Cultural Literature

If Americans today still recognize the name Mahalia Jackson, they might recall that she was perhaps the greatest gospel singer who ever lived. But for many people, there is no awareness at all, not even for an entertainer whose "Move On Up a Little...

For decades Frank X Walker has reclaimed essential American lives through his pathbreaking historical poetry. In this stirring new collection, he reimagines the experiences of Black Civil War soldiers--including his own ancestors--who enlisted in the...

In Edgelands, Somali-Canadian writer Mohamed Abdulkarim Ali, author of Angry Queer Somali Boy, explores what it means to live life on the margins, in the city and beyond, and offers a unique perspective on the way we live now. Somali, Muslim, gay, and...

For decades, France has exerted a neocolonial grip on its former African empire, known as the Fran?afrique. Yet a series of electoral breakthroughs and military coups by opponents of this order have put its future into question. Covering a broad sweep...

INSPIRING STORIES OF BLACK FEMINIST ICONSReady to explore Black feminism and its trailblazing heroes? Want to uncover the stories of women who fought for justice and equality?Fascinating Biographies of Black Feminist Heroes takes you on a powerful...

Mathews Phosa's compelling story of political activism, leadership, and power shifts in South Africa.Mathews Phosa has been an eyewitness to the dramatic shifts of political power in South Africa. He was involved in the Black Consciousness Movement, the...

An exploration of contemporary African masquerade that reveals its cultural contexts, artistic innovations, and intersection with museum collection practices By placing masquerade at the forefront of contemporary African art, this volume shows how...

One of Africa's deadliest domestic conflicts, the Liberian Civil War, lasted fourteen years, killing more than 250,000 Liberians and displacing more than 800,000 others. This book explores that devastating war and the political and social issues in...

Aim? C?saire is arguably the greatest Caribbean literary writer in history. Best known for his incendiary epic poem Notebook of a Return to My Native Land, C?saire reinvented black culture by conceiving 'n?gritude' as a dynamic and continuous process of...

What is it like growing up Black and gay in the inner city?Author David B. Green Jr critically reflects on this question, and his journey through life to discover joy and meaning, in this affirming memoir. Inner City Sissy is both a Dear Young Me letter...

Our nation's transportation system is crumbling: highways are collapsing, roads are pockmarked, and commuter trains are unreliable. But as acclaimed scholar and ACLU president Deborah Archer warns in Dividing Lines, before we can think about rebuilding...

Political scientist and former law professor Carol Swain warned in 2023 that the Supreme Court's decision that year to end race-based college admissions spelled doom for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and affirmative action in the...