Yay! You know I consider myself really well versed in Black history… but I definitely learned a few new things from reading this book. I had never heard of the first Black owned car company. I had never heard of the first Black owned furniture company. I really, really loved reading this book. So much that I bought a few copies for my child and other friends. Really great book for kids and adults.

An interesting though not quite original book, but not many reference books are. Great to have on the coffee table to grab and look up a random figures from Black America history. ( )

I was frustrated with this book. It included a lot of _great_ people but it was hard to find them! It was organized more like a book that you would browse through rather than look someone up in. Like someone else said, if they were organized alphabetically (or even chronologically) it would have made it a much easier _reference_ book. It's also a pretty easy read that would probably be good for students (middle or high school?) to use...a good addition to a classroom library.

I have frankly been surprised by how interesting I have found this book. I expected it to be a rather dry compilation of facts. Instead, each "first" is a mini-biography, most often only 2-4 paragraphs. And, because these are the stories of African Americans, those mini-biographies are almost always stories of overcoming significant, often dreadful difficulties. Likewise, fairly often, the mini-biographies have disappointingly sad endings when the prevailing prejudice once again overwhelms the individual's accomplishment as an African American first. Thus, I have found story after story interesting and enlightening. The book, therefore, is much more than a compilation of facts about individuals. As a whole, it conveys a breadth of the African American experience from the earliest history of our nation to the present and in all fields of endeavor. I recommend this book to anyone. ( )

A great collection, especially for teens, to learn about the Heroes of Black America. A great book for a home reference library and thoughtful interpretation of the impact of each era on the individual. ( )