BLACK HISTORY HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN PRETTY, but the strides that black people have made is a beautiful thing. From being enslaved for hundreds of years, to fighting for freedom, to trying to eradicate racism, black people have endured nearly insurmountable circumstances.

However, black people still continue to 'run' to survive. They still continue to 'run' to thrive.

And in this run they are consistently met with hurdles to jump, boulders to climb and getting back up after

they have been beat down.

They have not had the luxury of running with just the mere restriction of the wind. They've

run enduring the pain from whips and from the bondage of chains.

Blacks have not had the privilege of running with just the earths gravitational pull. They had to run with the intentional racist policies established by local laws and even the federal government.

So, as they make attempts to advance with one foot in front of the other, they are a resilient people that persevere no matter the odds.

In The 400 Year Head Start, Nikki Ace takes her readers on a journey of the black experience. Although it is only a glimpse of the many setbacks and pitfalls black people had to experience, readers will leave this book understanding the dignity of black people.

Readers will better understand the respect black people deserve that is well overdue. And readers will learn through the powerful words and visual illustrations that nothing...NOTHING... has kept the black race from running to glory.

*This book is designed and geared to appeal to young readers (12 years old and up).