BLACK DETROIT A People's History of Self-Determination

Boyd packs hundreds of years of rich and poignant African-American culture into his history of Detroit. His account gets the proper treatment in the deep voice and deliberate pacing of narrator James Shippy. He commands the prose with such skill that the intention of every sentence is clear through his emphasis and timing. However, Boyd's prose and rich detail can carry on for so long that even Shippy may have trouble keeping the attention of some listeners. The various threads of history that comprise the African-American experience in Detroit get a full account--perhaps too full--through Boyd's in-depth work. At its best, it establishes a rich cultural tapestry within a city that has become both a central hub and a place of alienation for African-Americans. L.E. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2018]