Centenary College of Louisiana Books

(NOTE: THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN COMPLETELY IN FRENCH) In the nineteenth century, there were blacks who had gained independence before and after the Civil War. Because of their French heritage, many blacks were allowed to remain free (although certain bitter laws governed their conduct in rather inscrutable ways). Free Creoles of Color were those who stood out against the crowd and fought for equality among their race. They were Martin Luther King before he took his first breath. They were Rosa Parks before she imagined freedom. These men and women paved the way for the Civil Rights movement, yet they are seldom (if ever) recognized.

A collection of beautiful (and surprisingly racy) texts from nineteenth century Louisiana, Paroles d'honneur shines. It is just a handful of short stories written by black Creoles, those who were (in those times) truly disadvantaged and who could scarcely find a way to publish their work. Most did so in subversive fashions, and these works are a token to the effort they put in to make their message heard.

Even today, their cry of racial equality stands out, especially in these stories. If you buy one work that summarizes Creole, African American, or Civil Rights movement prose, this should be it.