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.
Herb Boyd
Malcolm X, The CIA, And Other Blacks
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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.
Marc Lamont Hill
FOR GAZA’S CHILDREN
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We firmly believe that our children are the stewards of our liberation. When we prioritize our children, we are also prioritizing a world shaped by peace, safety, love and justice. When we protect our children, we are also protecting our most beautiful legacies and coveted traditions. When we invest in our children, we are also investing in our most audacious freedom dreams and our most impossible future worlds. The children of Gaza, and indeed all of Palestine, are no different. Driven by this commitment, we have decided to assemble an anthology that prioritizes children. We hope to contribute to the present moment of radical resistance and revolutionary possibility by placing the lives, experiences, conditions, feelings, perspectives, and stories of the region’s children at the center of our social, cultural, moral, legal, and political analysis. For this anthology, we have chosen to exclusively spotlight the voices of progressive Black and Jewish American writers. In foregrounding Black and Jewish identities, including those writers who identify as both Black and Jewish, we hope to refute several dangerous myths about Black and Jewish Americans on the question of Israel/Palestine.
Beverly Guy-Sheftall
Black!Feminist!Free!
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Black!Feminist!Free! gathers her most influential essays, public speeches, and interviews into a single volume, offering readers access to the depth and range of her contributions. From early reflections on the intersections of race, gender, and class, to her contemporary analyses of sexuality, reproductive justice, and global Black feminist solidarity, the collection testifies to her enduring commitment to liberation for all oppressed peoples. In these writings, Guy-Sheftall brings a sharp intellect and unapologetic clarity to issues that remain urgent today: the silencing of Black women in political movements, the cultural policing of Black female sexuality, the failures of U.S. policy to address systemic violence, and the transformative potential of intersectional coalitions. Her voice is both scholarly and insurgent, illuminating the possibilities of a feminism rooted in Black women’s experiences.
Molefi Kete Asante
Africa's Gifts Of The Spirit
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Molefi Kete Asante is a truth seeker and a warrior for humanity. His view of mankind is that there is only one “race”, that of Homo-sapiens. To this end, Asante has steadfastly argued for the liberation of the most oppressed of this species. As an Afrocentrist, he believes that everything needed to advance humanity can be found in the wisdom of ancient African teachings. Africa’s Gifts of the Spirit, clarifies and illuminates the power of “Nyanga” which is in itself a gift from mother Africa, one that has been transmitted across generations throughout space and time.
Gwendolyn Brooks
Blacks (ONE BOOK, ONE CHICAGO) Special Limited Edition
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This Special Limited Edition for “One Book, One Chicago” was funded by the Poetry Foundation and printed by Northwestern University Press
Joseph L. Jones
Black, Not Historically Black
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"Towards the Pan Black College & University" by Joseph L. Jones is a compelling exploration of the historical and contemporary challenges faced by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Jones, a seasoned political scientist and former HBCU president, delves into the systemic issues of leadership, miseducation, culture, sustainability, respect, and social justice within these institutions. Drawing on his extensive experience and the writings of W.E.B. Du Bois, Jones advocates for a transformative vision he calls the Pan Black College and University (PBCU). This vision emphasizes leadership that fosters justice, a curriculum centered on the Black experience, a healthy organizational culture, financial independence, and a commitment to social justice and Pan-Africanism. Through personal anecdotes, scholarly analysis, and a call to action, Jones challenges readers to rethink and reimagine the future of Black colleges as vital incubators for change in Black communities and beyond.”
Gwendolyn Brooks
a capsule course in Black Poetry Writing
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In this handbook, four authors write on the same topics but with varying emphases. Gwendolyn Brooks sketches the background of Afro-American poetry and offers practical hints and exercises for writing. Keorapatse Kgositsile discusses the role and situation of the black writer. Haki R. Madhubuti (Don L. Lee) explains an author's commitment and discusses the use of words, metaphors, symbols, and characters. Dudley Randall analyzes the syntactical and rhythmical structure of verse and gives suggestions on marketing. The book includes lists of books and articles for background and technique, answers to questions asked by beginning writers, and work sheets showing the growth of a poem.
John Henrik Clarke
My Life in Search of Africa
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The author, one of the foremost scholars on Africa, fought to legitimize African history for more than 60 years. This book finally uncovers the tumultuous life of this great figure. Through a series of autobiographical essays, Clarke looks back on his lifelong struggle to restore African history to its proper place in the context of world history.
