10/15/2017
Mack-Shelton (history, Claflin Univ., SC) addresses African American history from the arrival of the first slave ships in 1619 to the present-day Black Lives Matter movement. Although many of the volumes' approximately 600 essays and entries appeared in previous "Great Events from History" sets, including African American History (2006) and Great Lives from History: African Americans (2011), this worthwhile encyclopedia boasts a significant amount of new material, such as 80 original essays, expanded and updated bibliographies, and a list of unarmed black individuals killed by white civilians and police since 2000. It begins with 35 overview essays addressing important core aspects of the topic, followed by hundreds of chronologically arranged articles on narrower subjects that have significantly impacted American culture. Sidebars, maps, and illustrations enhance and support the entries. Though articles have "see also" references, there are no further reading suggestions, and while a lot of the information here can be found elsewhere, students will greatly benefit from having it all in one resource. The work brings disparate topics and themes together to validate the importance and influence of African Americans in U.S. history. VERDICT A well-organized, clearly written, and accessible compilation for a wide range of users from high school and undergraduate students to general readers.—Rob Tench, Old Dominion Univ. Lib., Norfolk, VA
