Black Fact of the Day: Nov. 27, 2019- Brought to you by Black365
Author Charles Johnson was awarded the National Book Award for his book “Middle Passage,” 1990.
Author Charles Johnson was awarded the National Book Award for his book “Middle Passage,” 1990.
12.5 million Africans shipped during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, fewer than 388,000 arrived in the United States. In the late 15th century, the advancement of seafaring technologies created a new Atlantic that would change the world forever. As ships began connecting West Africa with Europe and the Americas, new fortunes were sought and native populations were decimated.
Families come to this country seeking asylum. They undertake grueling, dangerous journeys in the hope that America will provide safe harbor from the violence that they are fleeing. Some are escaping domestic abuse, others have come to our shores to save their families from gangs. None expect to have their children ripped from their arms when they finally reach safety.
While a graduate student at SUNY, Johnson produced numerous short stories. In these works, Johnson experimented with the fusing of philosophical interpretative method to literary form. He later used this technique in his two most important non-fiction books: Being and Race (1988) and Turning the Wheel: Essays in Buddhism and Writing (2003).