Africa Nonfiction

Kendra Allen’s first collection of essays—at its core—is a bunch of mad stories about things she never learned to let go of. Unifying personal narrative and cultural commentary, this collection grapples with the lessons that have been stored between parent and daughter. These parental relationships expose the conditioning that subconsciously informed her ideas on social issues such as colorism, feminism, war-induced PTSD, homophobia, marriage, and “the n-word,” among other things.

Fresh with discovery of African rhythms, a beginning djembe player tries to fit in with the local jam group, bucking the convention of cover tunes led by frontmen with guitars. On the one hand, he’s emboldened by freedom’s mantra, “It’s all good.” But harmony is not a given, when anxiety and impatience meet ego and status. Leaning on the upbeat and offbeat, a compromise might be struck in the reggae mode, a Third World feel. One way or another, the drop-ins and old hands at the Friday Night Jam have to find a way to get along, and more: to find gold in the moment. Part prose riff ...

Best-selling and Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie offers incisive, often humorous takes on literature, culture, and world events in this New York Times Notable Book. In these stimulating pieces, Rushdie addresses a variety of subjects, including the death of the novel, India, soccer, and the Rolling Stones.

An alphabetical exploration of the people, geography, animals, plants, history, and culture of Egypt.

Embark on a journey through time with The Secret in Our Genes! This beautifully rendered children's book takes young listeners and their families back to the origins of our ancestors, traveling from the heart of Africa to the banks of the Nile and across lands rich in history. Through stories, family secrets, and a unique “gene code” to unlock, listeners discover how their DNA connects them to ancient places, powerful kingdoms, and timeless traditions.

Among these biographies, listeners will find aviators and artists, politicians and pop stars, athletes and activists. The exceptional men featured include artist Aaron Douglas, civil rights leader John Lewis, dancer Alvin Ailey, filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, musician Prince, photographer Gordon Parks, tennis champion Arthur Ashe, and writer James Baldwin.

Thulani Davis provides a sweeping rethinking of Reconstruction by tracing how the four million people newly freed from bondage created political organizations and connections that mobilized communities across the South. Drawing on the practices of community they developed while enslaved, freedpeople built new settlements and created a network of circuits through which they imagined, enacted, and defended freedom. This history shows that these circuits linked rural and urban organizations, labor struggles, and political culture with news, strategies, education, and mutual aid.

In June of 2002, a mere nine months since the September 11 attacks, a very unusual ceremony begins in a far-flung village in Western Kenya. An American diplomat is surrounded by hundreds of Maasai people. A gift is about to be bestowed upon the American men, women, and children, and he is there to accept it. The gift is as unexpected as it is extraordinary. Hearts are raw as these legendary Maasai warriors offer their gift to a grieving people half a world away. Word of the gift will travel newswires around the globe.

The Compton Cowboys are a group who grew up in the city where Kendrick Lamar and Serena Williams were raised; a city portrayed in the media as ground zero for gang violence. But in 1988, with the creation of the Compton Junior Posse, a youth program set on a horse ranch in the middle of Compton, these men and women found a safe space.

Despite fierce prejudice and abuse, even being beaten to within an inch of her life, Fannie Lou Hamer was a champion of civil rights from the 1950s until her death in 1977. Integral to the Freedom Summer of 1964, Ms. Hamer gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention that, despite President Johnson's interference, aired on national TV news and spurred the nation to support the Freedom Democrats.

Katherine knew it was wrong that African Americans didn't have the same rights as others - as wrong as 5+5=12. She knew it was wrong that people thought women could only be teachers or nurses - as wrong as 10-5=3. And she proved everyone wrong by zooming ahead of her classmates, starting college at 15, and eventually joining NASA, where her calculations helped pioneer America's first manned flight into space, its first manned orbit of Earth, and the world's first trip to the moon!

As slaves relentlessly toiled in an unjust system in 19th-century Louisiana, they all counted down the days until Sunday, when, at least for half a day, they were briefly able to congregate in Congo Square in New Orleans. There, they were free to set up an open market, sing, dance, and play music. They were free to forget their cares, their struggles, and their oppression. This is a poetic, nonfiction story about this little-known piece of African-American history.

Thirty diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators - including Renee Watson (Piecing Me Together), Grace Lin (Where the Mountain Meets the Moon), Meg Medina (Merci Suarez Changes Gears), and Adam Gidwitz (The Inquisitor's Tale) - engage young people in frank discussions about racism, identity, and self-esteem. Featuring stories filled with love, acceptance, truth, peace, and an assurance that there can be hope for a better tomorrow, The Talk is an inspiring anthology and must-have resource published in partnership with Just Us Books.

What is it like to live in or visit South Africa? What makes South Africa’s culture unique? Explore the geography, traditions, and daily lives of South Africans.

Stars, Bars, and Brown Skin: The Black Confederates of the American Civil War (1861-1865), Volume 2, is the second series of the Stars, Bars, and Brown Skin-Series of Ethnic American History books, which will put to rest the lies, propaganda, and false perceptions that all African Americans were Slaves. They were not, and this will explain why. Volume 2 book will also show that African Americans from the Southern States, who have actually fought the Union Army, as full-time Soldiers in the Confederate Army, and were NOT forced to fight for the Rebel Army/Navy! True Story! The Union Army did...

Warm morning sunlight and love fill the Neal home. And on one quiet day, playtime leads to an important realization: Trinity wants long hair like her dolls. She needs it to express who she truly is. So her family decides to take a trip to the beauty supply store, but none of the wigs is the perfect fit. Determined, Mom leaves with bundles of hair in hand, ready to craft a wig as colorful and vibrant as her daughter is.

Libby gives a tour of her neighborhood to a boy just about her age whose family is moving in next door. By highlighting neighborhood safety and activities, Libby makes the boy feel welcome.

Your story begins in Africa. Your African ancestors defied the odds and survived 400 years of slavery in America and passed down an extraordinary legacy to you. Beginning in Africa before 1619, Your Legacy presents an unprecedentedly accessible, empowering, and proud introduction to African American history for children. While your ancestors’ freedom was taken from them, their spirit was not; This book celebrates their accomplishments, acknowledges their sacrifices, and defines how they are remembered - and how their stories should be taught.

In Birmingham, Alabama, on September 15, 1963, it is one little girl's 10th birthday. Excited about Youth Day at the 16th Street Baptist Church, she puts on her patent leather shoes and practices her choir solo. But her birthday will include no cake and no candles this year. A group of men have tucked a bundle of dynamite under the church's steps, and when it goes off, four girls are dead: AddieMae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair.

Proverbs have a way of opening up the mind and bringing meanings to situations or experiences that might otherwise be difficult to explain. This book dives into some unique African proverbs and provides meaning and context for children to understand. The proverbs in this book will help your child understand life lessons and also make them enhance their critical thinking skills as well as increase their analytical skills. The