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Summer Beam Books
The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers by Cheryl McKissack Daniel & Nick Chiles
The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers by Cheryl McKissack Daniel & Nick Chiles
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The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers by Cheryl McKissack Daniel & Nick Chiles
Publisher: Atria/Black Privilege Publishing
US SRP: $28.99 US
Binding: Hardcover
Street Date: August 12, 2025
Pub Date: August 12, 2025
Physical Info: 1.4" H x 9.1" L x 6.0" W (1.05 lbs) 288 pages
The riveting story of the McKissack family--the founders of the leading Black design and construction firm in the United States, from its beginnings in the mid-1800s to its thriving status today--in a moving celebration of resilience and innovation.
Captured in his native West Africa and enslaved on American shores by a North Carolina plantation owner, Moses McKissack I began to build his way to emancipation right from the start. Becoming an enslaved craftsman, he picked up the trade his family would become famous for in the earliest years of the 19th century, passing his learnings down to his children and seeing them off to freedom after the Civil War.The family would settle in Tennessee, getting its bearings in the building trades despite rampant discrimination, establishing a foothold that now sees its latest generations working at the absolute peak of its industry.
The family's fingerprints have been left all across the United States, spanning from Reconstruction to contemporary times, through projects like the Morris Memorial Building, Capers C.M.E. Church, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field.
Here, Cheryl McKissack Daniel, CEO and president of McKissack & McKissack, reveals the full fascinating story of her family. So much more than an exploration of architectural achievements, The Black Family Who Built America is also a compelling illustration of how history rhymes and reverberates, and a celebration of the human spirit's ability to overcome adversity and drive change. From Moses's humble beginnings to Cheryl's current role as a trailblazer and champion of diversity, the family's journey underscores the importance of perseverance, innovation, and strategic vision in shaping a legacy that continues to inspire and impact the construction industry.
Cheryl McKissack Daniel is the award-winning president and CEO of McKissack & McKissack. She serves as principal-in-charge and project executive on numerous high-profile projects, including major work in the commercial, healthcare, education, and transportation sectors. She serves on numerous, corporate, charitable, and community boards, and has been honored as a "Hero of Liberty" for her support of humanitarian initiatives and for promoting the responsibilities of a free and diverse America. Born in Nashville to architect William DeBerry and teacher, Leatrice Buchanan McKissack, Cheryl represents the fifth generation of the McKissack family's century-old business, the oldest minority and woman-owned professional design and construction firm in the nation. Find out more at McKissack.com.
Review Quotes:
"This stellar offering is an unshakable monument to faith, fortitude, and family. The Black Family Who Built America doesn't just document history--it delivers mission fuel for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed, overlooked, or on the verge of giving up."--Susan L. Taylor, Founder and CEO of the National CARES Mentoring Movement and Editor-in-Chief Emerita, Essence Magazine
"A well-crafted story of intergenerational striving on the path from cruelty to commerce."--Kirkus Reviews
"This stellar offering is an unshakable monument to faith, fortitude, and family. The Black Family Who Built America doesn't just document history--it delivers mission fuel for anyone who has ever felt overwhelmed, overlooked, or on the verge of giving up."--Susan L. Taylor, Founder and CEO of the National CARES Mentoring Movement and Editor-in-Chief Emerita, Essence Magazine
"A well-crafted story of intergenerational striving on the path from cruelty to commerce."--Kirkus Reviews
"A foundation of expertise and excellence first laid 200 years ago continues to shape a Black family's groundbreaking legacy in this tenacious debut memoir from Daniels, president of McKissack & McKissack, America's oldest minority-owned construction firm.The result shines best as a candid career guide for Black professionals."--Publishers Weekly
