Biography

A paradigm-shattering biography of Phillis Wheatley, whose extraordinary poetry set African American literature at the heart of the American Revolution. Admired by George Washington, ridiculed by Thomas Jefferson, published in London, and read far and...

From the MTV trailblazer, stand-up comedian, and actor, a hilariously candid memoir that is an intimate, entertaining, and heartfelt tour through the exclusive, elusive, and eternally iconic world of '90s pop culture.Imagine 50 Cent's Hustle Harder,...

Sarah and Angelina Grimke--the Grimke sisters--are revered figures in American history, famous for rejecting their privileged lives on a plantation in South Carolina to become firebrand activists in the North. Their antislavery pamphlets, among the most...

A tremendously impressive book.--Washington PostHer motto and title of her autobiography--Unbought and Unbossed--illustrates her outspoken advocacy for women and minorities during her seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.--National Women's...

New York Times Book Review Editor's Pick: The untold story of 2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Sister Rosetta Tharpe, America's first rock guitar diva Long before women in rock became a media catchphrase, African American guitar virtuoso Rosetta...

Toya Boudy's father grew up in the Magnolia projects of New Orleans; her mother shared a tight space with five siblings uptown. They worked hard, rotated shifts, and found time to make meals from scratch for the family. In Cooking for the Culture, Boudy...

From Barack Obama's chief speechwriter Cody Keenan, a spellbinding account of the ten most dramatic days of the presidency, when a hate-fueled massacre and looming Supreme Court decisions put the character of our country on the line, and a president's...

An adoption expert and transracial adoptee herself examines the unique perspectives and challenges these adoptees have as they navigate multiple cultures "Your parents are so amazing for adopting you! You should be grateful that you were adopted." Angela...

At the intersection of power, technology, and race, Stacy Spikes, award-winning entrepreneur and founder of MoviePass, reveals the tools he's used to persevere in the face of adversity, defy stereotypes, and shatter glass ceilings. BLACK FOUNDER is both...

Comedic superstar and internet entrepreneur Kountry Wayne's unflinchingly honest, often outrageous, but perpetually hopeful and hard-won lessons on the power of always betting on yourself.   Before he was one of Variety's 10 Comics to Watch and a...

In this long-overdue celebration of Black women's resilience and unheralded strength, the revered, trailblazing White House correspondent reflects on The Year That Changed Everything--2020--and African-American women's unprecedented role in upholding...

The remarkable true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped slavery through daring, determination, and disguise, with Ellen passing as a wealthy, disabled White man and William posing as "his" slave. In 1848, a year of international democratic...

This instant New York Times bestseller offers "a firsthand, eye-opening story of a prosecutor that exposes the devastating criminal punishment system" (Ibram X. Kendi, National Book Award-winning author of How to Be an Antiracist) in this "compelling...

The New York Times bestselling author of Writing My Wrongs invites men everywhere on a journey of honesty and healing through this book of moving letters to his sons--one whom he is raising and the other whose childhood took place during Senghor's...

Winner of the Bancroft PrizeWinner of the David J. Langum PrizeWinner of the OAH Liberty Legacy Foundation AwardA New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice "This extraordinary book is a powerful addition to the history of travel segregation...Mia Bay...

The last surviving witness to the lynching of Emmett Till tells his story, with moving recollections of Emmett as a boy, critical insights into the recent investigation, and powerful lessons for racial reckoning, both then and now. In 1955, Emmett Till...