Tom Feelings (1933–2003)

Tom Feelings builds on the African tradition of oral storytelling by revealing the horrors of the Middle Passage via visual storytelling: ink and tempera paintings which recreate the terror of the torturous voyages with brutal beauty. Known as an illustrator of children’s books, Feelings’ visual journey into the disturbing history of African enslavement is more appropriate for mature children, young adults, and adults. The Middle Passage is an excellent reference for African American show more history that should be part of every school library’s collection. show less

My daughter's history text recommended The Middle Passage but suggested parents preview it. I'm glad I did. It's a beautiful and heart-wrenching book, but my 7.5-year-old is not ready for the rawness and brutality depicted here, and I'm not ready for her to see it. I want her to know the story, but not so much so soon.

According to the text that precedes the illustrations, this book took the author/illustrator 20 years to complete. I can see why. Each picture holds so much emotion and so much show more history.

In his preface, Feelings explains why he chose to tell the story only in illustrations. One reason he gives is the limitations and inherent bias in the English language. "It is a language so infused with direct and indirect racism that it would be difficult, if not impossible, using this language in my book, to project anything black as positive."

I think he went the right path telling the story with pictures rather than words. It's a story I've heard over and over again, but it is difficult to conceptualize the dehumanization that happens to both the enslaved and those enslaving them when I'm just reading the words.

That said, John Henrik Clarke's introduction added a dimension to the book that I would have missed had I only looked at the illustrations. In particular, I was struck by his description of the cultural differences between the people of West Africa and the Europeans. "The European temperament," he writes, "was shaped by a thousand-year-old feudal system, which was a form of slavery...Europe was just emerging from the Middle Ages, a time when poverty and disease were rampant, 'an age haunted by death and damnation.' The Africans had never dealt with such a fiercely competitive people, a people set on asserting its dominance at any cost."

This book gives people in the United States another opportunity to look into our country's dark history. By facing this past rather than avoiding it, hopefully we can help shape a future that allows each of us to be our best selves rather than being trapped in a tradition of dominance and subordination. show less

I thought this book was very interesting, for a few reasons. To begin with, the text was very abstract. In every line of the poem, the author refers back to one person as, “you”. The real identity of that person is never revealed, and it is left up to the reader’s interpretation. For example, “everywhere I turn I see you there, in the flat wetlands and on windswept coasts.” The constant use of the pronoun “you” makes the reader think that the author might be talking about one show more specific person, but really, he is not. The author uses “you” to refer to all people of color. Another thing I found to be interesting (not bad, or good), was the simplicity of the illustrations. They are all portraits drawn with a pencil, and they look as if they are just sketches. I liked this because it added a solemn feeling to the story. Had there been colorful images everywhere, it would have contradicted the emotion of the text. Additionally, in every portrait, the person in making a straight face. There are no smiles or faces filled with joy—I also thought that was interesting. The main message of this book is, from the mountains in South America, or the fields of Louisiana to the deserts of Africa, people of color have the same great heritage, and you can always see yourself in one another. show less

This book is breath-taking in visual scope and presentation! With the power of a silent movie, it conveys the brutality and unfortunate circumstances Africans endured using a limited, bur richly-textured palette of colors/tones. The ghostly, ethereal depictions of their captors hauntingly communicates their ghastly practices. The lyrical sweep of the images creates words and ideas more effectively communicated than words could articulate. A must read/see which offers much material for show more pondering/reflection. show less