Elaine Sharon Davis

We Rise: Speeches by Inspirational Black Women is a rare compilation of memorable speeches delivered by celebrated African-American women from both the past and present. Spanning decades and elucidating the fight for equality, it not only captures important pieces of Black history, but reveals the struggle from a female perspective. The live recordings in this captivating collection are preceded by a short biography to introduce each speaker.

In her lively social history of American women and aging, acclaimed New York Times columnist Gail Collins illustrates the ways in which age is an arbitrary concept that has swung back and forth over the centuries. From Plymouth Rock (when a woman was considered marriageable if "civil and under fifty years of age"), to a few generations later, when they were quietly retired to elderdom once they had passed the optimum age for reproduction, to recent decades, American attitudes towards age have been a moving target.