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  • Blackbirds Singing: Inspiring Black Women's Speeches from the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century by Janet Dewart Bell book cover
  • Blackbirds Singing: Inspiring Black Women's Speeches from the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century by Janet Dewart Bell book cover
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Blackbirds Singing: Inspiring Black Women's Speeches from the Civil War to the Twenty-First Century

by Janet Dewart Bell

A two-century record of Black women’s public voices

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AlbakiReads Editorial

A two-century record of Black women’s public voices

Janet Dewart Bell brings together political speeches by Black women spanning the Civil War era to the twenty-first century. The collection pairs familiar figures, including Harriet Tubman, Ella Baker, Barbara Lee, and Barbara Jordan, with lesser-known speakers, tracing a tradition of speaking publicly for liberation. Across the addresses, questions of ethics, courage, leadership, and justice connect distinct historical moments. The speeches offer a view of political history shaped by Black women’s words and activism, with voices from different generations gathered in one volume.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • For readers interested in Black women’s history and political speech.
  • For those exploring civil rights activism and the history of freedom struggles.
  • For readers seeking speeches by both widely recognized and lesser-known Black women.

Themes

Black women’s political speechFreedom and justiceLeadership and courageAfrican American history

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

An uplifting collection of speeches by Black women, curated by the civil and human rights activist, scholar, and author


When Mary Ann Shadd Cary--the first Black woman publisher in North America--declared, "break every yoke . . . let the oppressed go free" to congregants in Chatham, Canada, in 1858, she joined a tradition of African American women speaking for their own liberation. Drawing from a rich archive of political speeches, acclaimed activist and author Janet Dewart Bell, the author of Lighting the Fires of Freedom, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, explores this tradition in Blackbirds Singing.

Gathering an array of recognized names as well as new discoveries, Bell curates two centuries of stirring public addresses by Black women, from Harriet Tubman and Ella Baker to Barbara Lee and Barbara Jordan. These magnificent speakers explore ethics, morality, courage, authenticity, and leadership, highlighting Black women speaking truth to power in service of freedom and justice.

With an expansive historical lens, Blackbirds Singing celebrates the tradition of Black women's political speech and labor, allowing the voices and powerful visions of African American women to speak across generations building power for the world.

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