Cultural Literature

Brown Bō'hēmians captures the essence and voice of an underrepresented demographic: creative people of color. Influenced by a deeply held belief that stories sculpt our collective narrative, a group of authors and artists came together to...

During the Battle of Fort Wagner in 1863, Sgt. William Harvey Carney picked up the fallen flag from his lifeless comrade. He waved the flag for all of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry to see and led the way to the parapet to plant the colors...

"A rare triumph" (The New York Times Book Review), this powerful memoir about the divergent paths taken by two brothers is a classic work from one of the greatest figures in American literature: a reflection on John Edgar Wideman's family and his...

Donna Britt has always been surrounded by men--her father, three brothers, two husbands, three sons, countless friends. She learned to give to them at an early age. But after her beloved brother Darrell's senseless killing by police 30 years ago, she...

Tap dancing legends Fayard (b. 1914) and Harold (1918-2000) Nicholas amazed crowds with their performances in musicals and films from the 30s to the 80s. They performed with Gene Kelly in The Pirate, with Cab Calloway in Stormy Weather, with Dorothy...

New York Times­ best-selling author Cornel West is one of America's most provocative and admired public intellectuals. Whether in the classroom, the streets, the prisons, or the church, Dr. West's penetrating brilliance has been a bright beacon...

A Rolling Stone-Kirkus Best Music Book of 2020 "[Brother Robert} book does much to pull the blues master out of the fog of myth."--Rolling Stone An intimate memoir by blues legend Robert Johnson's stepsister, including new details about his family,...

Ray Charles (1930-2004) led one of the most extraordinary lives of any popular musician. In Brother Ray, he tells his story in an inimitable and unsparing voice, from the chronicle of his musical development to his heroin addiction to his tangled...

**ONE OF THE BEST MUSIC BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY ROLLING STONE** The captivating memoir from "the emperor of intergalactic funk" (NPR) and most influential pop artists of our time--known for over forty R&B hit singles--George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic...

This new resource assembles 129 Black artists and their magnificent works, highlighting their important contributions to art worldwide. Beginning with the Brooklyn-based artists active during the Works Progress Administration years and continuing with...

Bronzeville was once America's most vibrant Black community--next to Harlem. Nightclubs, dance halls, rialtos, and jazz and blues joints lined the streets of Chicago's South Side. Not much is left. A few sound recordings, memories passed down from...

SHOCKING...JAW DROPPING... Adults called him DIABLO! His addictions started by age 6! Leon wanted to be like other kids; he wanted to be normal, he wasn't! BROKEN...A gripping tale of a lost and damaged kid that will take you on a powerful, emotional,...