Ethnic studies / Ethnicity Books

Book SynopsisAmericans have long heard the story of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders charging up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War. But often forgotten in the great swamp of history is that Roosevelt’s success was ensured by a dedicated corps of black soldiers—the so-called Buffalo Soldiers—who fought by Roosevelt’s side during his legendary campaign. Roosevelt admitted that the black troops actually spearheaded the charge, beating him to the top of Kettle Hill ahead of San Juan Hill, but later changed his story, claiming their perfor­mance was due to the superior white officers under whom the black troops served. The Roughest Riders takes a closer look at common historical legend and balances the record. It is the inspiring story of the first African American soldiers to serve during the post-slavery era, first in the West and later in Cuba, when full equality, legally at least, was still a distant dream. They fought heroically and courageously, making Roosevelt’s campaign a great success that added to the future president’s legend as a great man of words and action. But most of all, they demonstrated their own military prowess, often in the face of incredible discrimination from their fellow soldiers and commanders, and rightfully deserve their own place in American history.Trade Review"There are many hidden or, in the case of African American soldiers, intentionally overlooked stories in American history. In The Roughest Riders , Jerome Tuccille offers a welcome corrective with this deeply detailed work." Scott Martelle, author of The Admiral and the Ambassador and The Madman and the Assassin"A page-turning adventure. Tuccille captures this timeless picture of struggling soldiers in the tropics. The Roughest Riders examines the 'moral dilemma' of black soldiers in an imperialist war and clears the smoke of decades of misplaced credit and lays the laurels of bravery and honor at the feet of those nearly forgotten Buffalo Soldiers." Frederik Penn, National Park Ranger"Tuccille's excellent descriptions give readers a graphic feel for the vicissitudes of jungle warfare and the grim racial and social realities that these men endured." Publishers Weekly"The book reflects extensive and detailed research and is written in convincing and readable prose." True West Magazine"Using firsthand accounts from soldiers and commanders as well as historical documents and insight, Tuccille's lively writing puts the reader right in the heart of the Cuban battlefields." Houston Press"It is a page turner, a clear view of a pivotal piece of America's past." Maryland Capital Gazette"Even readers who have never been interested in military history will find intrigue in Roughest Riders." The Guardian

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Book SynopsisDr. Martin Luther King Jr. loved the fried catfish and lemon icebox pie at Memphis’s Four Way restaurant. Beloved nonagenarian chef Leah Chase introduced George W. Bush to baked cheese grits and scolded Barack Obama for putting Tabasco sauce on her gumbo at New Orleans’s Dooky Chase’s. When SNCC leader Stokely Carmichael asked Ben’s Chili Bowl owners Ben and Virginia Ali to keep the restaurant open during the 1968 Washington, DC, riots, they obliged, feeding police, firefighters, and student activists as they worked together to quell the violence. Celebrated former Chicago Sun-Times columnist Dave Hoekstra unearths these stories and hundreds more as he travels, tastes, and talks his way through twenty of America’s best, liveliest, and most historically significant soul food restau­rants. Following the “soul food corridor” from the South through northern industrial cities, The People’s Place gives voice to the remarkable chefs, workers, and small business owners (often women) who provided sustenance and a safe haven for civil rights pioneers, not to mention presidents and politicians; music, film, and sports legends; and countless everyday, working-class people. Featuring lush photos, mouth-watering recipes, and ruminations from notable regulars such as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, Little Rock Nine member Minnijean Brown, and many others, The People’s Place is an unprecedented celebration of soul food, community, and oral history.Trade Review"Just about every African American musician and singer was raised on the soulful style of cooking and carries it close their hearts while sharing their own gift to the world. Seeing this collection of restaurants and photographs of those who made their presence so well known during this period in American history brings a great feeling of nostalgia as well as a reminder of the struggle of the day." Altheida Mayfield, widow of Curtis Mayfield"A beautiful book that takes us on a journey through the country's soul food corridor and into the smells and tastes and memories that bind every American. In Hoekstra's hands, The People's Place becomes our place, warm and nourishing, a treasure in our midst." Robert Kurson bestselling author of Shadow Divers and Pirate Hunters"Yum and a slice of American history with a side of culture preservation thanks to Dave Hoekstra!" Sam Moore, legendary soul singer whose hits include "Soul Man" and "I Thank You""Choose this book for its valuable history lessons, culinary history of a people and the value of a good meal creating community." Louisiana Book News

