A collection of essays in which Lawrence Burney examines his Baltimore upbringing, Black diasporic music, and family traditions. Blending personal memoir with cultural criticism, he writes about trips to Lagos and Johannesburg, a childhood memory of his mother opening for Gil Scott-Heron, and family gatherings in Maryland to reflect on identity, belonging, and how art shapes self-understanding.

A searing collection of essays and reportage that traces the contours of Black life and American democracy, blending historical analysis, keen political commentary, and personal reflection to explore protest, policing, institutions, and the persistent fight for racial justice. Through examinations of moments from the civil rights era to contemporary movements, the book interrogates how power is wielded and contested, how narratives are shaped by media and politicians, and how everyday acts of resistance reveal the stakes of citizenship. Crisp, erudite, and morally urgent, the pieces illuminate both the structural forces that constrain Black lives and the improvisational strategies communities use to resist, persist, and imagine a more democratic future.

American Scare by Robert W. Fieseler examines how a mid-20th-century Florida legislative investigation, the Johns Committee, targeted Black and queer citizens. Using newly available primary documents and focusing on cases such as Art Copleston’s coercive interrogation, the book details how the committee—led by politician Charley Johns—used legal and extra-legal means to intimidate NAACP members, professors, and students, and shows the personal and community harms that resulted while drawing connections to present-day issues.

This Unruly Witness gathers essays, poems, letters, and interviews that explore poet-activist June Jordan’s life, work, and influence. Contributors reflect on her roles as poet, healer, and organizer, showing how her writing continues to inspire community, love, and resistance.

A sharp, historically grounded critique of American policing that traces how beliefs about safety, property and race shaped the police’s expansion and distorted their role, arguing that contemporary reforms often entrench harm by treating symptoms rather than causes. Weaving legal and social history with reporting, the book shows how slavery-era patrols, labor control, and twentieth-century professionalization remade public order, and how police increasingly became the default responders to homelessness, mental illness and domestic crises. From this foundation it challenges familiar reformist fixes and advances a practical, justice-oriented case for shrinking police functions, redirecting resources to community institutions and reimagining public safety around prevention, care and democratic accountability.

A critical legal history that traces how judges, prosecutors, and other courtroom actors actively shaped and sustained racialized systems of punishment and disenfranchisement from the era of slavery through Jim Crow to the modern carceral state. The book argues that courts and legal doctrines were not neutral arbiters but complicit architects of policies—through rulings, sentencing practices, and procedural decisions—that expanded state power over Black communities. By combining historical narrative, case studies, and legal analysis, it reveals the judiciary’s central role in producing mass incarceration and calls for rethinking the role of legal institutions in achieving racial justice.

Lindsey Stewart traces the history of conjure women—healers, midwives, and spiritual practitioners—whose herbal remedies, rituals, and crafts shaped African American life from slavery through Jim Crow. Working in secrecy, they preserved ancestral knowledge and created practical responses to oppression, influencing everyday health remedies, music, textiles, and foodways. The book explores how these hidden practices helped communities survive and resist and how their legacy is woven into American culture.

Misery of Love follows Clare as dreamlike memories surface while she spends time with family at her grandfather’s funeral. Through shifting narratives and stormy grayscale imagery, the graphic novel examines race, memory and the lingering impact of France’s colonial past in Africa—without revealing key plot developments.

This captivating exploration delves into the eerie and often unsettling ghost stories that permeate the American South, examining how these tales reflect the region's complex history of slavery, racial tension, and cultural memory. Through a critical lens, the narrative unravels the layers of folklore, tourism, and historical interpretation, revealing how these spectral stories serve as a means of grappling with the past. By weaving together personal anecdotes, historical research, and cultural analysis, the book offers a thought-provoking look at how the haunted landscapes of the South continue to shape its identity and collective consciousness.

This book is a collection of impassioned essays that delve into the complexities of African American culture and the pervasive issues of racism, sexism, and political oppression that plague it. The author, with a sharp and insightful perspective, explores the intersectionality of race and gender, particularly as it affects black women, and critiques the societal norms and media representations that often marginalize and misrepresent them. Through personal anecdotes and cultural criticism, the book challenges readers to confront uncomfortable truths and to consider the role of activism and personal responsibility in fostering social change and justice.

This compelling collection of poetry weaves together the voices and stories of African American musicians, artists, and performers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Through a blend of historical narrative, lyrical verse, and innovative poetic forms, it explores themes of resilience, identity, and the struggle for freedom and recognition. The work serves as a powerful tribute to the cultural contributions and enduring spirit of these often overlooked figures, offering a rich tapestry of history and creativity that challenges conventional narratives and celebrates the vibrancy of African American heritage.

The book explores the theory of evolution, focusing on the idea that humans share a common ancestry with other animals. It delves into the concept of natural selection and how it applies to human development, examining the similarities between humans and other species in terms of physical and psychological traits. The work also addresses the role of sexual selection in shaping human characteristics and behaviors, proposing that many aspects of human nature have evolved to enhance reproductive success. Throughout, it challenges prevailing views of human uniqueness and superiority, suggesting that humans are part of the broader tapestry of life on Earth.

The novel explores themes of race and identity through the story of Neil Kingsblood, a white man living in a midwestern American town who discovers that he has African ancestry. This revelation forces him to confront the deeply ingrained racial prejudices within his community and himself. As Neil grapples with his newfound identity, he faces social ostracism and personal turmoil, ultimately leading him to challenge the racist attitudes of those around him. The narrative delves into the complexities of racial identity and the societal barriers that persist in post-World War II America.

