Cultural Literature

Discover the untold story of African surf culture in this glorious and colorful collection of profiles, essays, photographs, and illustrations. AFROSURF is the first book to capture and celebrate the surfing culture of Africa. This unprecedented...

Explore the Ancient Origins of Christianity "Orthodox Christians recognize him as a god, Unitarians as a man, and Rationalists as a myth," wrote John G. Jackson about the central figure of one of the world's great religions. A Pan-African scholar,...

A warm, wise, and urgent guide to parenting in uncertain times, from a longtime reporter on race, reproductive health, and politics In We Live for the We, first-time mother Dani McClain sets out to understand how to raise her daughter in what she, as a...

From legendary playwright August Wilson comes the powerful, stunning dramatic bestseller that won him critical acclaim, including the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize. Troy Maxson is a strong man, a hard man. He has had to be to survive...

An insider's look at the formative years of the Black Panther Party, this raw, sympathetic portrayal is as fresh today as when first published in 1971. Reginald Major knew and worked with leaders of the Party prior to its organization, and from this...

"Warm, witty, imaginative. . . . This is a rich and winning book."--The New YorkerDust Tracks on a Road is the bold, poignant, and funny autobiography of novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, one of American literature's most...

A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR - FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION - A READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK - NATIONAL BESTSELLER - Two top women gladiators fight for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not...

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller   Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction   Winner of the Stowe Prize   Winner of 2022 Hillman Prize for Book Journalism   PEN America 2022 John Kenneth Galbraith Award for...

Discover the roots of modern-day herbal remedies, plant medicine, holistic rituals, natural recipes, and more that were created by African American herbal healers throughout history. This first-of-its-kind herbal guide takes you through the origins of...

This stirring collection of Negro spirituals, edited by the great Negro poet James Weldon Johnson and arranged for voice and piano by his brother J. Rosamond Johnson, presents 120 of these melodic -- and intensely moving -- religious folk songs for...

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER   "One of the most important books of the current moment."--Time   "A rousing call to action... It should be required reading for everyone."--Gabrielle Union, author of We're Going to Need More Wine "A brutally...

A beautiful, rich, and groundbreaking book exploring Black foodways within America and around the world, curated by food activist and author of Vegetable Kingdom Bryant Terry. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TIME OUT AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY -...

From critically acclaimed journalist Valerie Boyd comes an eloquent profile of one of the most intriguing cultural figures of the twentieth century--Zora Neale Hurston. A woman of enormous talent and remarkable drive, Zora Neale Hurston published seven...

From Taraji P. Henson, Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe winner, and star of the award-winning film Hidden Figures, comes an inspiring and funny memoir--"a bona fide hit" (Essence)--about family, friends, the hustle required to make it in Hollywood,...

The first book to bring to life the influential friendship between Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali In 1962, boxing writers and fans considered Cassius Clay an obnoxious self-promoter, and few believed that he would become the heavyweight champion of the world...

Trayvon Martin s parents take readers beyond the news cycle with an account only they could give: the intimate story of a tragically foreshortened life and the rise of a movement.  On a February evening in 2012, in a small town in central Florida,...