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Book SynopsisIn the Margins Book Award Winner Shawn Harrington returned to Marshall High School as an assistant coach years after appearing as a player in the iconic basketball documentary film Hoop Dreams. In January of 2014, Marshall’s struggling team was about to improve after the addition of a charismatic but troubled player. Everything changed, however, when two young men opened fire on Harrington’s car as he drove his daughter to school. Using his body to shield her, Harrington was struck and paralyzed. The mistaken-identity shooting was followed by a series of events that had a devastating impact on Harrington and Marshall’s basketball family. Over the next three years, as a shocking number of players were murdered, it became obvious that the dream of the game providing a better life had nearly dissolved.All the Dreams We've Dreamed is a true story of courage, endurance, and friendship in one of America's most violent neighborhoods. Author Rus Bradburd, who has an intimate forty-year relationship to Chicago basketball, tells Shawn’s story with empathy and care, exploring the intertwined tragedies of gun violence, health care failure, racial assumptions, struggling educational systems, corruption in athletics—and the hope that can survive them all.Trade Review"With heart and verve, Rus Bradburd takes us on this extraordinary journey of friendship, contrition, and heroism, all in the confines of a storied basketball program on Chicago's West Side, all amid the persistent violence of the city. It's one compelling read." Alex Kotlowitz, author of There Are No Children Here"Two decades after the film Hoop Dreams , the stories unfolding at Marshall High School are more important than ever before. Anyone interested in courage, stamina, education, race, health care, guns, or American society will find All the Dreams We've Dreamed a riveting read. Shawn Harrington is an American hero, and his story needs to be heard." Arne Duncan, former US Secretary of Education, founder of C.R.E.D."This unflinchingly honest work insinuates its way into the reader's psyche the way only great books can. Unforgettable." Booklist

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Book SynopsisThis exposé investigates the evolution of the Almighty Black P Stone Nation, a motley group of poverty-stricken teens transformed into a dominant gang accused of terroristic intentions. Interwoven into the narrative is the dynamic influence of leader Jeff Fort, who—despite his flamboyance and high visibility—instilled a rigid structure and discipline that afforded the young men a refuge and a sense of purpose in an often hopeless community. Details of how the Nation procured government funding for gang-related projects during the War on Poverty era and fueled bonuses and job security for law enforcement, and how Fort, in particular, masterminded a deal for $2.5 million to commit acts of terrorism in the United States on behalf of Libya are also revealed. In examining whether the Black P Stone Nation was a group of criminals, brainwashed terrorists, victims of their circumstances, or champions of social change, this social history provides both an exploration of how and why gangs flourish and insight into the way in which minority crime is targeted in the community, reported in the media, and prosecuted in the courts.Trade Review"Moore and Williams demystify the gang--and bring out the quirks of charismatic founder Jeff Fort--in this well-researched book that digs out the truth, finds the humanity in urban legend and shows how church, state and community together created the most powerful, and contradictory, of street organizations." -- Ebony (April 2011)"A rigorous mixture of scholarship and journalism that is rendered with a contextual empathy that's rare in other literature on street gangs." --Salim Muwakkil, senior editor, In These Times , and host of The Salim Muwakkil Show , WVON, Chicago"A provocative tale." -- Chicago Citizen"Filled with amazing and little known details and framed within Chicago African American history. The best and most accurate book on a contemporary Chicago gang ever written." --John Hagedorn, author, People & Folks: Gangs, Crime, and the Underclass in a Rustbelt City"A stunning book." -- StreetWise (March 2, 2011)"A must-read for anyone interested in the history of Chicago." -- Chicago Crusader"A powerful exposé of disturbing realities underlying enduringly misunderstood urban legends." -- Kirkus Reviews"A valuable addition to a serious library about crime, shedding light on the overlooked world of black Chicago gangs." -- Foxhill Review

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Book SynopsisConnecting the black music tradition with the black activist tradition, Party Music brings both into greater focus than ever before and reveals just how strongly the black power movement was felt on the streets of black America. Interviews reveal the never-before-heard story of the Black Panthers’ R&B band the Lumpen and how five rank-and-file members performed popular music for revolutionaries. Beyond the mainstream civil rights movement that is typically discussed are the stories of the Black Panthers, the Black Arts Movement, the antiwar activism, and other radical movements that were central to the impulse that transformed black popular music—and created soul music.Trade Review"Comprehensive, complex, and revealing, Vincent's nostalgic journey provides an insider's look at a remarkable band and a piercing snapshot of black history." -- Publishers Weekly"Apart from introducing a new name to many black music scholars, fresh interviews with the band and Party members feed an eye-of-the-hurricane account of this often-misrepresented time. Combined with Vincent's beautifully readable style, the results are a definitive work on the late 60s black revolution and its previously neglected soundtrack." -- Record Collector"A fascinating history of the Black Panthers, their house band and the music that inspired them. Rickey Vincent is well qualified to tell the story of the Black Panthers; his mother was a party member, his father a black politics historian and it's that combination of first-person insight and thorough research that makes this book so riveting. Like the Panthers, Vincent thinks outside the box, telling their story through the lens of The Lumpen, the Panthers' house band. ... Vincent takes each song played at a 1970 Oakland show as the springboard for discussion. For example: Their radical reworking of Sly And The Family Stones' 'Dance To The Music' leads to a brief history of Sly; the intelligent debate on the Bay Area counter culture revolution, the 10 point programme and so on." -- MOJO , Four Stars

