Cultural Literature

Born on a Maryland plantation, Frederick Douglass--born Frederick Baily--doesn't know the year of his birth. Separated from his mother in infancy, he sees her only a few times, always at night, before she dies. At the age of seven or eight, Frederick's...

Throughout their award-winning careers, visual artist and filmmaker Titus Kaphar and poet, memoirist, and attorney Reginald Dwayne Betts have shed light on the violences of incarceration and the underexplored contradictions of American history. In...

The making of a visionary political leader--and a blueprint for a more equitable country. "Insightful, emotional, and enraging. By sharing his story in gripping detail, Michael Tubbs embodies an old feminist tradition whereby the personal is political...

Little Willie John lived for a fleeting 30 years, but his dynamic and daring sound left an indelible mark on the history of music. His deep blues, rollicking rock 'n' roll and swinging ballads inspired a generation of musicians, forming the basis for...

The ideal orientation resource for those new to the African American Baptist church. McKinney provides basic information pertaining to distinctly Baptist beliefs, expressions of faith, and worship traditions in the African American context. Great for...

The first intersectional history of the Black and Native American struggle for freedom in our country that also reframes our understanding of who was Indigenous in early America Beginning with pre-Revolutionary America and moving into the movement for...

Captions The captions here represent and capsulize key themes, modalities, and the essence of African-Centered Thought (Afrocentricity), Including the ever increasing avail of supporting research and scholarship of the related data. We must be reminded...

Captions The captions here represent and capsulize key themes, modalities, and the essence of African-Centered Thought (Afrocentricity), Including the ever increasing avail of supporting research and scholarship of the related data. We must be reminded...

In Betty Reid Soskin's 96 years of living, she has been a witness to a grand sweep of American history. When she was born in 1921, the lynching of African-Americans was a national disgrace, minstrel shows were the most popular American form of...

The definitive biography of Chuck Berry, legendary performer and inventor of rock and roll Best known as the groundbreaking artist behind classics like "Johnny B. Goode," "Maybellene," "You Never Can Tell" and "Roll Over Beethoven," Chuck Berry was a...

An empowering memoir of courage and hope in the face of injustice--and the basis for the ABC television show, For Life--Marked for Life is the true story of Isaac Wright Jr.'s battle to win his freedom after being wrongfully imprisoned for crimes he...

Black women continue to have a complex and convoluted relationship with their hair. From grammar and high schools to corporate boardrooms and military squadrons, Black and Afro Latina natural hair continues to confound, transfix, and enrage members of...

The long-awaited memoir of Booker T. Jones, leader of the famed Stax Records house band, architect of the Memphis soul sound, and one of the most legendary figures in music. From Booker T. Jones's earliest years in segregated Memphis, music was the...

Intelligent and insightful Being Black: The Hard and The Cool is an honest and vulnerable expression of the Black experience. Terrell considers topics such as; systems of oppression, Black excellence, the N-word, rap music, education, spirituality,...

Many individuals have influenced my life, but two stand far above the others. One a minister, I knew as a dear friend and the other I knew only through the stories told by relatives and through my own reading. Both men, through their spirituality and...

This book celebrates Charleston's distinctive history, culture, and charm. It is a collection of true stories centered on, though not confined to, Broad Street, unquestionably Charleston's most historic thoroughfare.Broad Street was intended to be the...