Discarded Legacy: Politics and Poetics in the Life of Frances E.W. Harper, 1825-1911 (African American Life)

In this study of lecturer, educator, poet, essayist, novelist, and abolitionist Harper, Boyd (The Inventory of Black Roses, Past Tents Pr., 1989) offers a literal exhibition of the perils that still adversely affect the security, prosperity, and expectations of African Americans in the United States today. Harper spoke with subtlety of the overwhelming injustices perpetrated against African Americans of her time and her concerns for the future. Organized around publications of Harper's poetry, speeches, or letters, the book is divided into three parts: "The Abolitionist Years," "The Pursuit of the Promised Land," and "The Women's Era." Highly recommended for all those who appreciate unearthed history and current works on blacks and the Reconstruction era.