Reading African American Experiences in the Obama Era—Theory, Advocacy, Activism

This collection of 13 essays grapples with what it means to do scholarly, critical, and activist work in a purportedly postracial era. They stress the personal experiences of authors, students, and community-activists, as well as the need for new foci in Black studies. To that end, there's an afterward about "black scholarship for black folk." The book is organized into five sections on prophetic words and new narratives; 21st century literacy and African-American youth; pedagogical approaches to race, culture, and faith in schools and communities; artistic and political narratives in Black American cultures; and cross-generational dialogues about the prison-industrial complex, family structure, and public health. The contributors include an array of professors of English, journalism, cultural studies, sociology; literary and musical artists; and nurses. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas is assistant professor of reading, language, and literature in the division of Teacher Education at Wayne State University. She has published her work in English Journal, The ALAN Review, and Sankofa: A Journal of African Children’s and Young Adult Literature, as well as the books A Narrative Compass: Stories That Guide Women’s Lives and The Pressures of Teaching. She is an alumna of Florida A&M University, Wayne State University, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Shanesha R. F. Brooks-Tatum is postdoctoral research and instruction fellow at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library. She has published works on Christian hip-hop, spoken-word poetry, and Black popular culture, and is an alumna of the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.