Chicken Soup for the African American Soul: Celebrating and Sharing Our Culture One Story at a Time

This newest addition to the bestselling series features Chicken Soup's trademark stories in a ""tribute to a culture that prides itself on survival, resiliency, healing, prayer and perseverance."" This collection hits all those notes, with inspiring contributions from familiar names, including Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Maya Angelou, as well as heartfelt vignettes from everyday folks. While the writing quality varies, most essays are moving. Stories of helping others, of gifts received from strangers and of pursuing one's dreams speak to our common humanity. Yet the struggle of being black in America pervades this collection; many contributors discuss issues of identity, discrimination and injustice. Writers describe the difficulty of becoming comfortable in one's skin; of not being ""a Black girl posing in a white girl get-up."" Most writers also make clear that as they meet challenges, they honor the past and forge into the future: ""[My father] has shown me that when a black man fulfills his own potential, he makes it possible for his future generations to come to the table and experience the world in a different and better way."" Resonating throughout is the rallying cry of doing one's best, whatever the situation.While this volume speaks to a specific audience, it has lessons for everyone, including that ""for folks of color, living with race isn't a choice, it just is."" (Sept. 14)