Chapter 19 - Collective Biographies and African American History

Summary

Collective biographies have played a major role in African American historical writing since the early nineteenth century. The essay explores two of the many African American collective biographies published in the last decades of the century: Men of Mark (1887) and Progress of a Race (1897). Produced during what Rayford Logan has called the “nadir” of race relations, they aimed at showcasing the achievements of African Americans and inspiring pride and emulation in black audiences. Their authors also vigorously denounced the current degraded situation of African Americans. Unlike Men of Mark, which clearly targeted a black readership, Progress of a Race, signed by two authors, one black, one white, attempted to reach a double audience of blacks and whites. The second part of the essay looks into the publishing history of the works, both of which were issued by white subscription houses, and examines the way they were promoted, marketed, and received. It raises intriguing questions as to the marketability and audience of works primarily aimed at an African American readership.