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Home > News & Events > April 2, 2010

'Fierce Angels: The Strong Black Woman in American Life and Culture' by Sheri Parks published by Random House; receives accolades

 

 

University of Maryland's Department of American Studies is ranked fourth in the nation by Academic Analytics

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2010

COLLEGE PARK, MD - Associate Professor of American Studies Sheri L. Parks' new book, "Fierce Angels: The Strong Black Woman in American Life and Culture," was released in late March by Random House and has received strong reviews from news organizations across the country.

"Fierce Angels" interrogates the concept of the “strong black woman” as never before, according to a release from Harper Collins. "'Fierce Angels' opens wide a window on black female power: both the reverence for it and what it has wrought," said Susan L. Taylor, editor emertus of Essence Magazine.

"Sheri's new book is a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to her talent as a scholar and public intellectual. This book does the important work of bringing serious, academic conversations into the mainstream," said Nancy L. Struna, chair of American Studies at the University of Maryland.

Review of Parks' book have appeared in the Washington Post and on various NPR stations, including WYPR in Baltimore. More information about "Fierce Angels" is available from Random House, and the book is available in most major booksellers, as well as on Amazon.

Sheri Parks has a Ph.D. in mass communication studies from University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and is an affiliate faculty member of the Women’s Studies and African American Studies departments at Maryland in addition to her full appointment in American Studies. She is and an award-winning teacher and public speaker. Parks is host of NPR’s "Clear Reception with Sheri Parks," and her work has been featured in The New York Times, the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Newsweek, and on MSNBC, CNN, NBC News, and many other media outlets.

The American Studies Department and Program at the University of Maryland is one of the oldest such programs in the United States, having operated continuously since 1945. For much of its history, the Program has been nationally recognized for its contributions to the field, which initially entwined history and literature. The Department offers B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. For more information about American Studies at UMD, please contact americanstudies@umd.edu or visit www.amst.umd.edu.

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