Chancellor Williams
Destruction of Black Civilization
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The Destruction of Black Civilization took Chancellor Williams sixteen years of research and field study to compile. The book, which was to serve as a reinterpretation of the history of the African race, was intended to be ""a general rebellion against the subtle message from even the most 'liberal' white authors (and their Negro disciples): 'You belong to a race of nobodies. You have no worthwhile history to point to with pride.'"" The book was written at a time when many black students, educators, and scholars were starting to piece together the connection between the way their history was taught and the way they were perceived by others and by themselves. They began to question assumptions made about their history and took it upon themselves to create a new body of historical research. The book is premised on the question: ""If the Blacks were among the very first builders of civilization and their land the birthplace of civilization, what has happened to them that has left them since then, at the bottom of world society, precisely what happened? The Caucasian answer is simple and well-known: The Blacks have always been at the bottom."" Williams instead contends that many elements—nature, imperialism, and stolen legacies— have aided in the destruction of the black civilization. The Destruction of Black Civilization is revelatory and revolutionary because it offers a new approach to the research, teaching, and study of African history by shifting the main focus from the history of Arabs and Europeans in Africa to the Africans themselves, offering instead ""a history of blacks that is a history of blacks. Because only from history can we learn what our strengths were and, especially, in what particular aspect we are weak and vulnerable. Our history can then become at once the foundation and guiding light for united efforts in serious[ly] planning what we should be about now."" It was part of the evolution of the black revolution that took place in the 1970s, as the focus shifted from politics to matters of the mind.
Aneb Kgositsile
for you, this circle
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“Aneb Kgositsile’s poems remind me of the physical language of the Alvin Ailey Dancers. Her poems evoke the same Black elegance, fearlessness and clarity as they sweep across the senses rendering the reader helpless to resist the beauty of truth, its teaching pain and healing pleasure.” --Michael Simanga
C. Dwayne West
The Support System
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Seeing powerful images and consuming informative content depicting positive people, places, and things helps you imagine the unlimited possibilities. The framed narrative guides your thoughts. It gives you a warm and delightful feeling that you can achieve and that the best is yet to come. That's why it's important to frame the perfect narrative. These images can motivate and inspire those who can fortunately capture random, powerful images and strong, meaningful words.
Gil Scott-Heron
So Far, So Good
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A collection of poems written by the progressive jazz artist, Gil Scott Heron. These works are very political in nature and comment on the current matters of interest during the period of the 1970s and 1980s. The artist shows himself to be a keen analytical observer of the society and its impact upon the people.
Amiri Baraka
Razor
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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.
Rajesh C. Oza
Double Play on the Red Line
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In Double Play on the Red Line, debut novelist Rajesh C. Oza delivers a powerful, emotionally resonant story of injustice, alliance, and hope between two American men of color—one Black, one Indian—bound by a brutal encounter in Wrigley Field’s iconic bleachers.
St. Clair Drake
Redemption of Africa and Black Religion
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This monograph explains the role of religion in the colonies of Africa and among the people of African descent in the United States.
Gwendolyn Brooks
The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves
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All the tiger's fierce qualities do not satisfy him; he wants to be stylish and wear white gloves.
Amiri Baraka
Wise, Why's, Y's
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A poetic voyage in five parts that charts the ebbs and flows of the African-American movement.
Ezekiel Dixon-Román | Carol D. Lee | Haki R. Madhubuti | David Wall Rice
Black Radical Love
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Thought. Activism. Love. These are three words that well characterize the life, career, and contributions of Edmund W. Gordon. Like his mentor W.E.B. Du Bois, Edmund W. Gordon has led a pragmatist line of inquiry, a concern with the practical application of ideas in a universe that's understood to be always changing but still informed by underlying persistent challenges.
Gwendolyn Brooks
Riot
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‘Riot’ by Gwendolyn Brooks is a poem that illustrates the dissonance that exists between the privileged and those who are driven to desperation to riot.
Haki R. Madhubuti
Kwanzaa
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Informative and insightful, this book is a complete guide to celebrating Kwanzaa.
Haki R. Madhubuti
Black Men, Obsolete, Single, Dangerous?
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Here is the seminal and critical work that helped solidify Haki Madhubuti as an informed, passionate, and caring commentator on Black life, culture, relationships, and the development and stability of the Black community. In ""Black Men,"" an integral text for anyone with vested interest in building healthy, thriving Black families and communities, Madhubuti takes aim at some of the critical issues facing the African American family. He offers useful, pointed, practical solutions for overcoming these obstacles and challenges.
Useni Eugene Perkins
Afrocentric Self Inventory & Discovery Workbook
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This workbook is for you — the African American youth — to help you better understand and appreciate yourself, our people and your place in the universe.
