From the colonial period onward; black artisans in southern cities--thousands of free and enslaved carpenters; coopers; dressmakers; blacksmiths; saddlers; shoemakers; bricklayers; shipwrights; cabinetmakers; tailors; and others--played vital roles in their communities. Yet only a very few black craftspeople have gained popular and scholarly attention. Catherine W. Bishir remedies this oversight by offering an in-depth portrayal of urban African American artisans in the small but important port city of New Bern. In so doing; she highlights the community's often unrecognized importance in the history of nineteenth-century black life. Drawing upon myriad sources; Bishir brings to life men and women who employed their trade skills; sense of purpose; and community relationships to work for liberty and self-sufficiency; to establish and protect their families; and to assume leadership in churches and associations and in New Bern's dynamic political life during and after the Civil War. Focusing on their words and actions; Crafting Lives provides a new understanding of urban southern black artisans' unique place in the larger picture of American artisan identity.
#2124619 in Books Luis Nicolau Pares 2013-11-17Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 6.50 x 1.25l; 1.34 #File Name: 1469610922424 pagesThe Formation of Candomble
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The most thorough analysis of African cultural transmission to Brazil since the pioneering work of Pierre VergerBy Stephen D. GlazierThis study focuses on Candomblé temples in Bahia; Brazil; and how they have been influenced by the Jeje (Gbe-speaking) peoples of Benin; Ghana; and Togo. The author outlines three centuries of African and Afro-Brazilian religious history with special attention to historical demography and the genealogy of religions. Previous studies of Candomble have focused mainly on Yoruba influences; but -- as Pares convincingly documents -- Jeje peoples were the single largest ethnic group brought to Brazil during the first two decades of the 1800s. The last two chapters contain richly-detailed ethnographies of two well-known Jeje temples – Bogum and Seja Hunde. Both temples attract clients representing a variety of social classes and ethnic groups. In his comparison of Jeje rituals on both sides of the Atlantic; Pares gives the most thorough analysis of African cultural transmission to Brazil since the pioneering work of 20th century French anthropologist Pierre Verger. Richard Vernon has provided a first-rate English translation of the 2006 Portuguese edition. Stephen D. Glazier; University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Choice..