Gabriel, the narrator, finds himself torn between two sisters, Ann and Clara, and wanders through a web of plots and subplots that explore love, choice, and the complexities of human relationships — told with wit and emotional insight, spoiler-free.

This insightful work delves into the rich tapestry of Indigenous resurgence and the reclamation of traditional knowledge systems. It explores the profound connection between Indigenous peoples and their land, emphasizing the importance of storytelling, language, and cultural practices in fostering resilience and resistance against colonial structures. Through a blend of personal narrative, critical analysis, and Indigenous theory, the book advocates for a return to Indigenous ways of knowing as a pathway to healing and empowerment, challenging readers to rethink their understanding of decolonization and sovereignty.

Set in an alternate present where the American Civil War never occurred, and slavery remains legal in four Southern states, the story follows Victor, a skilled bounty hunter who tracks down escaped slaves for the U.S. government. Haunted by his own past as a former slave, Victor is assigned to capture a fugitive known as Jackdaw. As he delves deeper into the case, he uncovers a complex web of secrets and moral dilemmas that challenge his loyalties and force him to confront the brutal realities of a divided nation. The narrative weaves a gripping tale of suspense, identity, and the enduring struggle for freedom.

This historical analysis delves into the infamous 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner, exploring the socio-political landscape of antebellum Virginia and the broader implications of the revolt. Through a meticulous examination of legal documents, personal accounts, and historical records, the narrative provides a nuanced perspective on the motivations behind the uprising and its aftermath. It challenges conventional interpretations, offering a fresh understanding of the complexities surrounding the event and its enduring impact on American history.

The book provides an in-depth exploration of the life and career of Little Richard, a pioneering figure in the world of rock and roll. It delves into his early beginnings in the Deep South, his rise to fame in the 1950s with electrifying performances and hits like "Tutti Frutti," and his profound influence on the music industry. The narrative also examines his struggles with personal identity, sexuality, and faith, alongside his tumultuous relationships and the challenges he faced in an era of racial segregation. Through interviews and anecdotes, the book paints a vivid portrait of a complex and charismatic artist whose legacy continues to resonate in the music world.

The novel delves into the lives of tunnel diggers beneath New York City at the turn of the 20th century, juxtaposing their stories with those of their descendants in the 1990s. It explores themes of racial tension, poverty, and the enduring human spirit through the interwoven narratives of a black sandhog who survives a harrowing tunnel collapse and his grandson, grappling with a life on the fringes of society. As the tale unfolds, it reveals the deep connections between past and present, and the invisible threads that bind the city's history to the fates of its inhabitants.

A raw, lyrical coming-of-age memoir that traces a young Puerto Rican girl’s turbulent upbringing in working-class neighborhoods marked by violence, addiction, and poverty, following her sexual awakenings, fraught family bonds, brushes with the foster system, and the slow, stubborn work of claiming identity and belonging; vivid scenes and reflective prose show how language, memory, trauma, and resilience shape her life and the fierce, fragile relationships that sustain her.

A fierce feminist manifesto that reframes seven traditionally condemned behaviors as necessary tools of resistance, blending memoir, reporting, and political analysis to challenge patriarchy, religious and social controls over women’s bodies and voices, and to urge women and girls worldwide to embrace transgressive courage and collective action to demand rights, dignity, and equality.

"One Crazy Summer" is a heartwarming and poignant story set in the 1960s, following the journey of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California to spend the summer with their estranged mother. The girls find themselves immersed in the Black Panther movement and discover the harsh realities of racial inequality and social injustice. Through their experiences, they learn about love, resilience, and the importance of family.

The play centers around two African American brothers, Lincoln and Booth, who share a tenuous and competitive relationship marked by a troubled past. Lincoln, a former street hustler, now works as a Lincoln impersonator in a shooting gallery, while Booth aspires to be the greatest card hustler, practicing the three-card monte con that Lincoln has abandoned. As they navigate their sibling rivalry, the brothers grapple with their roles as the "topdog" and the "underdog" in a cycle of poverty and broken dreams. The narrative delves into themes of identity, family dynamics, and the struggle for power, culminating in a dramatic and tragic exploration of fate and the inescapable nature of their circumstances.

"Sweat" is a powerful drama that delves into the lives of factory workers in Reading, Pennsylvania, as they grapple with deindustrialization, economic instability, and the resulting social tensions that arise in the early 2000s. The play explores the complexities of friendship, race, and class against the backdrop of a once-thriving steel town that is now facing job losses and the erosion of the American Dream. As the characters confront layoffs and picket lines, their close-knit relationships are tested, revealing the personal and collective struggles of a community in a world where work, which once promised security and identity, becomes a source of uncertainty and division.

"Let Us Descend" follows the journey of Annis, a young enslaved girl, as she navigates the brutal realities of American slavery in the years leading up to the Civil War. Sold by her father, who is also her enslaver, Annis embarks on a harrowing journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans, eventually reaching a Louisiana sugar plantation. Throughout her ordeal, Annis finds solace in her memories and the stories of her African warrior grandmother. She connects with a world beyond her immediate reality, filled with spirits and myths that offer both comfort and challenge. This novel explores themes of resilience, identity, and the enduring spirit of those who lived through one of history's darkest periods. Set against the backdrop of the American South's rich yet unforgiving landscapes, "Let Us Descend" is a poignant tale of survival, transformation, and the quest for freedom.