Lest We Forget: The Passage from Africa to Slavery and Emancipation: A Three-Dimensional Interactive Book with Photographs and Documents from the Black Holocaust Exhibit

by Velma Maia Thomas

An interactive, three-dimensional study of African-American history traces the history of slavery in the United States, from the agonizing journey from Africa to America, through the experiences of slaves, to the final emancipation. 30,000 first printing.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, American History, Race, Africa

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 1997

Reviews

[Vidya Tiru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lest We Forget – a collection of three books by Velma Maia Thomas – written so that it sounds like an autobiographical (of the people) text book the intended audience will read, yet presented with a raw, heart-wrenching honesty that resonates throughout the book.

From being referred to as “black gold” (men, women, and children who were taken from their home lands by traders to work as slaves) to #BlackLivesMatter, this book covers it all.

The first section introduces the reader to the beginnings of slave-trade, the conditions that slaves lived and worked in, and later towards emancipation.

The second section shows the struggles and the journeys African-Americans undertook after the proclamation of emancipation to make a life for themselves. They were free, but yet not, with many restrictions being placed by laws and rules and society on what they could or could not do.

The final section brings the reader, as it states, through the twentieth century into the twenty-first century. It describes the struggles, the wins, and the losses African Americans went through during the Civil Rights movement, and ends with the more recent Million Man March in 1995.

An afterword includes President Barack Obama and then into today’s presidency with #BlackLivesMatter.

In addition to reading again about people I knew, like Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King, I was introduced to many lesser known pioneers and heroes , like Mary Fields (the first African-American woman employed as a mail carrier in the United States), Doris Miller (the first African American recipient of the Navy Cross), William Lloyd Garrison(an abolitionist who founded ‘The Liberator’), and Nat Turner(a freedom fighter who led a rebellion).

Rating: 5/5
Reading Level: 12 years and above
Reread Level: 5/5

In Summary:
A must-read and a wonderful resource for high-schoolers and even adults who want to learn more about this history. The transcripts, end-notes, chronology, and image-credits at the end of the book can help the reader further to research and learn more.

Note that the physical book includes interactive elements for the reader to explore. My review is based on a digital review copy.


Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the above book. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Cookie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent history of African Americans on this continent, written in a way that makes for good family sharing. It has visual aids in the form of reproduced documents so you can hold history in your hand.
I am going to pass this book on to my niece who is homeschooling her kids.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A leave in plain site book. Full of information and great history. This was a gift from the Juneteenth Celebration at The Hartford Wadsworth Atheneum a few years back at a Gala event. It also came with the book Breaking Barriers: Celebrating 27 Years of the Aetna African American History Calendar.

[Ravenclaw Library Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lest We Forget is the true accounts of African Americans and the toll of 300+ years of stolen history and identity.

This was a good book but would probably be b etterin physically format due to the pictures, documents and maps.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in History.

#LestWeForget #NetGalley

[Lucsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more than just about history or black history. It's an ode to the black struggle in America and all it encompassed.
I have to say that one of the things that made me want to read it was the fact that for the first time I was not being told about slavery from a colonizers country point of view. In countries with a colonialist past, unsavory themes like Slavery and the Discoveries tend to be brushed aside quickly out of common shame and that does a huge disservice to everyone, creating two different realities depending on which point of view your teacher and your government have. This book levels the field a bit.
I did find that it appealed to the reader's feelings a lot, mainly by using the expression "my people" in almost every page which got tiring really quickly but I was content with the way that the book was divided into several short chapters, each one focused on a different decade and theme.
This is the kind of book that is supposed to be held physically, due to all the photos, maps and historical documents that are difficult to read on a screen. The transcripts at the end of the book do provide a chance for you to read the historical documents that were less readable in the middle of the book though.


best to have a physical copu so you can make the most of all the maps, photos and coluns in which the text is organized

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This outstanding collection of accounts about notable people and events characterizing the history of African Americans in the United States, which includes facsimiles of original documents, is based on the Black Holocaust Exhibit in Atlanta, Georgia, which was curated by the author. The book has over 200 images and twelve pieces of interactive memorabilia - that is, pieces of history one can open, feel, and hold. For example, there is a copy of a folded Deed of Emancipation from December 28, 1838 that belonged to Robert Green of Missouri, who was set free by his slaveholder. Another replica is of deposit book for a savings account at the the Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company, chartered by Congress in 1865 to help newly freed blacks get established in society. A list of rules for sit-ins by John Lewis, now a U.S. Congressman battling cancer, is also reproduced. Occasional maps help illuminate the areas of the country under discussion. A large accordion fold-out with a timeline is at the back of the book.

