Introduction

Black history is American history. It is baked into the foundation of our country so thoroughly that it is impossible to escape its influence today.

In this book, we celebrate those African Americans on whose shoulders we stand. 

We stand at a pivotal time, not only for our county but also for our state and especially our community.

When I got my first library card in 1993, I did not yet know that one day a Black man would be the president of the United States of America — or that I would grow up to become the mayor of the city I grew up in.