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Book SynopsisIn the early morning hours of December 8, 1969, three hundred officers of the newly created elite paramilitary tactical unit known as SWAT initiated a violent battle with a handful of Los Angeles–based members of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP). Five hours and five thousand rounds of ammunition later, three SWAT team members and three Black Panthers lay wounded. From a tactical standpoint, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) considered the encounter a disaster. For the Panthers and the community that supported them, the shootout symbolized a victory. A key contributor to that victory was the nineteen-year-old rank-and-file member of the BPP Wayne Pharr. Nine Lives of a Black Panther tells Wayne’s riveting story of the Los Angeles branch of the BPP and gives a blow-by-blow account of how it prepared for and survived the massive military-style attack. Because of his dedication to the black liberation struggle, Wayne was hunted, beaten, and almost killed by the LAPD in four separate events. Here he reveals how the branch survived attacks such as these, and also why BPP cofounder Huey P. Newton expelled the entire Southern California chapter and deemed it “too dangerous to remain a part of the national organization.” The Los Angeles branch was the proving ground for some of the most beloved and colorful characters in Panther lore, including Bunchy Carter, Masai Hewitt, Geronimo “ji-Jaga” Pratt, and Elaine Brown. Nine Lives fills in a missing piece of Black Panther history, while making clear why black Los Angeles was home to two of the most devastating riots in the history of urban America. But it also eloquently relates one man’s triumph over police terror, internal warfare, and personal demons. It will doubtless soon take its place among the classics of black militant literature.Trade Review"An important addition to the growing historiography on the Black Panther Party--a searing inside account by a rank-and-file member of one of the most embattled chapters. The book also offers a powerful retrospective journey of Pharr's days as a Panther and his tumultuous post-Party years." --Charles E. Jones, editor, The Black Panther Reconsidered"An engrossing autobiographical account of a crucial period in the African American freedom struggle, Nine Lives of a Black Panther is an important contribution to our understanding of the rapid rise and tragic decline of the Black Panther Party. Wayne Pharr's book brought back vivid memories of my own experiences during those tumultuous times." --Dr. Clayborne Carson, historian and founding director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University"Wayne Pharr's riveting book opens on December 8, 1969, when he and other Panthers defended themselves against a morning attack mounted by the Los Angeles Police Department's SWAT team on their Central Avenue headquarters. Nine Lives of a Black Panther continues to illuminate the experiences that led him to commit his young life to the black revolutionary struggle, a captivating saga of the Southern California Black Panther Party trials, murders, political rivalries, and splits rarely explained in print." --Kathleen Cleaver, former communications secretary, Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, and author of Liberation, Imagination, and the Black Panther Party"This is an unrelenting, up-close-and-personal account of a Black Panther leader in Los Angeles. There are no holds barred in this riveting memoir." --Jeffrey Haas, author of The Assassination of Fred Hampton and cofounder of the People's Law Office"With startling revelations, Nine Lives of a Black Panther gives the reader an inside view into the heart and soul of a revolutionary who asserts an uncompromising right to self-defense. This is an essential and unforgettable book." --Henry "Hank" Jones, Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, San Francisco"His appealing memoir [is] a technicolor portrait of a famous offshoot of the black struggle for equality." -- Publishers Weekly"[A] compelling memoir." -- Booklist" Nine Lives is an arresting look at the life of a Black Panther committed to survival and the black liberation movement." -- LA Magazine" The title offers new details on civil rights history and is told in a way that humanizes a group often vilified for its dedication to the struggle. Recommended of all readers interested in contemporary history." -- Library Journal

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Book SynopsisThroughout its history, Mississippi has seen a small, steady stream of immigrants, and those identities--sometimes submerged, sometimes hidden--have helped shape the state in important ways. Amid renewed interest in identity, the Mississippi Humanities Council has commissioned a companion volume to its earlier book that studied ethnicity in the state from the period 1500-1900. This new book, Ethnic Heritage in Mississippi: The Twentieth Century, offers stories of immigrants overcoming obstacles, immigrants newly arrived, and long-settled groups witnessing a revitalized claim to membership. The book examines twentieth-century immigration trends, explores the reemergence of ethnic identity, and undertakes case studies of current ethnic groups. Some of the groups featured in the volume include Chinese, Latino, Lebanese, Jewish, Filipino, South Asian, and Vietnamese communities. The book also examines Biloxi as a city that has long attracted a diverse population and takes a look at the growth in identity affiliation among people of European descent. The book is funded in part by a ""We the People"" grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Book SynopsisTaking its title from a question often asked of polyglots, What Language Do I Dream In? is Elena Lappin's stunning memoir about how language runs throughout memory and family history to form identity. Lappin's life could be described as five languages in search of an author, and as a multiple émigré, her decision to write in English was the result of many wanderings. Russian, Czech, German, Hebrew, and finally, English: each language is a link to a different piece of Lappin's rich family mosaic and the struggle to find a voice in a language not one's own.From Europe to North America—and back again, via some of the twentieth century's most significant political upheavals—Lappin reconstructs the stories and secrets of her parents and grandparents with the tenderness of a novelist and the eye of a documentary filmmaker. The story of Lappin's identity is unexpectedly complicated by the discovery, in middle age, that her biological father was an American living in Russia. This revelation makes her question the very bedrock of her knowledge of her birth, and adds a surprising twist: suddenly, English may be more than the accidental home in exile—it is a language she may have been close to from the very beginning.English is not my mother tongue, writes Elena Lappin, it is something more valuable: a language I was lucky enough to be able to choose. What Language Do I Dream In? is a wonderful, honest story about love, family, memory, and how they intertwine to form who we are.

