The Griots of Oakland: Voices from the African American Oral History Project

by Angela Beth Zusman (Compiler), Mi Zhou (Photographs)

What is it like being a young African American man? The media repeats the same stereotypes again and again, yet the reality is much more diverse. This eye-opening and beautifully presented book shares the voices and images of a group of young black men in Oakland, interviewed by their peers in a groundbreaking oral history project. The youth share their wisdom on a range of questions, organized by theme and accompanied by portrait photography and materials for further reflection. For students, educators, policy makers, and those who want to gain a better understanding of modern African American culture.

Genres: Nonfiction, African American

206 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2013

Reviews

[Karen Ashmore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick but powerful read, this book reflects the innermost thoughts of young black men in Oakland. They share their dreams, their fears and their goals for the future. Most want the violence to stop and every single one of them, yes 100%, want to go to college. The photographs of the guys are just as interesting as their responses.

[Sandy Shaller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the result of an oral history project.

You black men in Oakland were asked a series of questions, many of which had to do with influences on their lives and influences in their environment. The result is a very emotional look into a community that might otherwise only get labeled without a deeper understanding of what is at its core.

The book also highlights the challenges, problems and courage of young black men living in a community that presents many difficulties.

[Jaymes]

This book is a must read! With all the negative publicity presented by the media about African-American males. This book shifts our focus to those who have stories of change, stories of hope and stories of success.

"Perception is the driving force of how we relate to each other and how we view others, my value is not determined by your perception of me, but by my perception of me "

[Ann Xiang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very insightful book about the young people from Oakland, with excellent portrait photography, and earnest conversation about dreams and fears of our times. Nice design and typography but the print quality of the images is a little off.