Walter Dean Myers writes "Before you go forward, you must know where you have been." Myers' dynamic rendering of African-American history provides three distinct dimensions for such self-knowledge and progress: a general chronological summary, specific biographical accounts and a striking patchwork of personal ancestry. Throughout his overview of events and conditions of the enslavement of the African peoples, Myers interweaves compelling human stories. "What we understand of our history is what we understand of ourselves," he says, and so he interprets the necessary creation of the African-American extended family and the prevalence of certain means of expression within African-American life. The ringing conclusion challenges readers to think of African-Americans' past and present as those of a people fully deserving of rights and equally blessed with the gifts necessary for success. "I bring as much truth as I know," writes the author. Myers' account of the Plantation Society, his biography of the chief's son Abd al-Rahman Ibrathima, and his interpretation of the contributions of individuals such as Ida B. Wells exemplify the three-fold way this powerful 23-chapter book contributes new information, fresh insight and--ultimately--welcomes hope to all readers. Winner, 1991 CCBC Coretta Scott King Discussion for Writing. (Age 9 and older)

A dynamic rendering of African American history incorporates three distinct dimensions: a general chronological summary, specific biographical accounts and a striking patchwork of the author's personal ancestry. This overview of events and conditions of the enslavement of the African peoples interweaves compelling human stories and interprets the necessary creation of the African American extended family. The ringing conclusion of this twenty-three chapter book challenges readers to think of African Americans past and present as a people fully deserving of rights and equally blessed with the gifts necessary for success.

A Coretta Scott King Award winner that is more timely than ever—excellent narrative nonfiction that's "history at its best."* Like Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States, Now Is Your Time! explores American history through the stories of the people whose experiences have shaped and continue to shape the America in which we live.

History has made me an African American. It is an Africa that I have come from, and an America that I have helped to create.

Since they were first brought as captives to Virginia, the people who would become African Americans have struggled for freedom. Thousands fought for the rights of all Americans during the Revolutionary War, and for their own rights during the Civil War. On the battlefield, through education, and through their creative genius, they have worked toward one goal: that the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness be denied no one.

Fired by the legacy of these men and women, the struggle continues today.

"Portrays the quests of individual Africans against the background of broader historical movements. Instead of a comprehensive, strict chronology, Myers offers, through freed slave Ibrahima, investigative reporter Ida Wells, artist Meta Warrick Fuller, inventor George Latimore, artist Dred Scott, the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, and others, history at its best—along with deeper understanding of past and contemporary events. Readers will grasp reasons behind incidents ranging from bewildering Supreme Court decisions to the historical need for the black extended family. Intriguing and rousing." (Publishers Weekly starred review*).

Walter Dean Myers was a New York Times bestselling author, Printz Award winner, five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, two-time Newbery Honor recipient, and the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Maria Russo, writing in the New York Times, called Myers "one of the greats and a champion of diversity in children’s books well before the cause got mainstream attention."