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Book SynopsisFor thousands of years the Washoe people have lived in the shadows of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. At the center of their lands sits beautiful Lake Tahoe, a name derived from the Washoe word Da ow a ga.Perhaps because the Washoe population has always been small or because it has been more peaceful than other tribal communities, its history has never been published. In The Small Shall Be Strong, Matthew S. Makley demonstrates that, in spite of this lack of scholarly attention, Washoe history is replete with broad significance. The Washoes, for example, gained culturally important lands through the 1887 Dawes Act. And during the 1990s, the tribe sought to ban climbing on one of its most sacred sites, Cave Rock, a singular instance of Native sacred concerns leading to restrictions.The Small Shall Be Strong illustrates a history and raises a broad question: How might greater scholarly attention to the numerous lesser-studied tribes in the United States compel a rethinking of larger historical narratives?

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Book SynopsisMaria Baldwin (1856--1922) held a special place in the racially divided society of her time, as a highly respected educator at a largely white New England school and an activist who carried on the radical spirit of the Boston area's internationally renowned abolitionists from a generation earlier.African American sociologist Adelaide Cromwell called Baldwin "the lone symbol of Negro progress in education in the greater Boston area" during her lifetime. Baldwin used her respectable position to fight alongside more radical activists like William Monroe Trotter for full citizenship for fellow members of the black community. And, in her professional and personal life, she negotiated and challenged dominant white ideas about black womanhood. In Maria Baldwin's Worlds, Kathleen Weiler reveals both Baldwin's victories and what fellow activist W. E. B. Du Bois called her "quiet courage" in everyday life, in the context of the wider black freedom struggle in New England.

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Book SynopsisThough often overlooked in heated debates, nearly 1.8 million undocumented immigrants are under the age of 18. How do immigration policies shape the lives of these young people? How do local and state laws that are seemingly unrelated to undocumented communities negatively affect them? Marisol Clark-Ibáñez delivers an intimate look at growing up as an undocumented Latino immigrant, analyzing the social and legal dynamics that shape everyday life in and out of school.Trade Review “An invaluable, impressively researched, exceptionally well written, organized and presented study.... [It] will prove of immense value to both scholars and non-specialist general readers.” —Helen Dumont, Midwest Book Review “A must read.... Provides compelling examples of resilience, struggle, and activism.” —Gilda L. Ochoa, Pomona College “Essential.... Sheds light on how the racist implementation of immigration policies trickles down to shape the lives of children and young people in and out of school.” —Leisy J. Abrego, University of California, Los AngelesTable of ContentsUndocumented Immigration: Dreams of Education and Beyond. Immigration Policy: Living with the Law. Elementary School: The Beginning and the Promise. Middle School: Creating New Paths. High School: Aspirations with Uncertainty. Community College: A Gateway. The University: A (Mostly) Safe Haven. After College Graduation: Bittersweet. DREAMer Activism: Challenges and Opportunities. Being a “DREAM Keeper”: Lessons Learned. Rethinking the American Dream. APPENDIX A: Sociology con y en la comunidad. APPENDIX B: Brief Overview of the Field. APPENDIX C: Summary Tables of Participants.

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Book SynopsisThis collection of papers from a project of the National Museum of Ethnology in Japan, unites anthropologists in an international collaborative effort to reexamine the dynamics of family, ethnicity, and the nation-state in China and in overseas Chinese society. Using ethnographic fieldwork, this book sheds light on the interactions between state, society, and identity through a variety of channels, such as family, lineage, kinship or quasi-kinship network, national frameworks such as religion association, Minority Autonomous Regions, and ethnic dress. This research demonstrates that even for the same cultural phenomenon, the discourses at the common, the elite, and the institutional levels will be adjusted based on the needs of the social context, market economy, and global networks.

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Book Synopsis"If Trayvon was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk?" --President Barack ObamaThe 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin, an African-American teenager in Florida, and the subsequent acquittal of his killer, brought public attention to controversial "Stand Your Ground" laws. The verdict, as much as the killing, sent shock waves through the African-American community, recalling a history of similar deaths, and the long struggle for justice. On the Sunday morning following the verdict, black preachers around the country addressed the question, "Where is the justice of God? What are we to hope for?" This book is an attempt to take seriously social and theological questions raised by this and similar stories, and to answer black church people''s questions of justice and faith in response to the call of God.But Kelly Brown Douglas also brings another significant interpretative lens to this text: that of a mother. "There has been no story in the news that has troubled me more than that of Trayvon Martin''s slaying. President Obama said that if he had a son his son would look like Trayvon. I do have a son and he does look like Trayvon." Her book will also affirm the "truth" of a black mother''s faith in these times of stand your ground.

