General African American Studies

"I was fortunate to grow up in a community in which it was apparent that our lives mattered. This memory is the antidote to the despair that seizes one of my generation when we hear the words 'Black Lives Matter.' We want to shout: Of course they do! To...

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author, rapper, and activist--Sister Souljah uses her passionate voice to deliver what is at once a fiercely candid autobiography and a survival manual for any Black woman determined to keep her heart open and her...

"A story of surviving and thriving with passion, compassion, wit, and style."--Maya Angelou "In America, we have a tradition of black writers whose autobiographies and memoirs come to define an era. . . . Buck may be this generation's story."--NPR A...

One of our most visceral and important memoirs on race in America, this is the story of Nathan McCall, who began life as a smart kid in a close, protective family in a black working-class neighborhood. Yet by the age of fifteen, McCall was packing a gun...

Multiple times a day, in cities across the US and beyond, a simple yet powerful message is repeated by the well-meaning, the ill-informed, and the bigoted: "don't go" - avoid at all costs those Black and Brown disinvested neighborhoods that have become...

The first popular history of the former American slaves who founded, ruled, and lost Africa's first republic In 1820, a group of about eighty African Americans reversed the course of history and sailed back to Africa, to a place they would name after...

A recently discovered collection of folktales celebrating African American oral tradition, community, and faith...”splendidly vivid and true.”--New York Times Every Tongue Got to Confess is an extensive volume of African American folklore that...

A fun and thoughtful dictionary of Black language you didn't know you needed, Historically Black Phrases is a love letter to the Black community and the ways it drives culture.   "This perfect blend of explanation, definition and social commentary...

A groundbreaking exposé of racism in the American taxation system from a law professor and expert on tax policy NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR AND FORTUNE - "Important reading for those who want to understand how inequality is built into...

How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? How can we awaken within ourselves desires that make it impossible to settle for anything less than a fulfilling life? Author and editor adrienne maree brown finds the answer in...

"Sister Outsider, a collection of essays and speeches by the pioneering feminist Audre Lorde, is one of my all-time-favorite books. It's always great to have an intersectional tome on hand." --Amanda Gorman Sister Outsider's teachings, by one of our most...

The unforgettable memoir of a woman at the front lines of the civil rights movement--a harrowing account of black life in the rural South and a powerful affirmation of one person's ability to affect change. "Anne Moody's autobiography is an eloquent,...

"The most powerful spiritual healer, fixer, teacher on the planet." --Oprah Winfrey In an updated and expanded 25th anniversary edition, the beloved "purple book" Acts of Faith guides people of color with daily encouragement, comfort, and enlightenment...

In this dazzling anthology (Publishers Weekly), Daryl Cumber Dance has collected the often hard-hitting, sometimes risqué, always dramatic humor that arises from the depth of black women's souls and the breadth of their lives. The eloquent wit and...

Bestselling authors adrienne maree brown and Sonya Renee Taylor create an unforgettable and transformational experience of journaling your way into your most authentic self. It's time to claim our permission to live out our purpose. Based on the...