yet be very respectable.” or
“The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood...” or
“Herein lies the tragedy of the age: not that men are poor - all men know something of poverty; not that men are wicked - who is good? Not that men are ignorant - what is truth? Nay, but that men know so little of men.”

You can find out in Reginald McKnight's African American Wisdom & so very much more. This is a fine compilation of humor, philosophy, succinct retorts & meandering diatribes.

A useful book of centuries of thoughts, both long & short, literate & vernacular. Some have been ringing in my ears all my life, most are new pearls to comfort & open my foggy mind.

This would make a fine Kwanzaa gift or for graduation.

More from Reginald McKnight: Moustapha's Eclipse & The Kind of Light That Shines on Texas - 2 collections of Short Stories & I Get on the Bus - a novel.
(11/12/00)

Rebecca