The quality of the photos in the book is excellent. The portrait of the founders of the National Negro Business League, one of whom was Booker T. Washington, looks so real, one feels that the subjects could be in the room with you.

But it is the historical information covered that makes this book so valuable. And unlike many history books, this one does not give only a cameo role to women. As the author writes in the section on suffrage (each historical event is covered thoroughly but succinctly in a two-page spread):

“Black women would not be still. They would not be silent, could not be bought nor frightened. The black woman possessed a certain strength, a spiritual force that had to be reckoned with. She held together homes, communities, churches, businesses, and schools.”

Today, not much has changed with respect to the power and strength of black women, and their ability to see through the web of empty or broken promises and manipulative attempts to claim black is white (double entendre definitely intended). Indeed, a number of political pundits have opined that the 2020 election will be decided by that constituency, such as in articles here and here.

African Americans have gained political astuteness through a long history of struggling to push America to live up to her promise as outlined in the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

As Lincoln pointed out in 1857:

"They [the Founding Fathers] did not mean to assert the obvious untruth, that all were then actually enjoying that equality, nor yet, that they were about to confer it immediately upon them. In fact they had no power to confer such a boon. They meant simply to declare the right, so that the enforcement of it might follow as fast as circumstances should permit. They meant to set up a standard maxim for free society, which should be familiar to all, and revered by all; constantly looked to, constantly labored for, and even though never perfectly attained, constantly approximated, and thereby constantly spreading and deepening its influence, and augmenting the happiness and value of life to all people of all colors everywhere."

John Bingham, author of the Fourteenth Amendment ratified by Congress in 1868, which extended the liberties and rights granted by the Bill of Rights to former slaves, agreed, averring:

“You will search in vain in the Constitution of the United States … for that word white, it is not there . . . The omission of this word — this phrase of caste — from our national charter, was not accidental, but intentional.”

The standard advocated by Lincoln and articulated for the Constitution by Bingham has not yet been met, but the hope that it will be motivates those who believe in its promise to keep fighting for it. The author observes in her concluding chapter:

“The war for freedom is not over - it has not yet been won. As long as there is injustice, my people will rally protest, organize, vote, and demand. The methods will vary; the roads will not always be the same. But years upon years of struggle in America have taught my people to persevere, even in the darkest hours. We will lean on each other, gather strength from our ancestors. Firmly planted, deeply rooted, we shall not be moved.”

Evaluation: The tales of courage, steadfastness, and indefatigability in this book can be dipped into and savored in segments, although one gets a better sense of the enormity of the spirit of persistence if the book is approached chronologically. The artifacts seem like a gift rather than a gimmick; the book truly echoes a museum experience. What a gift for those who can't make a trip to see these exhibits!

I strongly feel this book should be a part of every classroom, and every home with a commitment to knowledge and to equal treatment for all people regardless of color, creed, religion or gender.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've started to pull books for February's African-American History displays and discovered this absolute gem. It is a highly interactive non-fiction book guiding young readers through the history of slavery using images and primary source documents. Every page has an interactive, tactile, or pull out element. The tone of the text is serious, but still really approachable -- something that is extremely important when writing for young audiences. Ms. Thomas has found a way to make this difficult but very necessary subject engaging and accessible.

[Shalone Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my outlook on what our people had to endure. I knew about slavery true enough, but touching the pages, reading the documents and visualizing the tramatic events broke my heart. I have a great appreciation for the sufferings of previous generations of African Americans. This is one of those books you don't handle often, you just pass by it and touch it.

[Lindsay Mast · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family read for us. Painful and important.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.***

In "Lest We Forget," Velma Maia Thomas provides a brief overview of African Americans' experiences in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Divided into three sections that cover the aforementioned centuries, the book not only surveys important historical figures and events, but it also includes photographs and copies of the actual letters that are attached to the book, adding a unique third dimension to some pages. Moreover, Thomas succeeds in doing something that many historians have failed at: portraying African Americans as agents of history.

Thomas offers up an interesting and well-written account of African American experiences. However, who exactly she is writing for is unclear. Consistently referring to African Americans as "my ancestors," suggests that her audience is white. Yet, it narrows further, as the first section, which examines the 19th century, covers material that anyone who has passed a high school American history course would know. She brushes over potentially less-discussed events, like the Amistad revolt, providing a shallow discussion of the era.

This leaves sections 2 and 3, both of which provide a more rich history--with discussions of topics not commonly discussed (such as the Freedom Riders and the impact of World War II on the civil rights movement). While such a criticism is partially a criticism of the American school system's only discussing African Americans in the context of slavery, Thomas' writing makes a distinct shift from a brief overview in section 1, to a more in-depth, specific examination in sections 2 and 3. While middle-school students may be the target audience for section 1, sections 2 and 3 are better suited for young adults.

