Thursday, January 26, 2012

Heart and Soul: THe Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson


Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans words and paintings by Kadir Nelson

 You have to know where you come from so you can move forward.

What first attracted me to this book were the paintings.  So striking, so bold, so brilliant.  Nelson is an expert at capturing light in just the right way and the minute details of faces and hands.  In my opinion, all of the paintings in this book are worthy of being admired any art gallery.  However, the paintings alone are not what are so great about Heart and Soul.  The story itself is educational and inspiring.  It is narrated by an old, unnamed African American woman who candidly talks about the history of African Americans in America.  She begins by talking about her grandfather who was captured in his native Africa and brought to America to become a slave and ends with her casting her vote for the nation’s first African American president.  This is a book than be shared by the entire family.  It offers a great starting point for discussions on the struggles, contributions, and accomplishments of African American in America.  I highly recommend it.

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