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.

Donald Bogle’s previous books chronicling black contributions to film and television have set the stage for his latest work Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood. Though his other books presented the story of black performers in relationship to what they accomplished while dealing with racism, that is not the main goal of Bogle’s new volume. Instead, he shows the rise of an alternate community, one that delighted in its own accomplishments and neither depended on nor looked to its white counterpart for approval. The black Hollywood that emerged during the ’20s and continued on into the early ’70s, where Bogle ends his overview, had its own class structure, media, support culture and ethos. It wasn’t that those in black Hollywood were oblivious to the suffering occurring elsewhere in America. Their response was to create a world where race didn’t matter, where they often became power brokers when white stars came to black clubs and events and were deemed outsiders. Performers such as the Nicholas Brothers, Lena Horne, Fredi Washington and publisher Carlotta Bass enjoyed being celebrities among African Americans, and though their stardom was improved either through appearances in “mainstream” films or by keeping contact with the major studios and producers, they truly felt independent and at peace in black Hollywood.

Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World also documents an animal-based story, but quite a different one. Mim Eichler Rivas spotlights Beautiful Jim Key, a horse whose intelligence and ability paved the way for a new appreciation of horses and all other animals as well. Key’s owner and trainer was Dr. William Key of Shelbyville, Tennessee, an ex-slave who was also a veterinarian and entrepreneur. Dr. Key eschewed cruelty and the use of force, preferring to use kind words, a gentle touch and a calm, almost reverent demeanor toward his horse.

Dr. Key became a celebrated figure in his own right, a famous black American who wasn’t an entertainer, athlete or activist. His stately, dignified and educated image and the results of his training made him a quiet hero during a time long before the civil rights era. He traveled with his horse to places where he was regarded as something below the animal he was presenting, yet his openness, kindness with Jim Key and overall attitude often softened the hearts of those who would otherwise oppose him solely due to his race. Beautiful Jim Key contains some striking descriptions of the horse’s maneuvers and performance moves, as well as a poignant account of an amazing relationship between owner/trainer and animal that in a small but significant way helped make a difference socially during the early part of the 20th century.

There aren’t too many folk other than historians who know that there was a time when African Americans ruled horse racing. Black jockeys won at least 13 or 14 of the first 25 Kentucky Derby events, and 12 of the 15 jockeys in the first Kentucky Derby were black. Jimmy Winkfield grew up during that era, and in 1901 and 1902 he won back-to-back Kentucky Derbies, a feat equaled only by three others. Ed Hotaling unveils Winkfield’s rise and the disgraceful reaction it provoked in his wonderful book Wink: The Incredible Life and Epic Journey of Jimmy Winkfield.

Hotaling starts with Winkfield’s early years as a shoeshine boy in Lexington, Kentucky, then details Winkfield’s rise to superstar status at 22 and his highly confident and combative personality that eventually caused him to be blackballed by stable owners in 1903. Undeterred, Winkfield left America and embraced the European racing circuit. He became the “black maestro” in Moscow, and was later highly celebrated in France. He eventually left France and returned to America to become a construction worker for the Works Progress Administration. Winkfield once again emerged as a winner, this time training horses and owning a stable in France despite being in his 70s. He finally died in Paris at 94. Hotaling doesn’t sanitize Winkfield or minimize his flaws. Alongside the biographical details, Hotaling shows how racism and economic pressure combined to displace black jockeys and turn horse racing into an all-white sport before the first decade of the 20th century ended.

One missing piece in HBO’s otherwise marvelous series Band of Brothers was the role played during World War II by nonwhite combatants. Christopher Paul Moore’s Fighting for America: Black Soldiers The Unsung Heroes of World War II corrects that oversight on one front, tracing the achievements, sacrifices and contributions of African Americans to campaigns throughout the war. While these soldiers fought in segregated situations and dealt with second-class treatment from the beginning of their tours to the end, they didn’t let that sap their spirit or drain their resolve. Moore includes breakdowns of all the black units in both the European and Pacific campaigns, plus rare photos of everything from black women working in factories stateside to those in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), Army Nurse Corps (ANC) and Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services (WAVES). He also highlights special units like the Tuskegee Air Corps and rifle units.

No matter how much people think they know about the slavery era, books like Slavery and the Making of America by James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton will unearth facts they didn’t know. Experts in early black American history, the Hortons use narratives from the slaves themselves to provide much of the information here. While there are some expected personalities, the more compelling portraits highlight unfamiliar names such as John Roy Lynch, a former slave elected to the House of Representatives in 1872; Sergeant William Carney, the first black American winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor, awarded for his service during the Civil War; and George Middleton, who became a commander of a black regiment in the Revolutionary War.

The Hortons show how slavery affected commerce and industry in both the North and South, how the nation was ensnarled in controversy regarding the practice almost from the beginning, and how the quandary over the fugitive slave issue frequently triggered ugly and brutal riots in Northern cities. They also detail a legacy of revolt and rebellion that counters the notion that most slaves accepted their fate without incident. As the accompanying book for this month’s PBS television series, Slavery and The Making of America has set the bar extremely high for the documentary production.

Dr. Carter G. Woodson valued information and knowledge and would certainly laud the release of I’ll Find a Way or Make One: A Tribute to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, an authoritative survey written by journalist Juan Williams and Dwayne Ashley, president of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. The book blends personal reflection, historical examination, photographs and plenty of detailed information covering all 108 historically black colleges and universities. In many cases, the birth and growth of these institutions revealed a level of unprecedented cooperation between whites and blacks, often in places where social segregation was enforced at the point of a gun. Historically black schools have also had white and foreign faculty, fostered a climate of support for the arts (with the exception in some places of jazz), and developed ambitious, innovative types who neither accepted nor followed conventional thinking in their endeavors. From the great thinker and activist W.E.

B. Dubois and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to television and film moguls Oprah Winfrey and Spike Lee, these students have been a vital force in American society. But Williams and Ashley also feel that while black colleges and universities will always have a special place and tradition, adjustments must be made and transitions recognized.

A welcome departure from the grim accounts in the Arsenault volume comes via Hokum: An Anthology of African-American Humor. Novelist Paul Beatty, whose own works The White Boy Shuffle and Tuff are satiric triumphs, personally selected this compendium of routines, speeches, folktales, poetry, snippets from theater and film, even some rap lyrics. Some are delivered in pristine English, others in wildly profane fashion, but together they illuminate the wealth of the black comedic tradition. Though few readers would associate Dr. W.E.

B. Dubois or Sojourner Truth with hilarity, their contributions are just as funny as those of Hattie Gossett or Wanda Coleman. Not quite a history of black comedy, Hokum serves more as a reference guide through various eras, showing how humor and comedy have changed over the years, and how laughter and wit have sometimes been as effective in the fight against racism as marches and votes.

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