A Treasury of African-American Christmas Stories
Collier-Thomas' inspiring collection of 18 stories and 2 poems explores the significance of Christmas to African Americans and their embrace of Christianity, with its hope of a better afterlife and recognition of long-suffering faith. Like her previous compilation, this book offers a distinct African American orientation on the holiday and the religion it celebrates. The works, originally published in black newspapers and periodicals between 1882 and 1939, embrace traditional themes but don't shrink from timely and controversial concerns about slavery, lynching, miscegenation, and spiritual hypocrisy in the context of celebrating the Christian season. Some pieces reconstruct the traditional Christmas images of a jolly, white Santa Claus or a white Christ. Collier-Thomas introduces each piece with a short sketch of the author and the work. The collection includes stories by famous authors, such as Pauline Hopkins, Augustus M. Hodges, and John Henrik Clarke, and relatively unknown authors, such as Lelia Plummer, Eva S. Purdy, and Bruce Reynolds.Vanessa Bush--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.