ILLUSTRATED BLACK HISTORY

Inspiring profiles and portraits of pioneering figures in Black history.

In this vibrant, inclusive collection, McCalman honors the legacies of 145 Black Americans whose societal contributions cannot be overstated. His profiles and watercolors are wonderfully diverse, including both live and deceased; recognizable and lesser known; contemporary and historic. Among them are early-19th-century mixologist Cato Alexander, a former enslaved person who “invented the word cocktail”; Mary McLeod Bethune, a single mother who founded educational institutions and empowerment councils for Black women in the early 20th century, including what became Bethune-Cookman College; Ralph Bunche, “the first African American and the first person of color to receive the Nobel Peace Prize,” in 1950; legendary choreographer Katherine Dunham; and Harlem jazz singer Baby Esther Jones, “the embodiment of cultural appropriation and what that does to the sense of self.” The author also highlights many household names, including basketball legend and lifelong activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, iconic poet Maya Angelou, activist and author James Baldwin, Aretha Franklin, Lena Horne, and trailblazing artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Romare Bearden. Collectively, McCalman spotlights these remarkable Black luminaries for their accomplishments and “to see the hardships and sacrifices, but also hear the laughter” [and] “feel the inner definition of self-reliance.” In addition to these portraits, McCalman includes inspiring essays from such distinguished writers as journalist and human rights activist Emil Wilbekin and James Beard and NAACP Image Award–winning chef and author Bryant Terry. The author’s inclusion of former neurosurgeon and controversial politician Ben Carson may be a questionable choice for some, but he fair-mindedly calls out Carson’s medical successes alongside the contentious political decisions that have undermined his reputation. Accessible, important, and germane to the very fabric of American life, this moving collection of illustration and biography artistically reflects struggle, achievement, and perseverance. Some of McCalman’s other subjects include Octavia Butler, Shirley Chisholm, Claudette Colvin, Althea Gibson, and Dick Gregory.

An enthusiastic, informative, and essential ode to Black American history.