Philadelphia Famous Artists Kickstart the Arts

By Helen Gerogette

The history of the U. S. is rooted in Philadelphia. Besides being known as "The City of Brotherly Love", the city also the location of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the home of the Liberty Bell, and birthplace of many notable people and founding fathers. There are a number of famous artists in Philadelphia that are native to the city, and lots more that have come to make the city of Philadelphia their home.

Philadelphia Icons

Many famous artists from Philadelphia have created its history. Benjamin Franklin called Philly home and local Betsy Ross is credited with sewing the first American flag. John Sydney Blyth was a respected actor who was famous for his parts in the Shakespearean plays of Hamlet and Richard III. Bill Keane is a widely known cartoonist who has provided families with memories of fun thru his comic The Family Circus. One of America's most beloved television dads, Bill Cosby, is also a Philadelphia local.

Philadelphia Actors

Many famous artists from Philadelphia are actors, like Richard Gere, an actor known best for his roles in movies such as Pretty Woman, Sommersby, Chicago, and others. Kevin Bacon, also a star of the movie screen, known for his parts in flicks like Animal House, Footloose, Flatliners, Shocks, and lots more. David Boreanaz actor and director well known for the television series Buffy, Angel and Bones. Tina Fey, actress and comic, most recognized from her skits in Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. Will Smith is another star who has played roles in movies such as Independence Day and Men in Black. His performing talents have also been seen in TV and as a successful singer.

Philadelphia Public Art

As well as these Philadelphia famous artists, the city is also recognized as having the best amount of public art, in large part because of the Fairmount Park Art Association established in 1872. This organization is dedicated to to ensuring that there'll be lots more famous artists in Philadelphia. This was just the first of many steps which helped to maintain a focus on the culture, arts and sciences developing Philadelphia into an amazing cultural center.

About the Author:

Helen Gerogette loves writing and traveling about people like famous artists in Philadelphia. Some of her favorite art has been created by Philadelphia famous artists.

Black History Books About Historic Times And Figures

By Tamera Keith

Every February, time is set aside to celebrate and remember African American history. This tradition was first started as an effort to get the public to recognize black history as American history. That effort was won and the tradition continues on every year during the entire month of February. As a way to prepare to celebrate this rich culture, I suggest picking up a few black history books.

When I Was a Slave: Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection by Norman Yetman is a book that can introduce readers to life as a slave. This book consists of multiple stories shared by former slaves themselves. It gives an eye opening narrative of how slaves endured the cruelty of bondage. The stories are easy reads, but still powerful ones.

A very moving book about the era of slave trade is The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo by Tom Feelings. This is an adult picture book that uses powerful and graphic paintings to show the journey slaves were forced to make across the middle passage. The images depict the cruelty and suffering that slaves endured. The book does not need words because the images speak volumes.

Marilyn Nelson is also able to tell a story of African American culture in a unique way. Her book Carver: A Life in Poems is a group of poems that link together to tell the story of George Washington Carver. Carver was a black scientist that made significant contributions to science. The poems run through his entire life, childhood to death. Illustrations of historical photographs are provided.

The civil rights movement was a life changing time for America and brought about great leaders. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Was one of those leaders that stood out and made a difference. A reader can learn a lot about Dr. King and his work from the book The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Edited by Clayborne Carson. This book uses Dr. Kings own writings from various sources and groups them together to tell the story of his life, start to finish. Carson also contributes to the book to create a more complete picture for the reader.

Another huge icon of the civil rights movement was Malcolm X. The book Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary by Walter Dean Myers tells the life story of this iconic man. The book details the childhood and rise in power of this controversial historic figure. The author is able to show the stark contrast between Malcolm X and Dr. King without bias. This a fascinating read that includes great visual aids as well.

Black history also has its place in politics. The book Mississippi Challenge by Mildred Pitts Walter details some the racial biased politics that overpowered Mississippi from the slave days through the civil rights era. She begins with how slavery became so popular in this state and continues on to the fight for equality, despite political barriers set in place. The book provides factual history to back up every story told.

Black history books bring to life stories of cruelty and tragedy, as well as triumph and courage. The celebration of this culture is a great opportunity to learn more about these stories and the heroes that bring them to life. The books described here are just a few of many available to interested readers.

About the Author:

You can visit the website www.johnsonbooksinc.com for more helpful information about Interesting And Informative Black History Books