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Book SynopsisExtraordinary national acclaim accompanied the publication of award-winning historian Linda Gordon’s disturbing and markedly timely history of the reassembled Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s. Dramatically challenging our preconceptions of the hooded Klansmen responsible for establishing a Jim Crow racial hierarchy in the 1870s South, this “second Klan” spread in states principally above the Mason-Dixon line by courting xenophobic fears surrounding the flood of immigrant “hordes” landing on American shores. “Part cautionary tale, part expose” (Washington Post), The Second Coming of the KKK “illuminates the surprising scope of the movement” (The New Yorker); the Klan attracted four-to-six-million members through secret rituals, manufactured news stories, and mass “Klonvocations” prior to its collapse in 1926?but not before its potent ideology of intolerance became part and parcel of the American tradition. A “must-read” (Salon) for anyone looking to understand the current moment, The Second Coming of the KKK offers “chilling comparisons to the present day” (New York Review of Books). 8 pages of illustrationsTrade Review"The Klan of the 1920s, less violent but far more wide¬spread, is a different story, and offers some chilling comparisons to the present day. . . A thoughtful explanation of the Klan’s appeal in the fast-urbanizing America of the 1920s, which was leaving behind an earlier nation based, in imagined memory, on self-sufficient yeoman farmers, proud blue-collar workers, and virtuous small-town businessmen, all of them going to the same white-steepled church on Sunday." -- Adam Hoschschild - New York Review of Books"A must-read for anyone wondering over the last several months how we ended up as a country—with the first African-American president not even a year out of office—facing a group of golf shirt-wearing young white men marching onto the campus of a prestigious university carrying torches and chanting ‘Jews will not replace us” . . . . Gordon documents not only the mechanics of how the Ku Klux Klan roared back to power, both socially and politically, in the 1920s but why. The parallels between then and now, branding differences aside, could not be more evident. To say it one more time for those who wish it weren’t so, the past isn’t dead and it’s not even past; and those who don’t learn from it are doomed to repeat it. . . . Histories like Gordon’s should help Americans understand the roots of these toxic ideologies, as well as the circumstances that help them flourish, in order to better spot them when they sprout." -- Erin Keane - Salon"The Second Coming of the KKK illustrates how the 1920s reboot of the Ku Klux Klan was regarded as rather ordinary and respectable, much like today's efforts to make everyday racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism acceptable again. . . With the help of a couple of savvy public relations pros, Klan membership spread like wildfire, enveloping Northerners and Westerners in love with the idea of defining themselves by what they were not." -- Deborah Douglas - Vice"Gordon is a thorough and perceptive historian . . . There’s more to The Second Coming of the KKK than grim déja vu. There are lessons too." -- Randy Dotinga - Christian Science Monitor"Sharply argued. . . . [Gordon] encourages readers to draw bold lines between the political milieu of the Second Klan and our current predicament." -- Todd Moye - Texas Observer"Set aside your preconceptions about the Klan, from the era of Reconstruction. As the distinguished historian Linda Gordon demonstrates in this chilling account, the KKK of the 1920s was urban, northern, and modern. Its wizards and dragons used the latest tools of mass advertising to spread their message of ‘true Americanism’: racial purity, religious intolerance, and opposition to immigration. Its members, one in six of whom were women, favored women’s suffrage. Its campaign of terror ended not long after it began, but it left on American politics its dark mark." -- Jill Lepore, author of The Secret History of Wonder Woman"The Second Coming of the KKK reminds us that we Americans bid good riddance to serial aberrations in the civic and social life of our republic repeatedly, only to learn that these phenomena are as American as apple pie. Gordon’s timely, crisply written, indispensable primer helps explain why another aberration is now upon us." -- David Levering Lewis, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Biography"A first-rate historian can show us the past in a way that clarifies the present. That’s what Linda Gordon does here…[The Second Coming of the KKK] reminds us that the sentiments that powered the reprise of the Klan have never been entirely absent from American life, and cannot be understood as an aberrant strain that might be entirely eliminated from the national character." -- Nicholas Lemann, author of Redemption"An excellent historical treatment of an almost forgotten yet very dangerous period of hate in America. What a history lesson for today’s electorate." -- Morris Dees, founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center"At once thoughtful, fair, and deeply troubling, The Second Coming of the KKK exhibits the analytical wisdom of a master historian who sharply reminds us that popular mass mobilizations can be instruments of depredation." -- Ira Katznelson, author of the Bancroft Prize–winning Fear Itself"As the author amply shows, [the Klan’s] fearful, angry spirit lives on. A revealing, well-researched—and, unfortunately, contemporarily relevant—investigation of the KKK's wide support in the 1920s." -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisIn Too Afraid to Cry, Ali Cobby Eckermann—who was recently awarded the Windham-Campbell Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world—describes with searing detail the devastating effects of racist policies that tore apart Indigenous Australian communities and created the Stolen Generations of “adoptees,” Aboriginal children forcibly taken from their birth families. Told at first through the frank eyes of a child whose life was irretrievably changed after being “adopted” into a German Lutheran family, Too Afraid to Cry braids piercingly lyrical verse with spare prose to tell an intensely personal story of abuse and trauma. After years of suffering as a dark-skinned “outsider,” Eckermann reveals her courageous efforts to reconcile with her birth family and find acceptance within their Indigenous community. Too Afraid to Cry offers a mirror to America and Canada’s own dark history of coerced adoption of Native American children, and the violence inflicted on our continent’s Indigenous peoples.Trade Review"The memory blanket surrounding each of us is woven by the ancestors, begun before the child is a curled dream within the mother. When a baby is taken by force from its mother, the blanket is damaged. Pieces lost. The child will then be a wanderer until s/he finds the pieces and puts them back together. Ali Cobby Eckermann’s memoir is a memory blanket, put back together after many treacherous journeys. The weaving material is lyrical poetry, that deftly winds the story pieces together. This is an essential story, one everyone needs to hear." -- Joy Harjo, Mvskoke poet, musician and performer, and author of Crazy Brave"Simple prose belies a heavy heart in this straightforward but subtly heartbreaking chronicle of trauma and tragedy by poet Eckermann (Ruby Moonlight, 2015, etc.), a winner of the Windham-Campbell Prize. . . . A subdued memoir about shouldering pain, owning decisions, and finding a voice." -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisDriving While Black demonstrates that the car—the ultimate symbol of independence and possibility—has always held particular importance for African Americans, allowing black families to evade the dangers presented by an entrenched racist society and to enjoy, in some measure, the freedom of the open road. Melding new archival research with her family’s story, Gretchen Sorin recovers a lost history, demonstrating how, when combined with black travel guides—including the famous Green Book—the automobile encouraged a new way of resisting oppression.Trade Review"Make[s] powerfully clear the magnitude of the injustices and harrowing encounters endured by African-Americans traveling by ‘open’ road, as well as of their quiet acts of rebellion and protest, which went far beyond having to find alternative places to eat, sleep and buy gas…. Deeply researched… Driving While Black is more focused on the history of African-American car ownership and travel, exploring why both have been so important to African-American life.... A scholarly examination of the history of black mobility in this country from the antebellum period to now, including the ongoing quest by whites in power to deny or restrict that mobility." -- Bridgett M. Davis, New York Times Book Review"I’d never given much thought to how the ability of Black families to afford cars and go places influenced the course of history. Sorin weaves together gruesome tales of Black accident victims, the way Black affluence led corporations to try to profit from integration, and much more.... [A] tour de force." -- Stephen L. Carter, Bloomberg, "Best Nonfiction Books of 2020""Driving While Black is a marvel. It is the work of a brilliant mind and a beautiful heart. Sorin, a professor at State University of New York at Albany, dazzles with plain language. She writes in a way that academics and laypersons will both admire. Sorin combines impeccable, exhaustive research and personal stories with a seamless elegance, somehow managing to hold the object under examination far enough away to consider it fully and close enough to really inhabit it." -- Michael Kleber-Diggs - Minneapolis Star-Tribune"This excellent history illuminates how car ownership provided a measure of safety and independence and also played a vital role in the civil-rights movement." -- New Yorker"The sweeping story of African Americans and automobiles—a tale of mobility and mobilization that helped fuel the Civil Rights Movement." -- Erin Blakemore, Smithsonian"A riveting story on how the automobile opened up opportunities for blacks in the U.S…. In Sorin’s work, her prose and talent for turning examples into captivating stories prevent the book from being a mere sociological study of how black travel changed the nation. Instead, she blends her own family’s history, and those who experienced the black travel revolution, to make the book enjoyable and noteworthy since it shows how the changes ushered in civil rights." -- Russell Contreras, Associated Press"Lucidly written and generously illustrated with photos and artifacts, this rigorous and entertaining history deserves a wide readership." -- Publishers Weekly [starred review]"Driving While Black also chronicles the rise of car culture in tandem with rock ‘n’ roll music (Chuck Berry loved his Cadillacs), as well as the vast network of black-friendly establishments outlined in the popular Green Book. Feeling gassed up yet? Grab this book to-go and get to reading." -- Matt Gifford, BookPage"Sorin’s engaging account of black motoring exposes a rough road in race relations but also a technology’s impact on black freedom. A great resource for people learning about black freedoms—and the fragility of those freedoms—in the automobile era and during the civil rights movement." -- Library Journal"An eye-opening history of the terrible discrimination practiced routinely against African American drivers. . . [A] powerful story. . . The author provides an in-depth look at the significance of Victor Green’s (literally) lifesaving The Green Book. . . A pleasing combination of terrific research and storytelling and engaging period visuals." -- Kirkus Reviews"Gretchen Sorin has spent decades exploring this deeply researched, acutely felt, and penetrating study of race, space, and mobility in America—and a lifetime thinking about the issues and experiences that underlie it. No one who reads Driving While Black can fail to be moved and wonderstruck by how far American society has come in the last century and a half in forwarding the dream of equal mobility for all, and by how far we still have to go." -- Ric Burns, documentary filmmaker"With chronological sweep and intimate detail, Gretchen Sorin takes us on an unsettling road trip, showing us how African American travelers met with indignities, discrimination, and violence, and how they fought for their basic dignity. From the famous Green Book to black-run lakeside resorts, Sorin offers a powerful revision of the romance of roadside Americana." -- Thomas J. Sugrue, author of Sweet Land of Liberty: The Forgotten Struggle for Civil Rights in the North"Driving While Black is painful, poignant, and powerful. White America cannot imagine being unwelcomed and unwanted in stopping for a meal or a motel room on a long trip. But the fact is that this was for decades the harsh reality for millions of our fellow citizens. Through compelling and extensive interviews, illustrations, and evidence, Gretchen Sorin has meticulously documented yet another disturbing aspect of racism in our national life." -- Kenneth T. Jackson, Barzun Professor of History, Columbia University"This is the first authoritative book about the actual social, economic, and political history of African-Americans and cars. Sorin’s accessible style invites the reader see how the open road looked from black people’s points of view. Interspersed with anecdotes and family stories, her history is authoritative, pungent, and personal. This volume is a ground-breaking roadmap of the black experience behind the wheel." -- Fath Davis Ruffins, Curator, National Museum of American History

