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Overview
Condoleezza Rice was born in 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, a city that Martin Luther King called the "most segregated city in America" in 1963. Rice's middle-class, college-educated parents instilled in their only child a sense that she could do anything if she put her mind to it, but that she would have to be "twice as good" as white people in all her achievements. Rice was an accomplished pianist, ice skater, and student before she headed to college at the University of Denver and fellowships at Stanford University. Along the way, Rice made connections with powerful statesmen, paving the way for a distinguished career in politics. She was the first female provost at Stanford University, the first black female national security advisor, and the first black female secretary of state.Synopsis
Condoleezza Rice was born in 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, a city that Martin Luther King called the "most segregated city in America" in 1963. Rice's middle-class, college-educated parents instilled in their only child a sense that she could do anything if she put her mind to it, but that she would have to be "twice as good" as white people in all her achievements. Rice was an accomplished pianist, ice skater, and student before she headed to college at the University of Denver and fellowships at Stanford University. Along the way, Rice made connections with powerful statesmen, paving the way for a distinguished career in politics. She was the first female provost at Stanford University, the first black female national security advisor, and the first black female secretary of state.
Children's Literature
Condoleezza Rice is one of the most power people in the United States and the world. She is the first African American woman to be the Secretary of State. Who is she really? Where is she from? How did she become a woman of so much success and influence? All of these questions are answered in this biography about Ms. Rice. The book opens on the night of Ms. Rice's surprise fiftieth birthday party in 2004. Ms. Rice was born in Birmingham, Alabama, at a time when the city was considered America's most segregated city. Readers learn about her parents and her life in school. At times Ms. Rice's story is overshadowed by the details of the historical events that occurred during her life; more personal details about the woman herself and her childhood would have been welcomed. There are no personal statements or quotes from Ms. Rice in the book. Readers will learn much about the educational and political accomplishments of Ms. Rice without learning very much at all about other aspects of her life. Overall this is an interesting and necessary biography and an asset to any library collection. Reviewer: Laura J. Brown