Biography

The origins and influence of Jim, Mark Twain's beloved yet polarizing literary figure Mark Twain's Jim, introduced in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), is a shrewd, self-aware, and enormously admirable enslaved man, one of the first fully drawn...

Alice Randall, award-winning professor, songwriter, and author presents "a celebration of all things country music" (Ken Burns) as she reflects on her search for the first family of Black country music. Country music had brought Alice Randall and her...

In this raw and unapologetic memoir, the author takes readers on a journey through the turbulent streets of 1980s America, the harsh realities of systemic oppression, and the resilience of Black identity. From his earliest days as a child born in Germany...

The first biography to rescue the true story of Josiah Henson, restoring to history his role in the Underground RailroadJosiah Henson led a fascinating life--from the plantation fields of Maryland to the Georgetown Market to the plantations of Kentucky...

Late in 1862, amid the horrors of the U.S. Civil War, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, with President Lincoln's approval, authorized the recruitment of Black soldiers for the Union cause. In January of 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was...

Dream Merchant of the Perfect Game: The Life and Legacy of Frank "Doc" Sykes is the story of a dedicated medical professional, an extraordinary athlete, and a courageous human rights advocate.Taking the stand in the Scottsboro Boys trials, Sykes's...

One man has committed murder while another man tries to heal his trauma. A gripping true story exploring violence, mental health, and trauma, A Life for a Life follows Kevin Shird and Damion Neal who meet as inmates in Federal Correctional Institute...

From Charlamagne Tha God, host of the morning radio phenomenon The Breakfast Club, and founder and CEO of iHeartRadio's Black Effect Podcast Network, a rundown on how small talk from small minds have taken over our world, and the BIG conversations needed...

At the age of fifteen, Fred Anderson left home and was sucked into the maelstrom of the U.S. southern civil rights movement. He became active with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and other civil rights organization, working with...

A collection of darkly humorous, intensely personal essays by cult fave and multi-hyphenate artist Jean Grae In My Remaining Years, by creative juggernaut Jean Grae, debunks the myth that coming-of-age narratives should be reserved for the kids,...

While blacks have played an important role--as explorers, scouts, Indian consorts, soldiers, cowboys, farmers--in the exploration, conquest, and settlement of the American West, they have received scant attention from the chroniclers of the pageant of...