Find some amazing books – on sale – from the University of Illinois Press during the next few weeks. And yes, my book, Word Warrior: Richard Durham, Radio, and Freedom is part of this sale.
Have fun checking out all of the possibilities!
Author: Sonja D. Williams
A Fascinating Examination of a Trailblazing Athlete & Her Times
Althea Gibson.
She was a one-of-a-kind tennis star and golf professional.
Back in 1957 and 1958, Gibson became the first African American ever to win the coveted championship titles in Wimbledon and in what is now the U.S. Open. By the time her tennis career ended, she had walked away with about 58 national and international singles and doubles titles.
Then in 1964, Gibson became the first Black American woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), where she broke course records in several tournaments.
But there was much more to Gibson than her sporting conquests. She was a talented singer, an aspiring actress, a businesswoman and a New Jersey state athletic commissioner.
And there’s more.
So if you’re interested in finding out more about this dynamic woman who inspired scores of younger athletes – including Venus and Serena Williams – you should check out my interview with Ashley Brown, assistant professor of history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Brown’s biography of Gibson was published in February of this year, and it’s a fascinating account of Gibson’s life and times.
Click here to listen to my intervew with Professor Ashley Brown (via the Biographers International Organization podcast series), and enjoy!
Honoring the Memory of Extraordinary Artist & Activist Harry Belafonte
On April 25, 2023, the world lost a gifted artist and committed activist – a man who was never shy about speaking (or singing) truth to power.
With his passing, Harlem born Harry Belafonte joined his long time friend and fellow artist Sidney Poitier among the ancestors. Both men will be sorely missed.
During the early 2000s in the Howard University Department of Media, Journalism and Film in Washington DC, we had the pleasure of honoring Belafonte with an award named for one of the men who inspired him – singer, actor and activist Paul Robeson.
After our awards ceremony, Belafonte conducted a master class in which he shared information about his life, his career and his commitment to civil and human rights.
To hear the radio program we produced based on this master class – a study in wisdom, courage and artistic integrity – click here.
Shining A Light on A Little Known Activist in America and South Africa
Madie Hall Zuma.
You might not know her name or her accomplishments, but Hall Zuma was an influential activist. 
As a Black woman who was born and raised in America’s Jim Crow South (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), she would become an educator and then the wife of the first president of South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC). She went on to lead the ANC’s Women’s League and helped to organize South African self-help clubs affiliated with the worldwide YWCA.
Intrigued?
If so, click here to listen to my interview with author Wanda Hendricks who wrote a biography about this fascinating woman and her times.
Happy Black History Month!
Greetings!
As this Black history month takes off, you might want to check out these special offers with a few favorite and some forthcoming titles from the University of Illinois Press (UIP).
And don’t miss the UIP’s free ebook giveaway of Afro-Nostalgia: Feeling Good in Contemporary Black Culture by Badia Ahad-Legardy.
Enjoy!