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Book SynopsisThe future of the United States rests in many ways on how the ongoing challenge of racial injustice in the country is addressed. Yet, humanists remain divided over what if any agenda should guide humanist thought and action toward questions of race. In this volume, Anthony B. Pinn makes a clear case for why humanism should embrace racial justice as part of its commitment to the well-being of life in general and human flourishing in particular. As a first step, humanists should stop asking why so many racial minorities remain committed to religious traditions that have destroyed lives, perverted justice, and justified racial discrimination. Rather, Pinn argues, humanists must first confront a more pertinent and pressing question: why has humanism failed to provide a more compelling alternative to theism for so many minority groups? For only with a bit of humility and perspective—and a recognition of the various ways in which we each contribute to racial injustice—can we truly fight for justice.Trade Review"A must read for this moment in history!" Sharon D. Welch, Provost and Professor, Religion and Society, Meadville Lombard Theological School" When Colorblindness Isn't the Answer is a practical guide for understanding and actively working against white supremacy, racism, and their offspring called 'race.' While directed toward humanists, everyone can benefit from this immensely readable and practice-oriented analysis . . . . This book is a guide for the perplexed and fearful. It provides practical tools for antiracist action." William David Hart, professor, Religious Studies; holder of Margaret W. Harmon Chair, Macalaster College

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Book SynopsisGreat journeys often start with a single question. For D. K. Evans, a newly married professional in the Christian-dominated South, that question was, “Why Do I Believe in God?” That simple query led him on a years-long search to better understand the nature of religion and faith, particularly as it applies to the Black community. While many taking such a journey today might immerse themselves in the writing of Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, Evans took inspiration not only from John Henrik Clarke, Yosef-Ben Jochannan, Hubert Harrison, and John G. Jackson, champions of a rich Black tradition of challenging religious orthodoxy, but also from many others in his own community who had similarly come to question their core religious beliefs. While this journey eventually led him to discount the notion of God, he calls on all to ask their own questions, particularly those within the Black community who act on blind faith. While their own journey might not lead to his truth, he acknowledges, that is the only way they will ever emancipate themselves from the truths thrust on them by others and arrive at their most important truth—their own.Trade Review" Emancipation of a Black Atheist offers an emotional and intellectual odyssey through the expansive sea of religion in the Black community . . . . Believers will appreciate the respect Dr. Evans pays them, but they may encounter challenging questions about their own faith. Nonbelievers will find comfort in his familiar and relatable experiences. All will be challenged by his prescriptions for bridging over the troubled waters that stand between believers and nonbelievers in the Black community." Candace R. M. Gorham, LPC, author, The Ebony Exodus Project: Why Some Black Women Are Walking Out on Religionand Others Should Too

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Book SynopsisThrough intimate and deeply researched retellings of individualized stories of violence, misfortune, chaos and persistence, this poetic and unique blend of history, memoir and visual essay reflects on how we can resist the erasure of our collective memory in the American century.

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Book Synopsis“A stirring work . . . images meet text to convey a most handsome portrait of Black barbering in America as a revered cultural practice. Honest, intelligent, poignant—You Next is brilliant from cover to cover.” —Maurice Wallace, Rutgers University An intimate photographic exploration of the ways Black barber shops operate as sites for the cultivation of Black male identity and wellness Growing up, getting a haircut was a weekly event Antonio M. Johnson looked forward to more than anything. There in that tilted chair surrounded by members of his community and totems of a shared experience, Johnson felt safe—felt like anything was possible. Barber shops are more than places simply to get a cut. They are where Black men can speak and receive feedback about who we are, who we want to be, and what we believe to be true about the world around us. The interpretation of the barber shop as community center falls short of capturing what they really are for so many Black men: sanctuaries in a hostile land. You Next is an intimate photographic exploration of Black barber shops in major US cities—Gary, Indiana; Washington DC; New York City; Oakland; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Detroit; New Orleans; Montgomery; Memphis, and Johnson's hometown of Philadelphia. These photos, interviews, and essays tell the full story of the Black barber shop in America. Trade Review"One of the most comprehensive documentary photography books focusing entirely on African American barber shops I have ever seen. The stunning black-and-white images along with its writings make this a must-have keepsake. Antonio Johnson is to be saluted for creating such an important historic record for future generations." -- Jamel Shabazz, documentary photographer and creator of Back in the Days"A much-need addition to writing and documentation of Black barber shop culture. As a documentary photographer, writer, and researcher, Johnson's unwavering love for Black people and Black culture shines through." -- Kimberly Drew, curator, coeditor of Black Futures & author of This Is What I Know About Art"Like most Black men, I count on barber shops for much more than a neat head of hair. The jokes, the uncensored banter, the gossip, the arguments, the affirmation, and the brotherhood are just as important as the cut. Johnson's photographs immerse me in this warmly familiar world. Everything comes back -- the sound of the voices and clippers, the smell of the lotions, the gentle press of a barber's hand on my head. It's almost like going home. You Next reassures me this most essential of Black institutions will endure. This is a book to treasure." -- John Edwin Mason, University of Virginia associate professor of African history and history of photography"A stirring work... images meet text to convey a most handsome portrait of Black barbering in America as a revered cultural practice. Honest, intelligent, poignant -- You Next is brilliant from cover to cover." -- Maurice Wallace, Rutgers University"Antonio Johnson has put together an honest admixture of text and image that carefully records one of America's enduring institutions: the Black barber shop. In Johnson's book, the exchange between countless barbers and their clients reveals a singular refuge constructed by these Black boys and men, peacocking beauty, intellect, labor, and desire. It's a stunning study of the power of safe space, tradition, and transformation." -- Antwaun Sargent, art critic, curator, and author of The New Black Vanguard"Johnson has created a snapshot of one of the Black community's oldest institutions. With a keen eye, he evokes memory of community and ritual [and] gives a glimpse into the Black man's sanctuary, showing that he has the makings of a great documentary photographer." -- Hank Willis Thomas, artist & creator of All Things Being Equal, Pitch Blackness & Winter in America"The stunning black-and-white images along with its writings make this a must-have keepsake. Antonio Johnson is to be saluted for creating such an important historic record for future generations." Jamel Shabazz, documentary photographer and creator of Back in the Days"This is a beautiful book." Nancy, Goodreads â"Johnson's photographs immerse me in this warmly familiar world. You Next reassures me this most essential of Black institutions will endure. This is a book to treasure." John Edwin Mason, University of Virginia associate professor"In Johnson's book, the exchange between countless barbers and their clients reveals a singular refuge constructed by these Black boys and men, peacocking beauty, intellect, labor, and desire. It's a stunning study of the power of safe space, tradition, and transformation." Antwaun Sargent, The New Black Vanguard

