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Stories of more than 400 "firsts" by African Americans, break-through achievements in a variety of fields, are told in question-and-answer form ("Who was the first African American to ...?"). These are stories of people who were forced to contend with racism, directly or indirectly, in their struggle towards goals that require dedication and effort. That these people were able to succeed in a climate of racial injustice adds to their achievement. Achievements are grouped into the following categories: (1) business; (2) education; (3) entertainment; (4) film; (5) history; (6) journalism; (7) law and government; (8) literature; (9) military; (10) music; (11) religion; (12) science and medicine; (13) sports; (14) theater and dance; and (15) visual arts. Over 75 pages of photographs are included. (SLD)

Provides brief biographical sketches of African Americans who were the first of their race to accomplish a goal in a variety of fields, from medicine and politics to sports and entertainment.

Set in France at the time of the Huguenots, seventeen-year-old Gilles de Courtenay has been led by his stepsister, Fern, into rebellion against his strict stepfather and has gone so far as to become Secretary of the Junior Philosophers, a group of young men who praise Voltaire and Rousseau while criticizing the established Catholic Church.