A portrait of a person is not just a picture but a rendering of a life. In this collection of twenty biographical essays, noted author Tonya Bolden and Ansel Pitcairn merge the visual with the analytical and paint a true rendering of these outstanding lives. The heroes range from historical to contemporary figures, from Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Gwendolyn Brooks. They represent diverse fields of endeavor, from law to athletics, science, and more. A book to inspire and teach, this is as striking as it is important.

A portrait of a person is not just a picture but a rendering of a life. In this collection of twenty biographical essays, noted author Tonya Bolden and Ansel Pitcairn merge the visual with the analytical and paint a true rendering of these outstanding lives. The heroes range from historical to contemporary figures, from Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Gwendolyn Brooks. They represent diverse fields of endeavor, from law to athletics, science, and more. A book to inspire and teach, this is as striking as it is important.