James Haskins (September 19, 1941 – July 6, 2005) was an American author with more than 100 books for both adults and children. Many of his books highlight the achievements of African Americans and cover the history and culture of Africa and the African American experience. His work also included many biographical subjects, ranging from Lena Horne and

Hank Aaron Henry Louis Aaron (February 5, 1934 – January 22, 2021), nicknamed "Hammer" or "Hammerin' Hank", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1954 through 1976. One of the gre ...

Scatman Crothers Benjamin Sherman Crothers (May 23, 1910 – November 22, 1986), known professionally as Scatman Crothers, was an American actor and musician. He is known for playing Louie the Garbage Man on the TV show '' Chico and the Man'', and Dick Hal ...

and

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...

. Most of his writings were for young people. He wrote on a great variety of subjects that introduced young people to the language and cultures of other continents, especially Africa.

Biography

Haskins was born in Demopolis, Alabama and spent his childhood in a household with many children. He received his high school education in Boston, Massachusetts.Watkins, Mel
"James Haskins, an Author on Black History, Dies at 63," ''New York Times'' (July 11, 2005).
Accessed April 28, 2009. He received a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...

in 1960, a

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

degree from

Alabama State University Alabama State University (ASU) is a public historically black university in Montgomery, Alabama. Founded in 1867, ASU is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. History Alabama State University was founded in 1867 as the ...

in 1962, and a

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree from the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

in 1963. After graduation, before he decided to become a teacher, Haskins moved to New York City and worked as a stock trader on Wall Street. He taught music and special education classes in Harlem. His first book, ''Diary of a Harlem Schoolteacher'', was a result of his experience. He was a professor of English at the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

and lived in New York City. Haskins died in 2005 of complications from emphysema.

Writing

Haskins' picture books, with many brightly colored pictures and few words, were geared to young children just learning to read. They tend to highlight the achievements of African Americans in society. The characters in his stories cover the gamut of African American role models, from

Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as "th ...

to the black members of the Hannibal Guards, a military organization in Pittsburgh during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

.Children's Literature: Meet Authors & Illustrators
/ref> Haskins' 1977 picture book ''The Cotton Club'', featuring gangsters, jilted love, and pre-prohibition gangsters, was used as inspiration for the 1984 film of the same name. In 1998, his

young adult A young adult is generally a person in the years following adolescence. Definitions and opinions on what qualifies as a young adult vary, with works such as Erik Erikson's stages of human development significantly influencing the definition of ...

book ''African American Entrepreneurs'' was published by

Jossey-Bass John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (), is an American multinational publishing company founded in 1807 that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company produces books, journals, and encyclopedias, in ...

in English. The book followed the success of his first work, ''Voodoo and Hoodoo: The Craft as Revealed by Traditional Practitioners'', published some 20 years prior.

Awards

Haskins won many awards for his work. Several of his books won the Coretta Scott King Award, including ''The Story of Stevie Wonder'', which won the award in 1976; and ''Lena Horne'', which won the same award in 1984. '' Bricktop'' was chosen by the English-Speaking Union to be a Book-Across-the-Sea in 1983. ''Black Music in America'' won the 1988 Carter G. Woodson Book Award of the

National Council for the Social Studies The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) is a U.S.-based association devoted to supporting social studies education. It is affiliated with various regional or state level social studies associations, including: the Middle States Council ...

. His four-book ''Count Your Way'' series (Arab World, China, Japan, and Russia) won the Alabama Library Association Award for best work for children in 1988. In 1994, he was presented the ''Washington Post'' Children's Book Guide Award.

Selected bibliography

* ''Diary of a Harlem Schoolteacher'' ( Grove Press, 1969) * ''Profiles in Black Power'' (1972) * ''The Story of Stevie Wonder'' (1975) * ''Pele: A Biography'' (1976) * ''Scott Joplin: The Man Who Made Ragtime'' (1978) * ''Voodoo and Hoodoo: The Craft as Revealed by Traditional Practitioners'' (1978) * ''James Van DerZee: The Picture Takin' Man'' (1980) * '' Bricktop'' (1983) * ''Lena Horne'' (1983) * ''Black Music in America: A History Through Its People'' (1987) * ''Count Your Way'' series (1987) * ''Mr. Bojangles: The Biography of Bill Robinson'' (

Morrow Morrow is a word meaning "the next day" in literary English. It also means "morning" in archaic English Morrow may also refer to: Places in the United States and Canada United States * Morrow, Arkansas *Morrow, Georgia * Morrow, Louisiana *Morr ...

, 1988) * ''I Have a Dream: The Life and Works of Martin Luther King, Jr.'' (1992) * ''One More River to Cross: The Stories of Twelve Black Americans'' (

Scholastic Corporation Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and on ...

, 1992) * ''The March on Washington'' (1994) * ''From Afar to Zulu: A Dictionary of African Cultures'' (with Joanna Biondi) (1995) * ''African American Entrepreneurs'' (

, 1998) * ''Black Stars: African American Military Heroes'' (1998) * ''Great Ghost Stories'' (Morrow, 1998) (Compiled by Peter Glassman, Illustrated by Barry Moser) * ''Rosa Parks: My Story'' (with

) (1999) *''Conjure Times: Black Magicians in America'' (with Kathleen Benson) (2001)

References

;Bibliography * Gale References Team, ''Who's Who Among African Americans: Biography — Haskins, James S.'' (1941). (

Gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).Thomson Gale Gale is a global provider of research and digital learning resources. The company is based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, west of Detroit. It has been a division of Cengage since 2007. The company, formerly known as Gale Research and the Gale G ...

, 2006). * Also see James Haskins i
This Goodly Land: Alabama's Literary Landscape

External links

This Goodly Land Author Information for James S. HaskinsJames S. Haskins Collection
Special and Area Studies Collections, University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries
''Diaries of a Prolific Professor : Undergraduate Research from the James Haskins Manuscript Collection''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Haskins, James 1941 births 2005 deaths African-American writers Alabama State University alumni American children's writers American writers of young adult literature Carter G. Woodson Book Award winners Deaths from emphysema Georgetown University alumni People from Demopolis, Alabama University of New Mexico alumni 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people