and langston hughes.f blues and the people, and i think he demonstrates the black english or ebonics, whatever you want to call it, is not an inferior language or way of expressing. >> well, i mentioned earlier in our conversation that there are so many great african-american writers who draw a very powerful ways on african-american english and deal with themes that are things of empowerment and identity. and they certainly, you know, alice walker, mary barack is, langston hughes, i came up a booty. toni morrison. we could go on and on and on. a great issue i think about these great writers which i think is true of all great writers around the world, the great writers i believe are like priest who have the gift of second sight. that is, they understand powerful things about what it means to be a human being. and that one of our major responsibilities is to teach our children when they are very done to love books. to love books into love to read. and once they love the books and learn to read, they will re

activists are woven together with those of historical giants from phyllis wheatley, paula dunbar, langston hughes, james baldwin, alice walker and toni morrison to benjamin banneker, sojourner truth, frederick douglass, w.e.b. du bois, wells barnett and colin powell. the likely missive of the extraordinary are matched by the equally poignant letters of the ordinary to the pen in hand that shared their joy and pain in coming ecstasy and heartache. with this letter is from hand and grover to her son, kato, who has written june 3rd, 1805. >> my dear son, kato, i've long to see you in my old age. i called well with grover the minister of the place. my dear son, i pray you come to see your dear old mother or send me $20 and i will come and see you in philadelphia. and if you can't come to see your old mother, pray, send me a letter and tell me where you live, what family you have a and what to do for a living. i am a poor old servant. i long for freedom and my master will free me if anybody will engage to maintain me so that don't come upon him. i love you, kato. you love your mother, you are my only