Quick! Need Biography Recommendation for Book Report

[Momgonepostal]

Help, DUers!

My husband is taking a class for a teaching credentional and he needs to do a book report by THIS FRIDAY on either a biography or autobiography. The book needs to be something that would be helpful for a teacher, something that might give insight into how to better meet the needs of certain types of students, maybe...?

My first thought when he told me this was Angela's Ashes, by Frank McCourt, but then my husband said the professor advised choosing a book about a person of color.

Anyway, so we need 1. biography/autobiography, 2. subject must be a person of color 3. something that might be useful for a teacher.

Any ideas?

[6000eliot]

1. Paolo Friere?

Leftist Brazilian educator. Inventor of Liberation Pedagogy.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. Louis Armstrong: In His Own Words....

The way he went about this is interesting. It's fresh and relative to today's world. and it's fascinating.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/019514046X/qid=1127187851/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-3100039-6567867?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[libnnc]

3. W.E.B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race 1868–1963 (David Levering Lewis)

From "A Biographical Sketch of W.E.B. Du Bois" by Gerald C. Hynes
http://www.duboislc.org/html/DuBoisBio.html

<snip> William Edward Burghardt DuBois, to his admirers, was by spirited devotion and scholarly dedication, an attacker of injustice and a defender of freedom.

A harbinger of Black nationalism and Pan-Africanism, he died in self-imposed exile in his home away from home with his ancestors of a glorious past—Africa.

Labeled as a "radical," he was ignored by those who hoped that his massive contributions would be buried along side of him. But, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, "history cannot ignore W.E.B. DuBois because history has to reflect truth and Dr. DuBois was a tireless explorer and a gifted discoverer of social truths. His singular greatness lay in his quest for truth about his own people. There were very few scholars who concerned themselves with honest study of the black man and he sought to fill this immense void. The degree to which he succeeded disclosed the great dimensions of the man." <snip>

[NNadir]

4. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.

This is the powerful autobiography of Frederick Douglass, one of the greatest spirits ever to have been born in this country.

Three great men of humble beginnings determined the outcome of the American Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, of course, US Grant, and Frederick Douglass. Of the three Douglass rose from the lowest and most degraded station to become one of the pre-eminent Americans of his century.

In the American Civil war events were decided in three spheres, each by one of these men. Lincoln defined the political sphere, Grant the military, and Douglass, the ethical.

After delivering his beautiful 2nd inaugural address, Lincoln sought Douglass out at the White House reception afterwards saying, "Here is my friend Douglass. I am glad to see you. I saw you in the crowd today, listening to my address. There is no man in the country whose opinion I value more than yours. I want to know hat you think of it."

That was pretty high praise by the President many regard as having been the greatest.

[Momgonepostal]

5. Thanks to all who responded!

Thank you all! He's going with "The Spirit Catches you and you Fall Down."

[philosophie_en_rose]

6. That's a great book!

With plenty of good things for social service workers to think about.