Explore Black History

1988

A hardback edition of Maggie’s American Dream: The Life and Times of a Black Family by James P. Comer, M. D. The book is paperboard bound with cloth spine tape. The front of the paper dust jacket features a large sepia tone photograph of James P. Comer’s parents, Maggie and Hugh Comer. Hugh is seated in a wooden chair on the right side of the photograph and Maggie stands next to him, on the left side. Her proper left hand is resting on her husband’s proper right shoulder. Hugh is wearing a dark, three-piece suit, a white tie, and a white dress shirt with a high collar. Maggie is wearing a light-colored skirt suit with a white blouse. She holds a small purse in her proper right hand. Her hair is side parted and arranged in an ear length bob. Both Hugh and Maggie are facing the viewers looking slightly downwards. The jacket spine is tan with black text that includes the author’s name, abbreviated title, and publisher’s logo at the bottom. The logo is a black circle with the text, [NAL / BOOKS], printed at the center. The back cover of the dust jacket is primarily brown and features a smaller version of the image from the front cover in the top left corner. On the right side and bottom of the back of the dust jacket are five blurbs about the book written by Rosalyn Carter, Sidney Poitier, the National Education Association, the Director of Head Start, and Ossie Davis. The ISBN number, [0-453-00588-8], is printed in the bottom right corner. The front and back covers are off-white with black cloth spine tape. The front and back covers are plain. Gilded text printed on the black spine reads [Maggie’s American Dream James P. Comer, M. D.] with the NAL Books logo printed at the bottom of the spine. The interior pages are white with black text. A black ink inscription written on the front flyleaf reads [To Hazel / With Love / Happy Birthday / 1989 / and / Many More, / Love / J. Jean [----?] Clayton[underlined]. A black ink stamp in the bottom right corner of the first title page reads [SHRINE OF THE BLACK MADONNA / 946 GORDON ST. S. W. / 752 – 6125]. Contents include a forward by Charlayne Hunter-Gault, and introduction, three parts, and a postscript. The parts are titled [MOM], [MY TURN], and [ALL OUR CHILDREN]. Following the table of contents is the poem “I, Too” by Langston Hughes. The book has 228 pages, plates and illustrations. Starting at page 102 is a set of glossy pages with printed black-and-white photographs.

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

The Rock Rest Tourist Home Collection

Books and Published Materials

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Inc.

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2011.12.52.18

hardcover books

© 1988 James P. Comer, M.D.
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

ink on paper (fiber product) with cardboard and book cloth (textile material)

H x W x D: 8 3/4 × 5 13/16 × 15/16 in. (22.3 × 14.8 × 2.4 cm)

Title • Maggie's American Dream: The Life and Times of a Black Family

nmaahc_2011.12.52.18

NMAAHC

MAGGIE'S AMERICAN DREAM: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A BLACK FAMILY

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

1980s

Hunter-Gault, Charlayne • Sinclair, Clayton • Sinclair, Hazel • Rock Rest Tourist Home • Comer, Hugh • Hughes, Langston • New American Library, Inc. • Telesca, Leonard • Comer, Maggie • Comer, James P.

United States • Chicago • Maine • North and Central America • Illinois • Kittery • Cook County • York County

Medicine • Description and travel • Black Enterprise • Literature • Black interiors • Education • Segregation • Domestic life • Family

City • Kittery • County • York County • State • Maine • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • Chicago • County • Cook County • State • Illinois

Use Restricted