African Americans - California - Los Angeles - Intellectual life - 20th century; African American arts - California - Los Angeles - History - 20th century; African American neighborhoods - California - Los Angeles - History - 20th century;...
R.J. Smith discusses his book, “The Great Black Way.” He begins by discussing some of the historical figures that his book explores, such as, Chester Himes who fathered the black detective novel. He explains how in the 1940s when President...
Kathryn Black discusses her book, “In the Shadow of Polio.” She begins by explaining that her mother contracted the illness in her 20s and had to be treated in a polio center in Seattle. Her mother was placed in an iron lung, and even after...
United States - Race relations; Racism - United States - Psychological aspects; African American men - Psychology
Dr. Joseph White discusses his book, “Black Man Emerging.” White begins by explaining that the book has two main thrusts. The first was to move beyond the stereotypes of the black man in society. Some examples of stereotypes that he uses are,...
Motion picture actors and actresses - United States - Biography; McDaniel, Hattie, 1895-1952
Jill Watts discusses her book, “Hattie McDaniel.” She begins by explaining that the book tells the story of Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American to win an Academy Award. Born the youngest daughter of freed slaves, Hattie McDaniel sang...
Legislators’ spouses - United States - Biography; African American legislators - Biography; Legislators - United States - Biography; United States. Congress. Senate - Biography; Bruce family; Bruce, Blanche Kelso, 1841-1898 - Family; Bruce,...
Lawrence Graham discusses his book, “The Senator and the Socialite.” He begins by explaining that the book is a biography of the first African American to serve a full term in the U.S. Senate, Blanche Kelso Bruce. Graham tells the story of...
Portrait photography; Photography of women; Women, Black - Portraits; Women, Black - Interviews; Hairdressing of Blacks; Hairstyles - Pictorial works
George Alexander discusses his book, “Queens.” He begins by explaining that the book is a collection of photo essays. He talks about how his grandmother had a hair salon, and growing up he would spend a lot of time there and understood the...
African Americans - Reparations;
Atonement;
Government liability - United States
Roy L. Brooks discusses his book, “Atonement and Forgiveness.” He begins by explaining that 21 million Africans were taken from their homes and put into slavery. He discusses his career as a professor at the San Diego Law School, and how he...
Thomas Parham discusses his book, “The Psychology of Blacks: An African-Centered Perspective,” co-authored with Joseph White and Adisa Ajamu. Parham says that the first edition of the book was written by White in about 1984 as an introduction...
African Americans - History - 1964-; African Americans - Social conditions - 1975-; African Americans - Intellectual life - 20th century; African Americans in popular culture; Popular culture - United States - History - 20th century; United States...
Nelson George discusses his book, “Post-Soul Nation: The Explosive, Contradictory, Triumphant, and Tragic 1980s as Experienced by African Americans (Previously Known as Blacks and Before That Negroes).” He begins with talking about how African...
Married women - Fiction; Spouses of clergy - Fiction; African American women - Fiction; African American clergy - Fiction; Black, Curtis (Fictitious character) - Fiction
Kimberla Lawson Roby discusses her book, “Too Much of a Good Thing.” She begins by introducing her main character Curtis Black, a philandering Baptist pastor who joins a new congregation after being kicked out of his old one. She talks about...
Mecklenburg Six (Group); Mecklenburg Correctional Center (Va.); Prisoners - Virginia - Biography; Fugitives from justice - Virginia - Biography; Escapes - Virginia - Case studies; African Americans - Folklore
Daryl Cumber Dance discusses her book, “Long Gone.” She begins by explaining that her book is about the 6 escaped death row inmates from Mecklenburg Prison in 1984, and other tales of black escape folklore. She talks about teaching at the...
Mark Barondess discusses his book, “What Were You Thinking??” He begins by explaining that he wrote the book with the intention of being candid about the realities of marriage and divorce. He shares his opinions on topics such as prenuptial...
Datcher, Michael, 1967-; Datcher, Michael, 1967- - Childhood and youth; Poets, American - 20th century - Biography; African American families - California - Los Angeles; Fatherless families - California - Los Angeles; Journalists - United States -...
Michael Datcher discusses his book, “Raising Fences.” He begins by talking about his early life and his choice to live with his adopted family over the real family who gave him up. Martinson asks him to read a passage about his adoption and...
Lelyveld, Joseph; Apartheid - South Africa; South Africa - Race relations; South Africa - Social conditions - 1961-1994
Joseph Lelyveld discusses his book, “Move Your Shadow.” He begins by explaining how he went to South Africa on several occasions while writing as a journalist for the New York Times. He talks about the Apartheid and the differences between...
Roddy McDowall discusses his book, “Double Exposure, Take Four.” He begins by explaining that his book is a compilation of photographs he has taken of celebrities coupled with essays about them written by other famous people. He talks about...
Dr. Michael J. Dunphy discusses his book, “The Kids’ Karate Book.” He begins by explaining that he is a seventh degree black belt in karate. He says that he wanted to write a book about karate that was child-friendly which included both...
African Americans - Poetry; Women - United States - Poetry; African American women - Poetry
Nikki Giovanni discusses her book, “The Selected Poems of Nikki Giovanni.” Giovanni begins by explaining that the book contains 150 of her original poems arranged chronologically. She discusses how the poems reflect the changes she has endured...
De Kock, Eugene; Police - South Africa - Biography; Reconciliation - Political aspects - South Africa; Death squads - South Africa; Political violence - South Africa; Political persecution - South Africa; Torture - South Africa; Human rights -...
Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela discusses her book, “A Human Being Died that Night: A South African Story of Forgiveness.” Gobodo-Madikizela talks about her meetings with Eugene de Kock, the apartheid regime death squad head. She describes the...
Problem children - United States - Biography; Hawthorne - Cedar Knolls School; Stringer, Lee
Lee Stringer discusses his novel, “Sleepaway School,” in which he recounts both his years at Hawthorne Cedar Knolls, a school for children at risk, and the years and events that landed him there. He explains how growing up poor and black in a...
African American women - Fiction; African American men - Fiction; Female friendship - Fiction; Phoenix (Ariz.) - Fiction; Arizona - Fiction
Terry McMillan discusses her book, “Waiting to Exhale.” She says the characters are women who are experiencing voids in their personal lives. McMillan describes the women and their troubles with men. She explains the meaning of the title of...