Ultimately, I found Thomas' book worth reading for some of the under-discussed topics found later in the book. It is uniquely compiled and has only a few typos that do little to detract from the overall quality of the text. Moreover, her superb writing style makes the book a quick and easy read (comprehension-wise, not necessarily topically).

[Desca Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I realise that it takes me a while to finish Lest We Forget – a collection of three books by Velma Maia Thomas. No..no..no, it is not because the book is bad or something. It is because I want to make my time and enjoy this book. Anyhow, the book is written beautifully and it rises the voices of those being referred as "black gold"- men, women, children and those who are taken to work as a slave from their origins. Those people who are often being marginalised.

Concerning the book, it is divided into several sections. The first one tells the readers about the beginning of slave-trade and how they live and work. The second one tells about the achievement that the make which they often called as an emancipation. This is sad tho because this chapter tell us that those people are free but they are somehow restricted by the laws and the rules in the society. Meanwhile, the final section brings the readers to the condition in the 20th century into 21st century when they still struggle during the Civil Right movement to the more recent 1995 Million Man March. What I do love about this book is the fact that the author also mentions several prominent Afro-American figures such as Martin Luther King, Dorris Miller, and Nat Turner.

This book comes as a good reference for those who want to know more about the Afro-American movement history. Well, it does not cover it all but it gives the enlightenment and the encouragement. Most important thing of all, it gives those marginalised ones, a voice to finally speak! The battle goes on!

Thanking NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the ARC of the book in exchange of an honest review.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super interesting, especially all of the documents, articles, photographs, etc. they included. It probably would’ve been even cooler in the physical format instead of the ebook. A lot of the material was obviously fucked up and devastating. If books like this were taught in schools instead of whatever garbage they feed us, a lot of people would be a lot less shitty. It elicits outrage and compassion, as it should. Also the writing isn’t complicated so it’s accessible to younger people. I wish it went more in-depth on some things but overall it was great.

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful book, one that would shock any young person just being introduced to details of the history of slavery in America--who, in this case, would most likely be a college student, since I checked this book out of the School of Ed library on the university campus where I work. The kicker: do college students have any reason to check books out to read, these days?

[Reading For Sanity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this review and others at https://www.readingforsanity.com/2020...

[Mary Tharp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Shabba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who wants to learn about the true history of Africa before and after the slave trade and not the whitewashed lessons you learn in class should read this.

[Natalie Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's a really great primer for children and adults and it's interactive.

[Jennifer Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunatly many of the interactive ephemera was missing from this library edition. Who steals stuff out of a library book? Probably the same kind of people who would have slaves. Heartbreaking, unflinching look at the barbaric practice of slavery.

[Chris Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of slavery in America is presented in heart-breaking detail through the use of photographs and other primary source documents. Pop-up and other interactive elements allow the reader to wander through the book as if visiting a museum.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book with documents and pictures about African American history. Very informative and thought provoking. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent succinct study of the facts and consequences of slavery.

[Teresa Grabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thomas’ nonfiction book is filled with photographs, primary documents, and first-hand accounts of African-American history in the United States. In the first section, readers are introduced to the slave trade industry and the struggle for freedom. In addition to the standard academic topics such as slave ships and auctions, Thomas included a short section on slavery through the eyes of a child.

The second section covers emancipation through African-American migration in the US. Again, Thomas focused on standard academic offerings, but also included brief segments on the role of religion during this time and lesser known Western trailblazers such as Mary Fields and Bill Pickett.

The third section focuses on modern struggles and concludes with the 1995 Million Man March. An afterward brings the struggle more current with mentions of President Obama and Black Lives Matter.

For me, the first and second sections were much more interesting and informative than the third section. Discussing race relations and social history is, by its very nature, a charged topic and while there are many things presented in the third section that I disagree with, the overall book is a great look into African American history. I loved the 200+ photographs and documents shown in the book.

The book is marketed as a Biography/Memoir and History. While younger readers would gain much from the first section, the overall tone and content of the book is written for the teen and adult market. It would serve as a great reference for high school students.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

[Chelsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lest We Forget gives a raw view of the history of enslaved Africans and the processes they endured to become slaves. This book fills in the many holes left by historians that wouldn't allow the clear facts of the many atrocities committed to be passed down through history.

This book takes you on a journey from pre-colonization to slave-trade to civil war to emancipation and to the civil rights era. These are the true accounts of the toll of 300+ years of stolen history and identity.

This was a hard read, but it was also very enlightening. After reading this, I can't help but wonder at what affluence would be flowing from Africa instead of the poverty and destruction left in the wake of slave trade and European greed.

I highly recommend this read to anyone.