Book of the Week

Love & marriage in early African America

Edited by Frances Smith Foster

Love and Marriage in Early African America brings together a remarkable range of folk sayings, rhymes, songs, poems, letters, lectures, sermons, short stories, memoirs, and autobiographies. Spanning over 100 years, from the slave era to the New Negro Movement, this extraordinary collection contradicts or nuances established notions that slavery fractured families, devalued sexual morality, distorted gender roles, and set in motion forces that now produce dismal and dangerous domestic situations. A culmination of twenty years of diligent research by noted scholar Frances Smith Foster, this anthology features selections on love and courtship, marriage, marriage rituals, and family. A compelling introduction places the primary texts in their social and literary context. A bibliography offers suggestions for further reading.

Catalog Page

Libraries Spotlight

Starting Tuesday, January 19, compact shelving will be installed in the basement of the library; for a period of approximately 8 weeks, the basement will be inaccessible to library users, except for the men’s restroom. The handicapped restroom will be available for those using a wheelchair. All library materials in the basement will be retrieved on request by library personnel. To request materials from the basement, please print the catalog entry or fill out a call slip with the call number and title of the item and take it to the Research & Information Services Desk or the Check Out & Customer Service Desk. We apologize for the inconvenience as we continue to improve study and research conditions in the library.