African Myths and Folk Tales

by Carter G. Woodson

Compiled by the "Father of Black History," these fables unfold amid a magical realm of tricksters and fairies. Recounted in simple language, they will enchant readers and listeners of all ages. Over 60 illustrations.

Genres: Mythology, Classics, Childrens, Folk Tales, Folklore

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2010

About the author

Convinced that the role of his own people in American history and in the history of other cultures was being ignored or misrepresented among scholars, Woodson realized the need for research into the neglected past of African Americans. Along with William D. Hartgrove, George Cleveland Hall, Alexander L. Jackson, and James E. Stamps, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History on September 9, 1915, in Chicago. That was the year Woodson published The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861. His other books followed: A Century of Negro Migration (1918) and The History of the Negro Church (1927). His work The Negro in Our History has been reprinted in numerous editions and was revised by Charles H. Wesley after Woodson's death in 1950.

In January 1916, Woodson began publication of the scholarly Journal of Negro History. It has never missed an issue, despite the Great Depression, loss of support from foundations, and two World Wars. In 2002, it was renamed the Journal of African American History and continues to be published by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

Woodson stayed at the Wabash Avenue YMCA during visits to Chicago. His experiences at the Y and in the surrounding Bronzeville neighborhood inspired him to create the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in 1915. The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History), which ran conferences, published The Journal of Negro History, and "particularly targeted those responsible for the education of black children". Another inspiration was John Wesley Cromwell's 1914 book, The Negro in American History: Men and Women Eminent in the Evolution of the American of African Descent.

Carter Godwin Woodson was an American historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He was one of the first scholars to study African-American history. A founder of The Journal of Negro History in 1916, Woodson has been cited as the "father of black history". In February 1926 he launched the celebration of "Negro History Week", the precursor of Black History Month.

Woodson believed that education and increasing social and professional contacts among blacks and whites could reduce racism and he promoted the organized study of African-American history partly for that purpose. He would later promote the first Negro History Week in Washington, D.C., in 1926, forerunner of Black History Month. The Bronzeville neighborhood declined during the late 1960s and 1970s like many other inner-city neighborhoods across the country, and the Wabash Avenue YMCA was forced to close during the 1970s, until being restored in 1992 by The Renaissance Collaborative.

He served as Academic Dean of the West Virginia Collegiate Institute, now West Virginia State University, from 1920 to 1922.

He studied many aspects of African-American history. For instance, in 1924, he published the first survey of free black slaveowners in the United States in 1830.

The time that schools have set aside each year to focus on African-American history is Woodson's most visible legacy. His determination to further the recognition of the Negro in American and world history, however, inspired countless other scholars. Woodson remained focused on his work throughout his life. Many see him as a man of vision and understanding. Although Woodson was among the ranks of the educated few, he did not feel particularly sentimental about elite educational institutions.[citation needed] The Association and journal that he started are still operating, and both have earned intellectual respect.

Woodson's other far-reaching activities included the founding in 1920 of the Associated Publishers, the oldest African-American publishing company in the United States. This enabled publication of books concerning blacks that

Reviews

[Daniel L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Folk Tales are older than history itself; indeed, they were initially told by story tellers long before they were written down. The African continent is a rich store folklore, with a very ancient tradition. When millions of Africans were captured and taken on the notorious Second Passage to the New World as slaves, their captors deprived them of everything - except their culture. Nobody could take that away; indeed both enslaved and free blacks used that culture to inspire music and folklore. In 1928, Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, the historian who created Black History Month, researched and set down the tales in this book, to showcase for Americans the rich heritage of African folklore. Dr. Woodson includes a variety of tales, from creation myths to animal tales to a heroic epic. The animal tales, which make up most of this book's selection, will be familiar to those children who read the Br'er Rabbit Stories of Uncle Remus by Joel Chandler Harris. Indeed, most children relate best to stories with animal characters. Many of the tales have a moral ending, giving young readers - of all colors - rich stories with appropriate themes. The only story some young readers may have trouble with is "The Legend of Ngurangurane," an epic tale at the end of the book. There are some frightening moments, but - as in the time-honored tradition of the fairy tale - everything turns out OK in the end. My only concern with this otherwise enchanting little book is that the provenance of the tales is not given, which feeds into the common misconception of Africa as a country rather than a continent comprising many distinct cultures and peoples. From the tone of the tales, I would venture that most are West African in origin, that is modern-day Ghana, Mali, and surrounding nations, what was formerly the western reaches of the Sudan and the ancient kingdom of Ghana (which differed from the modern country of that name). That aside, young readers and adults who enjoy folklore will enjoy this charming and highly accessible collection.

[Jacque · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this aloud for school. We liked some of the stories, but some were pretty gory.

[christopher laws · Rating 3 out of 5]

African stories

This book brings together a series of stories in which african animals have a series of misadventures according to their nature and character.

The tales are simplistic but they have their charm. If you enjoy rudyard kipling you will most likely enjoy these.

[Decia · Rating 5 out of 5]

African Myths and Folk Tales by Carter Woodson is a collection of folktales for children ages eight years old and up. This particular collection touches on various topics such as The Jealous Blind Man or The Deer and the Snail. Reading these folktales opened up a new world for me in the way of folktales. We all know ones such as The Three Little Pigs, yet every single one I read from this collection was new and exciting for me, that is why it received the rating it did. I was introduced to a different variety of, what I now consider, classic folktales. Carter Woodson, also known as, the father of black history encouraged and promoted the history and achievements of black history. That is honorable and needed and is part of the reason why this collection received five stars. I also believe in promoting african american achievements because representation matters and when children see people and characters that look like them as they grow up, they are more likely to be successful. The folktales he gathered are filled with thought-provoking lessons and gentle humor which will be enticing for readers and listeners of all ages. This collection is fun to act and read aloud and should be added to any and every folktale enthusiasts collection.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm more into mythology than folk tales, but I enjoyed this easy to read collection. The tales were short and there were a lot of them. If you don't want to read a long-winded volume, where you won't get too emotionally invested in characters then read this. The stories were linear and simple but many were followed up by morals and proverbs. I would have lived to see more cultural context like where each story came from and what people or tribe told them, how they were collected from oral tradition, etc.

[Nats Lakkatham · Rating 4 out of 5]

- เป็นหนังสือที่ดีมาก เพราะเพิ่มความหลากหลายทางวัฒนธรรมให้ลูกให้หลานได้ นอกเหนือจากวรรณกรรมทางยุโรปและเอเชียที่ได้อ่านเจอกันบ่อย ๆ อยู่แล้ว
- เรื่องราวทุกเรื่องใช้สัตว์ในการดำเนินเรื่อง ทำให้ช่วยเสริมเติมแต่งจินตนาการได้เป็นอย่างดี
- คนอ่านอย่างเราทำให้เข้าใจโลกและสังคมทางแอฟริกันมากขึ้น ลึกซึ้งยิ่งขึ้น
- อ่านง่าย ได้ประสบการณ์

[Steve Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth the money and time spent on it! Read this to yourself and your kids. The stories are anything but children on the cover. One tale in the book explains why the mother keeps the kids and not the father is funny and offers insight in african society family struture.