Untold Glory

Untold Glory offers a fresh perspective on one of the most fundamental elements of American history—the conquest of new frontiers. In twenty-seven fascinating first-person accounts, African Americans from different eras, backgrounds, and occupations explore and reflect on the meaning of frontier, both literally and metaphorically. This collection chronicles the search for freedom and opportunity and the achievement of success in a wide variety of fields. The contributors all pushed beyond self-imposed or culturally enforced boundaries to pursue their dreams and ambitions. They include Mark Dean, an IBM vice president and member of the Inventors Hall of Fame, who holds three of the original patents upon which the personal computer is based; the civil-rights attorney Oliver W. Hill, one of the architects of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case; the classical pianist and museum founder Josephine Love; and L. Douglas Wilder, the grandson of slaves who became the first African American governor of Virginia. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs and featuring an incisive introduction by Alan Govenar, Untold Glory is both an important addition to the field of African American history and an engaging, eye-opening look at some of the nation's most daring, innovative, and influential pioneers.

Autorentext

ALAN GOVENAR is the author of numerous books, including The Early Years of Rhythm and Blues, Stoney Knows How: Life as a Sideshow Tattoo Artist, Meeting the Blues: The Rise of the Texas Sound, Portraits of Community: African American Photography in Texas, Stompin' at the Savoy: The Norma Miller Story, and Extraordinary Ordinary People: Five American Masters of Traditional Arts. He is the president and founder of Documentary Arts, a nonprofit organization that seeks to present new perspectives on diverse cultures. He lives in Dallas, Texas.