| Each of these books addresses a single aspect of the consequences of the African diaspora that began in the sixteenth century and has yet to cease. The African diaspora is, perhaps, the least understood of many mass movements of groups set adrift from their homelands, because it is the least analyzed and written about in a way that reaches the reading public, especially the African American public. But it is of particular interest to all Americans to understand the wandering Africans' search for security in the U.S. and beyond, for such understanding sheds light on the social dynamics of contemporary black/white relationships. Although these books are scholarly in form, the authors are contemporary scholars who treat the issues in a contemporary fashion, and each of the books is very creative and resourceful in developing its themes. This review is arranged chronologically, from Africa to the Americas. Slavery and Beyond concerns itself with West Africans who formed one of the major ethnic groups in Latin America. Grounded in such places as Mexico, Cuba, Buenos Aires, Ecuador, Haiti, and Brazil, these essays explore the geographical, regional, and cultural factors that affect the history of Latin America. The 15 essays cover such topics as the Age of Discovery, the colonial era, religion, music, and intermarriage; each is written by an expert in the field and introduced by the editor, Davis, who also provides an introduction to the volume; and each helps readers to grasp the complicated internal dynamics of this African-based group and their relationships with encompassing societies. The annotated film and reading lists and the glossary are extremely useful, and none is excessive. Creoles of Color is the first serious historical examination of a distinct multiracial society in southwestern Louisiana, scrutinizing the multiracial group through a close study of primary-resource materials. The term Creole has been much misunderstood over the years. One will not use the term Creole carelessly after studying this book, with its addictive genealogy charts.Who Set You Flowin'?, bearing the marks of the revisionist's tools, is an examination of the reasons behind black migration from the South to urban centers of the North in the twentieth century. Because Griffin utilizes diverse cultural works, from Billie Holiday, Richard Wright, Jean Toomer, Jacob Lawrence, Toni Morrison, and others, as extended examples and for illustrations, she lends to her "migration narrative" discourse a familiarity that the general reader can identify with, and that orientation will attract a wide readership inside and outside the academy. --Bonnie Smothers |
