New text presents varied experiences of African Americans

African American History, by Darlene Hine, William Hine and Stanley Harrold, Prentice Hall, 2006

by Eva Travers

“Under what circumstances is it permissible to violate the law or threaten to kill another human being?”

“What do you think is the meaning of the line (of the poem) 'Many thousand gone?'

“Does this account of combat (during the Civil War) differ in any way from the way a white soldier might describe it?”

These are some of the thought-provoking questions accompanying excerpts of historical documents included in the African American history textbook adopted by the Philadelphia School District this year.

The 952-page textbook is the new high school edition of a college text by the same authors. Adapted for the School District in conjunction with District staff and community participants, the book offers powerful opportunities for Philadelphia students to learn about and reflect on the history and experiences of African Americans.

Beginning with a broad discussion of the geography, society and culture of ancient Africa, the text moves to a history of the West African civilizations and emphasizes the rich African roots of contemporary African Americans.

In contrast to most U.S. history textbooks that focus on the history of African Americans in terms of slavery, the first third of this text presents the varied experiences (political, cultural and economic) of African Americans in both the North and South before the Civil War.

Between the discussion of African Americans in the Civil War and contemporary African American history are chapters such as “Black Southerners Challenge White Supremacy” and “Black Protest and the Great Depression and the New Deal.”

The text ends with a unit, “African Americans in the New Millennium,” that deals with the themes of African American “progress and poverty,” and African American arts, religion and identity. Again, these contemporary issues and topics do not appear in the content covered in almost any U.S. history textbooks.

The book has many commendable features: