Heav'nly Tidings from the Afric Muse ─ The Grace and Genius of Phillis Wheatley: Poet Laureate of the American Revolution

She survived the horrific Middle Passage as a child and was purchased as a slave in 1761. By the time she turned twenty Phillis Wheatley became the most famous person of African descent in the world. In a culture dominated by white supremacy, she forced those around her to acknowledge her humanity and confront the inequity of her status as a slave. \"Heav'nly Tidings From the Afric Muse\" shows how Phillis Wheatley wrote her way to freedom. Developing previously unexplored material and adding new information with fresh perspectives, \"Heav'nly Tidings From the Afric Muse\" offers the opportunity to reevaluate the unique and significant role Phillis Wheatley played in the tumultuous birth of our nation. Insights by three centuries of Wheatley scholars and authentic statements by her contemporaries present a vivid picture of Phillis Wheatley in her time. Her own words, taken from her writings, resurrect the spirit of the classic poet who managed to launch two literary traditions at once, African-American literature and women's literature. Now Phillis Wheatley can take her place among our Founding Fathers and Mothers as the true \"Poet Laureate\" of the American Revolution.

When it comes to reading, writing and books, Richard Kigel brings the practical skills of an experienced literacy professional to his writing. A veteran of forty years teaching in New York City schools, he was inspired by Bill Cosby's 1968 TV special "Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed," and Alex Haley's 1976 Roots to find ways to teach his students about the courage, nobility, ingenuity and perseverance of African-American men and women in their heroic struggle for racial equality. He came to realize that Black History is essential to any understanding of our nation, that Black History is American History.