Description
Book SynopsisAn examination of the relationship between African Americans and the environment in U.S. history, "To Love the Wind and the Rain" contains essays covering topics such as slavery, religion, the turpentine industry, gardening, outdoor recreation, women and politics.
Trade ReviewFrom slavery to Jim Crow segregation to the eras of civil rights and environmental justice, the authors guide us through a multitude of periods and places, skillfully blending theory with practice while building an environmental history of African America.... The stories... in this volume must be read in the context of the enormity of this oppressive history and the struggles of individuals and communities to overcome its consequences. Set against this historical backdrop, the stories herein become more remarkable as the authors illuminate the vitality of their subjects' lives, the significance of their achievements, and the successes and failures of their work together. In so doing, the writers not only show us how to write a new kind of African American environmental history, but illustrate the ways that writing history can itself become a moral act. - Carolyn Merchant, University of California, Berkeley, from the foreword
