Women in Black History:  Stories of Courage, Faith, and Resilience, is a compilation of stories featuring fourteen Black women who made an impact in America.  Most historical books tend to share facts about the same people over and over again; it was a pleasant surprise to be able to read about women who I had yet to be exposed. Tricia Williams Jackson focuses the book on well-known women such as Sojourner Truth and Rosa Parks, and some not so well-known women such as Mary Ann Shadd Cary and Anna Julia Cooper.

Women in Black History offers a short biography of the women featured. Readers not only learn about the basic facts about each of the women, but one may find new information within the text.  For instance, I have read a few stories about Rosa Parks, but not until I read her story in Women in Black History did I realize that she moved to Detroit shortly after the Montgomery Boycott due to lack of employment for her and her husband. Tricia Williams Jackson does well balancing the stories of each of the women.  I also enjoyed the quotes she highlighted from each of the women such as this quote from Harriet Tubman, “I freed a thousand slaves.  I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.”

Women of Black History has been a nice addition to our bookshelf.  It allows my daughters and me to discuss the lives of the women as we read the stories aloud.  At the end of each chapter, we are greeted with three discussion questions along with two opportunities for digging deeper.  The Imagine and Get Creative section causes the learner to place themselves in similar situations and provides a great opportunity to improve writing skills.  

This book will have a long life on our history shelf long after we finish reading it together.  My 11 year old already takes time to read the stories without me.

-Product review by Latonya Moore, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, June, 2016