Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Landmarks of African American History. By James Oliver Horton. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2005. 1 vol. 144 p. $30. ISBN 0-19-514118-0.

This will be a useful resource for middle and high school students.

Today, students live in a multiracial society that has its roots in the history of our democracy. As the editor writes, "Historical sites are some of history's best teachers" and historical sites are used as a basis for this volume. They provide the infrastructure and vantage point for the story of African American history. These include Jamestown, the Old State House in Boston, Kingsley Plantation, the African Meeting House in Boston, the Old Courthouse in St. Louis, Harpers Ferry, Cedar Hill in Washington, D.C., Nicodemus (KS) National Historic Site, Sweet Auburn History District in Atlanta, The Apollo Theater in Harlem, the U.S. Arizona Memorial, The Brown v. Board of Education site in Topeka, KS, and the F. W. Woolworth Building in Greensboro, NC. Articles have maps locating the areas, black-and-white and color photographs and drawings of people and places. Each article closes with a section on "Related Sites." Information in the margins of the pages further explains the text. A two-page chronology and a three-page bibliography complete the book. This will be useful for upper middle school through high school. Highly recommended.