It would seem a daunting task to write an entire book based on a single photograph, but author Louis P. Masur is equal to the challenge in his latest work, The Soiling of Old Glory. The picture on the cover reveals the book’s focus: A well-dressed black man is being held by an angry white crowd. Facing him is a young white teenager bearing an American flag. He holds the staff like a spear, appearing ready to thrust it into the stomach of the black man.

The photo was taken in Boston on April 5, 1976, during a racially charged protest over school busing. The image was captured by Stanley Forman, a photographer for the Boston Herald American. Forman’s photograph caused a national uproar, not only because of the graphic violence, but also because it occurred during America’s bicentennial year, just steps from the site of the Boston Massacre. Forman won a Pulitzer Prize for the picture.

That single photograph serves as a starting point for Masur to examine a range of themes. First, there are the details leading up to the historic event: How the angry mob marched downtown to protest outside City Hall; how black lawyer Ted Landsmark happened to be walking by on his way to a meeting; and how Forman arrived on the scene to record the assault on film. Additionally, Masur, professor of American Institutions and Values at Trinity College, uses the image to explore a variety of issues, such as racism, school busing and the impact of images of the American flag, from Iwo Jima to 9/11.

Perhaps most fascinating are the author’s interviews with Forman, Landsmark and Joseph Rakes, the teenager holding the flag. Each give their unique account of the event, withespecially poignant testimony from Landsmark, who forgives his attackers, and Rakes, who apologized to Landsmark and spent his life trying to make amends for his actions.

The Soiling of Old Glory is an engaging book for anyone interested in journalism, photography, history or social themes, as – like a photograph – it reflects the actions and attitudes of America at a distinctive place and time.

John T. Slania is a journalism professor at Loyola University in Chicago.

In his provocative new book, April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Death and How It Changed America, author, educator and activist Michael Eric Dyson rekindles grim memories for readers who made it through that tough time, while giving needed perspective to those of later generations. Dyson wrests the image of King from that of a conciliatory, peaceful figure, and recasts him as a visionary change agent whose goals weren’t merely to address injustices, but to radically remake American society.

In Dyson’s view, King inspired black Americans to be proud of their heritage, to demand equality rather than ask for it, and to recognize the potential for greatness within their ranks. He also puts King squarely in the forefront of several global struggles: for the recognition of emerging nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America; for acknowledgement of the West’s responsibility toward less fortunate countries; and for the establishment of links between oppressed people regardless of color, gender or sexual preference. April 4, 1968 addresses the conflicts King’s evolving views caused with more traditional elements in both black and white America, and Dyson makes it clear that there were questions about direction, philosophy and viewpoint within the ranks of the civil rights movement.

Dyson faithfully recalls the details of King’s assassination and the atmosphere of genuine despair and anger that followed, one that led to riots in several cities and numerous conspiracy theories. He also covers lingering controversies – for example, whether James Earl Ray acted alone or even fired the fateful shot.

April 4, 1968 is an analysis and examination of the 1960s and black politics, with an occasional side trip into musical dissection and film lore. Dyson, a Georgetown University professor, credibly and effectively ties these subjects together, offering a broad and valuable picture of King’s life and impact.

Ron Wynn writes for the Nashville City Paper and other publications.

Harlem Speaks: A Living History of the Harlem Renaissance, a collection edited by Texas Southern University history professor Dr. Gary D. Wintz, demystifies several heralded individuals through precise, detailed essays from 21 experts on the era’s finest writers, artists, poets, intellectuals and performers. The list of contributors includes literary biographers Arnold Rampersad, Tyrone Tillery and M. Genevieve West; jazz experts Dan Morgenstern and Chip Deffaa; and political analysts and historians like Williams H. Harris and Martha Jane Nadell.

An accompanying CD augments the written material, presenting more than 60 minutes of music, poetry, interviews and speeches. Whether it’s the sparkling piano work of Eubie Blake featured in a previously unpublished performance, or extensive interviews by David Levering Lewis, the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of acclaimed biographies on Dr. W.E.

B. Du Bois, Harlem Speaks combines fresh insights with informed analysis and vivid, striking performances to broaden readers’ awareness and knowledge of the Harlem Renaissance.

Ron Wynn writes for the Nashville City Paper and other publications.

While the record is spotty regarding the arrival of the first African Americans, there’s even less in print about the remarkable exploits of Thornton Blackburn and his wife Lucie. Canadian author, historian and archaeologist Karolyn Smardz Frost’s I’ve Got a Home in Glory Road is equal parts scientific study, cultural account and personal odyssey.

The Blackburns escaped from Kentucky to Michigan, then were recaptured and sentenced to be returned to slavery. But the bloody 1833 Blackburn Riots saw Detroit’s black community spring into action, rescuing the couple and ushering them safely to Canada, an action that forever altered the political climate between America and Canada, turning the latter nation into a safe harbor for fugitive slaves. Frost’s book not only details these events, but follows the Blackburns as they settle in Toronto and eventually create that city’s first taxi service. They also become important figures in the abolitionist movement and participants in the Underground Railroad.

Frost credits the work of other archaeologists who uncovered many of the details contained in this amazing story, finally brought to light in her outstanding book. Her own explorations included visits to many of the places the Blackburns lived and extensive genealogical research on births, family ties, relationships, interactions and the couple’s contributions to antislavery efforts and black business growth.

Ron Wynn writes for the Nashville City Paper and other publications.

Tim Hashaw’s The Birth of Black America: The First African Americans and the Pursuit of Freedom at Jamestown follows the inaugural voyage of almost 30 African men, women and children to these shores (specifically Jamestown, Virginia) in 1619. Very little has been written about the trip until now, and Hashaw’s credentials and expertise as an award-winning reporter are particularly useful as he examines two distinct, related elements in this story. One involves the business/commerce angle, as he shows how England’s attack on a Spanish slave ship and the pirating of its cargo of Africans violated a treaty, causing King James to dissolve the Virginia Company of London and end that firm’s North American monopoly. But the second, more compelling story of The Birth of Black America traces the journey of Africans, showing how they established communities and the foundation for black culture and society that followed. The book also documents how the nation eventually wrestled with the issue of slavery, and looks at some of the ugly racist practices and legislation aimed at these African Americans. Everything from questions of lexicon to determining the exact size of the black population (through the clumsy census practices of the day) is examined, as well as many sordid events that followed. The Birth of Black America closely scrutinizes and evaluates a time and series of happenings about which far too many contemporary citizens know absolutely nothing.

Ron Wynn writes for the Nashville City Paper and other publications.