Traces in the Dust: Carbondale's Black Heritage 1852-1964
(From the Preface) Traces in the Dust focuses upon the African American families and residents of Carbondale since the founding of the Carbondale Township (1852). It is meant to provide a glimpse of the growth, progress, and development of the Black American community in the city through the exploration of recorded data and oral history.
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Book details
- Author
- Melvin LeRoy Green Macklin
- Imprint
- Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Formats
- Hardcover, Paperback
- Subjects
- Reference › Genealogy & Heraldry
History › United States › Civil War Period (1850-1877)
History › African American & Black - Topics
- African American history · genealogy · Carbondale, Illinois · Black community · Civil War era · local history · oral history · Jackson County
- ISBN-13
- 9780970158208 (Hardcover)9781681622156 (Paperback)
About the author
MELVIN LEROY GREEN MACKLIN is an educator and historian who has taught English literature, history, and cultural studies at Ferrum College since 2008. His works include Traces in the Dust: Carbondale’s Black Heritage, 1852–1964, Generations: A Pictorial Review of African Americans in Carbondale, Illinois, and The Legacy of Attacks and Black Institutions in the Northeast Carbondale Community.
Macklin was named professor emeritus at Ferrum College in 2021. He holds a Ph.D. in Literary Studies with a Certificate in Holocaust Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas, an M.Ed. from Prairie View A&M University, and a B.A. from Southern Illinois University.
When not writing, Macklin draws on his service in the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1969, where he served as a Sergeant and Radio Communications Specialist, deploying to Vietnam during the 1968–1969 TET Offensive and receiving multiple commendations. That experience informs his deep focus on African American history and literature.