September 2003 marked the 50th anniversary of Maud Martha, the only novel published by esteemed poet Gwendolyn Brooks. Initially entitled ""American Family Brown"" the work would eventually come to symbolize some of Brooks' most provocative writing. In a novel that captures the essence of Black life, Brooks recognizes the beauty and strength that lies within each of us.

This Special Limited Edition for “One Book, One Chicago” was funded by the Poetry Foundation and printed by Northwestern University Press

Like two intrepid leftist sleuths, Herb Boyd and Don Rojas take a deep dive into the files of the CIA, mainly inspired by Malcolm X's belief that he was under surveillance. They unearth and disclose enough evidence to confirm Malcolm's suspicion as well as to suggest, through circumstantial documentation, at least one agent stalking him. The book offers valuable insight into the history of government agencies spying on Black activists, and targeting Malcolm was just among the most notable of those in the CIA's crosshairs. Plummeting the depths of secrecy and intrigue of the CIA and Black radicals, Boyd and Rojas provide a promising blueprint and when, if ever, the agencies decide to declassify more documents on Malcolm, their work will be pivotal in the further pursuit of this ignominious truth.

Intended to cut clean through the oppression imposed upon the mainstream by society's ""intellectual superstructure,"" this collection of revolutionary essays by literary and cultural legend Amiri Baraka raises numerous issues concerning contemporary African American life. The socially conscious will appreciate the creative analyses and stimulating critiques on display here, buoyed by Baraka's distinctive, bold, and aggressive opinions about the ways our culture bestows ignorance upon the ignorant merely to exploit them. Further developing the ideals of black nationalism and social justice that put Baraka on the cultural map, these essays dissect the sedentary attitudes of the American majority to promote a finer tomorrow.

Presents a thought-provoking examination of the group personality of Europeans, as manifest in their behavior towards Black people. In the essay ""The Psychopathic Racial Personality,"" Dr. Bobby Wright contends that viewing white behavior towards nonwhites as psychopathic provides a new lens through which to analyze and combat the actions and aims of Europeans. The essay ""Black Suicide: Lynching by Any Other Name"" positions the phenomenon of Black suicide within the context of centuries of white genocide. In other essays Dr. Wright discusses ways in which to best educate Black children and sheds new light on the evolution of white supremacy.