A new historical anthology from transatlantic slavery to the
Reconstruction curated by the Schomburg Center, that makes the case
for focusing on the histories of Black people as agents and
architects of their own lives and ultimate liberation, with a
foreword by Kevin Young
This is the first
Penguin Classics anthology published in partnership with the
Schomburg Center, a world-renowned cultural institution documenting
black life in America and worldwide. A historic branch of NYPL
located in Harlem, the Schomburg holds one of the world’s premiere
collections of slavery material within the Lapidus Center for
Historical Analysis of Transatlantic Slavery. Unsung will
place well-known documents by abolitionists alongside lesser-known
life stories and overlooked or previously uncelebrated accounts of
the everyday lives and activism that were central in the slavery era,
but that are mostly excised from today’s master accounts. Unsung
will also highlight related titles from founder Arturo Schomburg’s
initial collection: rare histories and first-person narratives about
slavery that assisted his generation in understanding the roots of
their contemporary social struggles. Unsung will draw from the
Schomburg’s rich holdings in order to lead a dynamic discussion of
slavery, rebellion, resistance, and anti-slavery protest in the
United States.