Publisher Description
This is a special production from SoundCraft Audiobooks and is Volume 9 in the "History's Greatest Speeches" series. The struggle for human rights, emancipation, civil rights, social justice, voting rights and freedom from discrimination and tyranny is captured here in this volume of speeches by some of the most influential and brilliant black orators in history. From Sojourner Truth (Rochelle Young) questioning society's role in subjugating black women to Nelson Mandela (Amir Abdullah) facing a life sentence in prison with dignity and unequaled poise, this collection of speeches highlights the contributions of these unique speakers, who stood up to prejudice, violence, prison and even death itself to assert their rights as human beings. This volume also features Booker T. Washington's (Will Chris) "Atlanta Compromise" speech, Mary E. Church Terrell (Casaundra Freeman) opining on what it means to be a black woman in the nation's capitol, Ida B. Wells' (Devereau Chumrau) condemnation of the scourge of lynching in America, W.E.B. Du Bois (Rosney Mauger) famous "A Negro Nation Within a Nation" speech to the NAACP and Thurgood Marshall's (AK Murtada) historic argument for fairness in education before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. The importance of the contributions of these great speakers to the fight for basic human rights cannot be overstated. We are proud to be able to present these breathtaking and stirring orations highlighting the voices of black speakers throughout history.
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About the Authors
Booker Taliaferro Washington (1856–1915), founder of Tuskegee Institute, was a leading educator, author, and statesman who rose from slavery to become internationally famous.
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868–1963) was a sociologist, historian, novelist, activist, and one of the greatest African American intellectuals. His astounding career spanned the nation’s history from Reconstruction to the civil rights movement. Born in Massachusetts and educated at Fisk, Harvard, and the University of Berlin, he penned his epochal masterpiece, The Souls of Black Folk, in 1903. It remains his most studied and popular work; its insights into black life at the turn of the century still ring true.
Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) won the Novel Peace Prize in 1993 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President George W. Bush, among many other accolades. He became the first freely elected president of South Africa in 1994. He gained popularity while in prison for being a prominent member of the African National Congress and became a leading figure in the anti-apartheid movement. He authored numerous works, including the New York Times bestseller Conversations with Myself, as well as his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom.