Food ||| Folktales & Songs ||| Children's
Books ||| Genealogy
Food
African
Cookbook
Menus and recipes from Africa, by country.
RecipeSource:
Africa
African Bobotie, FuFu, Peanut Soup, Morrocan Lemon Chicken, Anise
Bread , Zimbabwe Greens and Yellow Raisin Rice are just a few of the 70
African recipes you can try at this site.
Soul Foods
Barbeque sauce, seafood gumbo, grits, black eyed peas, greens, beans
and more!
National Council of Negro Women, creators. The Historical Cookbook
of the American Negro. Reprinted by Beacon Press, 2000. Read more at Amazon.com
This is a real gem back in print! First published in 1958, this book
includes contributions from NCNW members in thirty-six states and offers
exceptional insight into American history and the African American community
at the time of its publication. It's arranged according to the calendar
year, and even includes a recipe for Harriet Tubman's favorite dish.
The African-American Heritage Cookbook : Traditional Recipes and Fond
Remembrances from Alabama's Renowned Tuskegee Institute. By Carolyn Quick
Tillery. Birch Lane Press, 1997. Available at Amazon.com
Two hundred recipes and memories!
Larissa's Bread Book: Baking Bread & Telling Tales with Women
of the American South. By Lorraine Johnson-Coleman. Nashville: Rutledge
Hill Press, 2001. Available at Amazon.com
I love this book! It explores and celebrates the rich cultural diversity
of the south, through the eyes of a young girl and ten aging women who
share their memories...and their recipes. (There are twelve different versions
of cornbread...yum!) As the author writes, "...the South was never
only black and white, but was always a rich rainbow of ethnic groups..."
So you'll find represented here African-American, North European, Italian,
Mexican, Cajun, Appalachian, Cherokee and Jewish traditions.
Creole Cookbooks at Amazon
back to top
Folk Tales & Songs
African Folk Tales
This is a nice collection of links to collections of folk tales, by region and/or country.
Deep In The Bush
The stories used in this lesson were collected by the author while serving
as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia, West Africa. They have been kid-
tested and approved around the world with students from kindergarten through
grade eight.
Urban Legends Reference Page
Did you know that "Tropical Fantasy" is owned by the KKK and
contains an ingredient to make black men sterile? Or that Liz Claiborn
claimed (on "Oprah" no less) that she won't design clothes for
black women? These and many more frequently circulated Africana-related
internet hoaxes are false. Search AFRICAN AMERICAN when you get to the
website.
Hushabye http://creativefolk.com/lyrics.html#hushabye
History and lyrics for the slave song "Hushabye" or "All
the Pretty Little Horses." You can also download this song from the Gerri Gribi Songbook.
Children's Stories From Africa: DVD Monterey Video 2000.115 minutes
Available
at Amazon.com
Nandi Nyembe tells 12 stories on a stage of an African hut. The stories
are built around the age-old tales of African wildlife: wart hogs, monkeys,
crocodiles, and the like. These tales teach simple morals: the dangers
of greed, the importance of picking your friends, following your heart.
Only a few still pictures accompany each story--the heart of this program
is our vivacious storyteller.
Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears...and More Stories from Africa.
DVD Scholatic Video Collection, 2004. 61 minutes. Available
at Amazon.com
Adapted from the Caldecott Honor Book By Verna Aardema, Illustrated
by Leo and Diane Dillon, Narrated by James Earl Jones. A tall tale sets
off a chain of mishaps in the jungle. Will the jungle creatures ever get
the story straight? A STORY, A STORY Adapted from the Caldecott Honor Book
By Gail E. Haley. Once, all the stories in the world belonged to Nyanme,
the Sky God. He kept them in a box beside his throne. But Ananse, the Spider
Man, wanted them - and caught three sly creatures to get them. WHO'S IN
RABBIT'S HOUSE? By Verna Aardema, Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon,
Narrated by James Earl Jones. Rabbit has a problem - someone is inside
her house and won't let her in. Can the leopard, rhino or elephant help
Rabbit get in her house?
back to top
Children's Booklists
Black Books Galore!
Publishers of Black
Books Galore! Guide to Great African American Children's Books (1998)
and MORE
Great African American Children's Books(2001) by Donna Rand and Toni
Trent Parker. John Wiley & Sons. Written by parents for parents, these
books provides brief but insightful, personal reviews of nearly 1000 childrens
books categorized by age and reading ability. MORE also provides a suggested
"Season for Reading Calendar" (books for any time of year), parent
and family reading, web sites, and a listing of award winners. (PS...I
love these books!)
Morgan Reynolds Publishing
This company is dedicated to publishing quality biographies and histories
for young adult readers. I find them to be concise and appealing, without
skirting the issues of race in American society. African American titles
include Mr Civil Rights - The Story of Thurgood
Marshall, Gwendolyn Brooks - Poet from Chicago; William
Grant Still - African American Composer; Marcus
Garvey - Black Nationalist; The
Pullman Strike of 1894 - American Labor Comes of Age; John
Coltrane: Jazz Revolutionary; also athletes such as Charlie
Sifford who broke ground for Tiger
Woods.
back to top
Genealogy
Black Roots: A Beginners Guide To Tracing The African American Family Tree. Tony Burroughs. Touchstone, 2001. Amazon.com.
I don't usually include books I haven't personally read, but this one comes highly recommended by those who purchased and reviewed it at Amazon.
Finding a Place Called Home: A Guide to African-American Genealogy
and Historical Identity by Dee Parmer Woodtor. Random House, 1999.
This is a well-written and comprehensive guide to the types of records which can be used to document the African American experience, how to interpret them and understand them in the context of American social history. It's out of print but many inexpensive new and used copies are available at Amazon.com.
Unknown No Longer - A Database of Virginia Slave Names
This free database is the latest step by the Virginia Historical Society to increase access to its varied collections relating to Virginians of African descent.
African American Lives
This fascinating PBS series uses historical documents, family history
and science to trace the family trees of 9 prominant African Americans:
Henry Louis Gates Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Bishop T. D. Jakes, Dr. Ben Carson,
Whoopie Goldberg, Dr. Mae Jemison, Quincy Jones, Dr. Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot,
and Chris Tucker. This website will help show how you can trace your own
family's history.
Cyndi's List
A comprehensive and frequently updated listing of genealogy sites on the web. The link takes you directly to the African American category.
TheRoot.com
The Root.com is a daily online magazine that provides thought-provoking commentary on today's news from a variety of black perspectives. The site also hosts an interactive genealogical section to trace one's ancestry through AfricanDNA.com, a DNA testing site co-founded by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who is also The Root's Editor-In-Chief. The Root aims to be an unprecedented departure from traditional American journalism, raising the profile of black voices in mainstream media and engaging anyone interested in black culture around the world.
