The Invisibles, Jesse Holland
The Invisibles, Jesse Holland
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The Invisibles
The Untold Story of African American Slaves in the White House

Author: Jesse Holland

Narrator: JD Jackson

Unabridged: 8 hr 3 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/02/2016

Synopsis

Jesse J. Holland's The Invisibles is the first book to tell the story of the executive mansion's most unexpected residents, the African American slaves who lived with the U.S. presidents who owned them. Interest in African Americans and the White House are at an all-time high due to the historic presidency of Barack Obama and the soon-to-be-opened Smithsonian National Museum of African American Culture and History.

The Invisibles chronicles the African American presence inside the White House from its beginnings in 1782 until 1862, when president Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that granted slaves their freedom. During these years, slaves were the only African Americans to whom the most powerful men in the United States were exposed on a daily, and familiar, basis. By hearing about these often-intimate relationships, listeners will better understand some of the views that various presidents held about class and race in American society, and how these slaves contributed not only to the life and comforts of the presidents they served but to America as a whole.

About Jesse Holland

Jesse J. Holland is the author of Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African American History in and Around Washington, D.C., and a longtime Washington correspondent for the Associated Press, the world's largest news organization. Since moving to Washington, D.C., in 2000, Jesse has covered the White House, the Congress, and the Supreme Court for the AP. A regular guest on CNN, NBC, Fox News, PBS, C-SPAN's Washington Journal and ABC's News Now, he speaks frequently on African American and Washington political topics. Jesse is a member of the National Press Club, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Capital Press Club, the Washington Association of Black Journalists, and the Society of Professional Journalists. He is also a sought-after speaker on African American history and politics, having lectured at universities and institutions like Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City. He lives in Bowie, Maryland, with his wife and children.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Lois on April 10, 2018

My favorite chapter was on Slave Rebellions. Decent and interesting if a bit light. My only complaint would be the author's apparent misunderstanding of consensual sex with rape. Enslaved Peoples are unable to consent to sex with persons in a position of ownership or management. Someone who has the......more

Goodreads review by Jean on February 13, 2016

Each February in honor of the National Black History Month, I read a book by or about African Americans. “The Invisibles” is my choice for 2016. Holland tells the stories of the slaves who worked inside the White House from President Washington until President Lincoln’s 1862 Emancipation Proclamatio......more

Goodreads review by Jay on May 19, 2016

Interesting subject matter, but difficult read.......more

Goodreads review by Antonia on May 24, 2016

I enjoyed this book, and learned a great deal about a long ignored chapter of our history. The book could have done with better editing - some sections were repetitious, and the author tended to jump back and forth a bit. I learned that the first slaves were brought to Jamestown in 1619 and that the......more

Goodreads review by William on October 25, 2020

Finally told: the story of our presidents' slaves I really enjoyed this book! I read it for further research for the next revision of my own book on George Washington’s Liberty (Bastille) Key and found a number of interesting things I didn’t know. Unfortunately, I also found a few errors: (p 3) John......more

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