"Shirley Chisholm died in 2005, and her career had largely ended over a decade before that. But the life of this remarkable woman has particular resonance for our world today. The child of immigrants, she was the first African American woman elected to Congress and the first African American to run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. This compelling volume traces Chisholm's life from her childhood, through her career in education, through...

A biography of the man who made taking pictures child's play and made way for a whole new era in photography. Like many other Americans, George Eastman enjoyed taking photographs. But in 1877, photography was a complicated process that included chemicals, glass plates, and boxes full of equipment. George Eastman decided there had to be an easier way to take pictures. Although he had a full-time job at a bank, he devoted every spare minute to experimenting...

"Ira Aldridge dreamed of being on stage, performing the great works of William Shakespeare. He spent every chance he got at the local theaters, memorizing each actor's lines for all of the great plays. Ira knew he could be a famous performer if given the chance. But in the early 1800s, only white actors were allowed to perform Shakespeare. African American actors had to play in musicals at the all-black theater in New York City.Despite the discouragement...