Clarence Lusane's The Black History of the White House examines the history of racial relations in America by chronicling the experiences of African-Americans who constructed, worked at, and visited the White House. Lusane provides detailed accounts of more than 70 individuals, including former slaves, free blacks, and their descendants. Lusane was born on August 4, 1918 in Washington, D.C. He was raised by a single mother after his father died when he was young. He graduated from Dunbar High School in 1937 and then attended Howard University for two years before being drafted into the United States Army during World War II. After his military service, Lusane went to New York City where he worked as an elevator operator and also wrote articles for various newspapers about what it was like to be black in America during this time period. In 1949, he returned home to Washington D.C. and worked as an assistant editor for the Congressional Quarterly until he retired in 1994 at age 65. The Black History of the White House book was first published in 1995 by Johns Hopkins University Press. Since its publication, there have been several other books written about the history of African-Americans in the White House. One such book is Robert K. Murray's Sworn to Honor: A Story of Blacks in the White House.