Black Genius

by Dick Russell

A historical journey into the lives and contributions of African-American greats from various disciplines--such as Wynton Marsalis, Muhammad Ali, Toni Morrison, and Paul Robeson--offers creative and courageous inspiration from mentors of past generations. 35,000 first printing.

Genres: History

296 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1998

Reviews

[Vilo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I will probably end up buying. There are so many wonderful things in it I could read it again and again--and I already knew about many of the people written about. The author not only identifies African Americans of genius but groups together and shows how people inspired each other in their development. Much of what Russell shows us about genius is universally applicable. I especially enjoyed a chapter where Russell contrasts and compares the life and influence of Frederick Douglass and the life and influence of James Baldwin, quoting paragraphs from each that parallel each other. The breadth of genius was inspiring as well as the individual stories: artists, musicians, leaders, architects, scientists, inventors, ministers. It is abundantly evident that this book just scratches the surface. I also appreciate that Russell does not shy away from mentioning the faith of the individual, if it was something that contributed to their development. If there is any weakness in the book it would be the area of scientists and inventors. There is less detail on some of the people, but as I recall the section on art there are some people similarly mentioned briefly but not covered in detail. Of course, writers and ministers have probably left more of a record of their thoughts and life story. I have a long list of reading material to look for generated from the book. I would recommend this to anyone (who is willing to read a long but fascinating book).