African American Studies

2020 J. ANTHONY LUKAS PRIZE WINNER From the bestselling author of There Are No Children Here, a richly textured, heartrending portrait of love and death in Chicago's most turbulent neighborhoods. The numbers are staggering: over the past twenty years in...

Following the trail left by an unfinished quilt, this illuminating saga examines slavery from the cotton fields of the South to the textile mills of New England--and the humanity behind it. When we think of slavery, most of us think of the American...

In the summer of 1866, racial tensions ran high in Louisiana as a constitutional convention considered disenfranchising former Confederates and enfranchising blacks. On July 30, a procession of black suffrage supporters pushed through an angry throng of...

Almost 160 years ago, a group of kidnapped Africans aboard the Spanish slave ship La Amistad revolted and attempted to set sail for home. Instead, after being misguided by the captive crew to the coast of New England, they found themselves embroiled in a...

A remarkable history of First Lady Michelle Obama's mixed ancestry, American Tapestry by Rachel L. Swarns is nothing less than a breathtaking and expansive portrait of America itself.In this extraordinary feat of genealogical research--in the tradition...

In the American Revolution, Virginians were the most eloquent spokesmen for freedom and quality. George Washington led the Americans in battle against British oppression. Thomas Jefferson led them in declaring independence. Virginians drafted not only...

The single best short survey in America, now updated.Includes a New Preface and Afterward In terms of accessibility and comprehensive coverage, Kolchin's American Slavery is a singularly important achievement. Now updated to address a decade of new...

An enraging, necessary look at the private prison system, and a convincing clarion call for prison reform." --NPR.org New York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2018 * One of President Barack Obama's favorite books of 2018 * Winner of the 2019 J...

An urgent and daring examination of how American racism has broken the country's social compact, eroded America's common goods, and damaged the lives of every American--and a heartfelt look at how these deep wounds might begin to heal. Compared to other...

This book offers an outside-in look at American cultural peculiarities that helps Americans, see ourselves as others see us -and vice versa. American Cultural Baggage lets both Americans and the rest of the world in on things most Americans don't know,...

Much has been written about America and what it has meant, not only to the North American region but to the world as well. We tend to focus on the positives of who we are and our accomplishments. Not everyone feels the same as there are many descendants...

America's Unholy Ghosts examines the DNA of the ideologies that shape our nation, ideologies that are as American as apple pie but that too often justify and perpetuate racist ideas and racial inequalities. MLK challenged us to investigate the...