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Book SynopsisThe Heart of Atlanta Supreme Court decision stands among the court’s most significant civil rights rulings. In Atlanta, Georgia, two arch segregationists vowed to flout the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the sweeping slate of civil rights reforms just signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Pickrick restaurant was run by Lester Maddox, soon to be governor of Georgia. The other, the Heart of Atlanta motel, was operated by lawyer Moreton Rolleston Jr. After the law was signed, a group of ministry students showed up for a plate of skillet-fried chicken at Maddox’s diner. At the Heart of Atlanta, the ministers reserved rooms and walked to the front desk. Lester Maddox greeted them with a pistol, axe handles, and a mob of White supporters. Moreton Rolleston refused to accept the Black patrons. These confrontations became the centerpiece of the nation's first two legal challenges to the Civil Rights Act. In gripping detail built from exclusive interviews and original documents, Heart of Atlanta reveals the saga of the case’s rise to the US Supreme Court, which unanimously rejected the segregationists. Heart of Atlanta restores the legal cases and their heroes to their proper place in history. Table of ContentsPrologue: A Presidential Plea, a Legal Fight Alighted 1: An Awakening in Atlanta 2: Lester Maddox: ‘Stand Up for America 3: King’s Lessons, and Bloodshed in the South 4: A Revolt Hatched in a Seminary 5: Filibuster, Politicking, and the Vote that Saved JFK’s Plan 6: Heart of Atlanta v. USA: The First Legal Challenge Arrives 7: Pickrick Showdown: Axe Handles, Guns, and Fists 8: The Courtroom Showdowns 9: Two Major Rulings, and a Backlash to the Supreme Court 10: The Ministers and Pickrick: Back for Seconds, Thirds 11: ‘The People’s Court’ and the Heart of Atlanta Motel 12: Arguments Before the High Court 13: Judgment Day: The U.S. Supreme Court Rules 14: More Shoves, Venom, and Axe Handles 15: Closing Time at The Pickrick & Lester Maddox Cafeteria 16: A New Governor in Georgia61 Epilogue: Legacy About the Research Acknowledgments

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Book SynopsisBlack maternal mortality statistics have not shifted in the past thirty years. The maternal mortality rate for Black patients is four to five times higher than it is for White patients. This is just one example of racism as a health and national crisis, but it is a particularly tragic one.Birthing Liberation presents reproductive justice as the pathway to equity. The issue of reproductive justice may sound specific, but it is in fact the birthplace of liberation. Its four guiding principles—analyzing power systems, addressing intersecting oppressions, centering the most marginalized, and joining together across issues and identities—have the power to lead us to collective liberation in all facets of life. Collective liberation rests on the idea that in order for us all to have equity in this world—from the safety of birthing children, to the ability to bring a baby home to a safe community, to having access to resources, safety, and opportunities over the long term—we must all become liberated individuals. Sabia C. Wade is a renowned radical doula and educator inspired to create a guide for how we can all achieve liberation through trauma healing and reproductive justice. Birthing Liberation creates a path to social and systemic change, starting within the birthing world and expanding far beyond.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. In the Room Where It Happens 2. History of Race and Gynecology 3. Present Day Perspective: The Racial Divide 4. Reproductive Justice as the Path to Collective Liberation 5. Unpacking Trauma as a Personal Responsibility 6. Healthy Community, Healthy Parent, and Healthy Baby 7. Birthing Liberation 8. A Return to Birth: A Different Outcome for All

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