Also noted

BLACK CHURCH BEGINNINGS: THE LONG-HIDDEN REALITIES OF THE FIRST YEARS (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., $18.00), by Henry H. Mitchell, provides an intimate look at the struggles faced by our ancestors as they tried to establish spiritual communities in the harsh new world of slavery in the American colonies. In his book, the Rev. Mitchell traces the growth of the Black church from its start in the mid-1700s to the end of the 19th century. He says slavemasters did not give Black religion to African-Americans; he says that the Black church developed unique to its own circumstances and that White influence was limited on the unfolding African-American church.

The journey of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, from the first performance to the opening of the new, multimillion-dollar dance center, is chronicled in AILEY SPIRIT: THE JOURNEY OF AN AMERICAN DANCE COMPANY, foreword by Wynton Marsalis (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $35.00), text by Robert Tracy. With lush photographs, the book depicts many of the most famous dances and introduces the next generation, describing the philosophy and dancers who will lead the company in the years to come.

AND DON'T FORGET THE FOLLOWING BLACK CLASSICS THAT SHOULD BE A PART OF EVERY BLACK HOLIDAY GATHERING:

CHRISTMAS GIF': AN ANTHOLOGY OF CHRISTMAS POEMS, SONGS AND STORIES (Morrow Junior Books, $14.00) compiled by Charlemae Hill Rollins, illustrated by Ashley Bryan, written by and about African-Americans. This is a classic collection of Christmas poetry and prose by noted writers such as Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, complete with Spirituals and traditional recipes. THE NEW EBONY COOKBOOK (Johnson Publishing Co., $19.95) by EBONY Food Editor Charlotte Lyons is a wonderful collection of contemporary and traditional recipes suitable for holiday or casual occasions. Noted theologian Howard Thurman's classic, THE MOOD OF CHRISTMAS AND OTHER CELEBRATIONS (Friends United Press, $11.00), was originally published in 1973 and has become a holiday staple. It contains one of his most popular Christmas poems, "The Work of Christmas," which is reprinted here with permission.

   THE WORK OF CHRISTMAS

   When the song of the angels is stilled,
   When the star in the sky is gone,
   When the kings and princes are home,
   When the shepherds are back with their flock
   The work of Christmas begins:
   To find the lost,
   To heal the broken,
   To feed the hungry,
   To release the prisoner,
   To bring peace among brothers,
   To make music in the heart.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group