Lift Every Voice: A Celebration of Black Lives

This attractive and inspiring interview collection spotlights “Black Americans who were born into a nation of strict legal and social apartheid and then forced that horrific architecture to fall.” As 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones points out in the book’s introduction, Black Americans in their 70s and older not only experienced Jim Crow firsthand, they’re also “the last generation who knew people personally who had been enslaved in this country.” In interviews conducted by young Black journalists, a diverse and impressive lineup of more than 50 members of this “bridge generation” reflect on breakthroughs and setbacks in the struggle for civil rights. Profile subjects include UC Berkeley sociologist Harry Edwards, who helped organize protests by Black athletes at the 1968 Olympics; Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus nine months before Rosa Parks did the same; Guy Bluford, the first Black astronaut to fly to space; and Faye Wattleton, the first Black president of Planned Parenthood. Interweaving personal and social history, these and other interview subjects shed light on school desegregation, workplace discrimination, police brutality, the “Black Is Beautiful” movement, and other matters. Enriched by handsome, full-color photographs, this is a fitting tribute to a pioneering generation. Illus. (Apr.)