Letters from Black America

Letters from Black America: Intimate Portraits of the African American Experience

The first-ever narrative history of African Americans told through their own letters.

Letters from Black America fills a literary and historical void by presenting the spectrum of African American experience in the most intimate way possible—through the heartfelt correspondence of those who lived through monumental changes and pivotal events, from the American Revolution to the war in Iraq, from slavery to the election of Obama.

Praise for letters from black america

“Seldom has the intimate life of a people been more variously revealed. Think of the day when there may only be downloaded e-mail, and then thank Pamela Newkirk for the enduring significance, poignancy, and delight of her Letters from Black America.”
— David Levering Lewis, Julius Silver University Professor, New York University, and author of W.E.B. Du Bois

“Letters from Black America . . . presents the pantheon of the African-American experience in a unique and intimate format, through the heartfelt correspondence of both the ordinary and extraordinary men and women who lived it.” — Joy T. Bennett, Ebony

“This collection offers an intimate look at the joys and concerns in the lives of ordinary and famous black Americans.” — Vanessa Bush, Booklist

“What makes this book powerful is not only the letters of famous people—Martin Luther King, Booker T. Washington, Alice Walker—but the missives of ordinary folks. Annie Davis, for example, wrote President Lincoln a year after the Emancipation Proclamation. ‘It is my desire to go free . . . my mistress won’t let me. You will please let me know if we are free and what I can do. I write to you for advice.’” — Billy Helton, New York Post

“Ah, the lure and lore of the letter! Nowadays we turn to cell phones, e-mail and instant messaging to connect, but when you crack open Pamela Newkirk’s Letters from Black America you’ll see that the pen is mightier than the thumb.” — Mika Ono, Essence

“An instructive, moving—even delightful—primer on the myriad facets of African-American private and public life.” — Publishers Weekly

Newkirk’s third book, Letters From Black America. — Newkirk’s third book, *Letters From Black America.*

OR AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE.

Staged reading OF "Letters from Black America" (EXCERPTS) at New York University’s Silver Center

Performed by Lee Kirk and Joshua Xavier on March 5, 2009.