Strong Men Keep Coming: The Book of African American Men

The quirky, engaging voice of Tonya Bolden seems perfectly suited to testify to the tenacious legacy of black men in America; her endearing enthusiasm and deep respect for African American men are irresistible, as clear in her first words as in the finest details of her sketches. "I am the daughter of a black man in America, granddaughter of black men in America, great-great-granddaughter of black men in America. I am a niece, cousin, sister, aunt--and have been a wife and lover--of black men in America. How can I not want to know about their journey?"

Bolden has taken an idiosyncratic approach in her tribute, but one that she pulls off with aplomb. Detailing the lives of over a hundred African American men, from the 17th century to the present, Bolden has made some expected choices, like Jesse Jackson, A. Philip Randolph, and Frederick Douglass. But she devotes considerable time to ordinary men, such as a small-town business owner in 1920s Oklahoma and a former slave who testified before Congress about being terrorized at the voting booth. Even some of Bolden's omissions, such as Paul Robeson, get their due by default, as we learn about the men who played important roles in their lives; a sketch of Robeson's father William Drew tells a more subtle story about the gifted actor and singer than we might have learned from more direct examination.

Despite Bolden's unusual approach and sometimes erratic choices, Strong Men Keep Coming tells its story well, a tale whose moral is "that despite the bondage, despite the postbellum oppression, despite the wretches and traitors to the race, strong black men--thinkers, creators, builders, fighters, givers of good things--they have kept and will keep coming." --Paul Hughes