This is a beautiful book dedicated to the lives of heroes who changed American history! Some of the people noted, I confess to not knowing about, such as the artist Jacob Lawrence, and Matthew Henson, the son of a sharecropper who accompanied Robert Edwin Perry to the North Pole!

Of course Martin Luther King, Jr. is highlighted as well as Shirley Chisolm, the first black woman who sought to be a major party's presidential candidate. Though she was not successful in this endeavor, she encouraged other people of color to get further involved in politic so they could have a say in legislation that impacted their lives.

I confess to not knowing about Gwendolyn Brooks, a widely read poet who was a member of the New Negro movement of the 1920's of which the Harlem African centered artistic and political activity , of which the Harlem Renaissance was a part.

Highlighted in the book are many well-known African American members such as Thurgood Marshall, Satchel Paige, Joe Lewis, Paul Robeson, Bessie Coleman, Malcolm X, Dizzy Gillespie, and a host of others.

I highly recommend this book! The writing and the incredible illustrations make this a five- star read.

The individuals range from historical to contemporary figures, such as the dancer Judith Jamison, and represent diverse fields of endeavor, from the law (Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall) to athletics, science, and more. For each individual, there is a biography. The illustrations are black and-white. A book that needs to be on any shelf to help teach civil rights, empowerment, diversity and social justice. It serves as models for any student and helps open dialogue with differences in society to help make connections. ( )

This is a great book for a Social Studies Unit. Each student can pick someone from the book and write an essay. There are 20 African American Heroes is this book. While reading this book, I learned a few things myself. ( )

Use in a Black History Month unit or for research. ( )