Black New Jersey: 1664 to the Present Day

by Graham Russell Gao Hodges

Winner of the 2019 Richard P. McCormick Prize from the New Jersey Historical Commission​

Black New Jersey tells the rich and complex story of the African American community’s remarkable accomplishments and the colossal obstacles they faced along the way. Drawing from rare archives, historian Graham Russell Gao Hodges brings to life the courageous black men and women who fought for their freedom and eventually built a sturdy and substantial middle class. He explores how the state’s unique mix of religious, artistic, and cultural traditions have helped to produce such world-renowned figures as Paul Robeson, Cory Booker, and Queen Latifah, as well as a host of lesser-known but equally influential New Jersey natives.  

Genres: Nonfiction

380 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

Graham Russell Gao Hodges is the George Dorland Langdon Jr. Professor of History and Africana & Latin American Studies at Colgate University.

Reviews

[Doris Raines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LIKE THIS BOOK.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive history that fills in many facts that were not a part of my education in New Jersey's school system. This provides some insight into the state of my state today.