In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

ix Acknowledgments Completing any book requires the cooperation of many people. An anthology would not be possible without the generosity of those who granted permissions to publish the speeches contained in this volume. Many authors, family members, and agents granted permissions gratis or at a reduced cost. We hope that their generosity will be amply repaid as new generations are inspired by the rich legacy of African American oratory. We are grateful for the assistance provided us by librarians and archivists and for the work of scholars who preceded us in heralding the importance of African American speakers and speeches in American history. We thank Dr. Karl Kageff, editor-in-chief at Southern Illinois University Press, for graciously encouraging us to undertake this book; also project editor Wayne Larsen; copy editor Kathleen Kageff; and other talented professionals at the press, including Barbara Martin and Bridget Brown. We are grateful to our students for reading draft material used in our classes and for their enthusiastic interest. Our respective institutions recognized the value of our study and provided as much support as possible in a crippled economy. Graduate students Kathy Taylor and Nicole Ramsey, at the University of North Carolina–Charlotte, helped us find and verify speech texts, track down rights holders, and secure permissions. Jill Fitzgerald at Cal Poly provided technical support. Gracious colleagues, including professors Shawn Long and Richard Besel, listened to our musings as the project took shape. Finally we thank our wives, professors Susan Duffy and Carol Leeman, and our children, Chris and Greg Leeman and Elizabeth Duffy, for their patience as we completed this project over the course of five years. ...

Share