Why We Created These Books
By Archie Givens, Jr.
I could not begin to reflect in words how much I have learned about other people, other places, other ideas from books. Apart from a love of reading, I have a profound respect for books, because I know what they have done to expand my world.
Thus, when the Archie Givens Sr. Collection of African American Literature was dedicated in memory of my father at the University of Minnesota eleven years ago, I knew that I wanted to make the literature available to the many students and scholars whose world would also be expanded by access to such rich material. Yet that was only the beginning.
In time, I came to envision how this body of literature could be important in ways I hadn't imagined. I came to appreciate its value to far more people than just those who were led to the literature to do research, or who happened to come upon the books in their search for other materials; I came to understand its power to open the hearts and minds of children and adults alike. I've watched this happen with my own daughters, whose love for books is as boundless as their souls.
With that inspiration, we at the Givens Foundation for African American Literature created Spirited Minds: African American Books for Our Sons and Our Brothers and its sister companion, Strong Souls Singing: African American Books for Our Daughters and Our Sisters. Each begins to show the breadth of genius in African American literature, to whet the appetites of new readers, and to give those who know the literature something to share with others.
We also are collaborating with Simon & Schuster/Atria and the Minneapolis-based independent press, Coffee House Press, on a multi season publishing series. Several times a year, carefully selected classics of years gone by will be printed under Simon & Schuster's "Washington Square Press" imprint, and a Black Arts Movement series by Coffee House Press. The Givens Foundation will create lesson plans and readers' guides to accompany many of the titles.
The books included here represent only a fraction of all that exist, but they help show the way to a universe of understanding and pleasure.
My purpose is to bring more attention to the great treasure that is African American literature. My dream is that by reading the books we will all learn something valuable about ourselves and about each other.
© 2000-2005 The Givens Foundation
