15 Books Published by Enslow Publishing LLC on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

Maya Angelou was a writer, dancer, activist, and actress, and the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Her body of work evokes emotions that range the full spectrum, from joy to heartbreak and from rage to hope. A phenomenal woman, she enriched the world of literature and society as a whole. This essential biography explores her life and creative output and delves into why her powerful words continue to touch the lives of people today.

To say that Thomas Jefferson was complicated would be an understatement. A founding father and third American president, Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It said that all men are created equal. Yet Jefferson owned slaves, including a woman named Sally Hemings with whom scholars believe he fathered several children. Some two hundred years after the birth of their first child, interest in Hemings and Jefferson has hardly died down. Movies, television shows, newspaper articles, and literature have been devoted to the pair. Jefferson’s legacy has also suffered as details emerge about his ties to Hemings. Is he a man that Americans should respect? With the help of this fascinating book, readers will learn about the nature of Jefferson’s connection to someone who was legally his property, and about his descendants, both Black and white.

A classmate questions how you got into college. A neighbor clutches her purse when you pass. A job interviewer compliments your English. Every day these experiences leave people of color scratching their heads, and before long, they’re impossible to ignore. After all, the neighbor doesn’t clutch her purse when whites approach. So, what gives? Is she racist? Making that call is hard when people aren’t obviously bigots, but their behavior has a name: racial microaggressions. These slights are indeed real; you’re not imagining things. With this book, readers will learn what microaggressions are, why they’re bad news, and how to handle them.

”Don’t wait for opportunities to come … get up and make them!” said Madam C. J. Walker. She rose from laundry woman to become America’s first black woman millionaire. Born in poverty, Walker set her sights on a better life and made her fortune by developing hair care and beauty products specially formulated for African Americans. As her wealth and influence grew, she also channeled her energies into working for civil rights and social change. This real-life rags-to-riches story comes to life in an engaging narrative by the McKissacks.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett rose from her roots in slavery to become an outspoken voice for her people. She was an important and influential journalist at a time in history when few women had careers. Using the power of her writing, she launched the first anti-lynching campaign and gained worldwide attention for this cause.

In 1936, in front of 110,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium in Germany, Jesse Owens blew away the competition in the 100-meter final to claim the title of “World’s Fastest Man.” He won the gold medal in front of Germany’s brutal dictator, Adolf Hitler, defying the Nazi leader’s racist ideology. Owens won three more gold medals at the Olympics and returned to the United States a hero. Author Jeff Burlingame explores the life of one of the greatest and most influential athletes in American history, from his humble childhood to his legacy on and off the track.

Referred to as the “most segregated city in America,” Birmingham, Alabama, became a hotbed for civil rights activity in the early 1960s. Great African-American leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, helped lead the civil rights movement in the city. In Birmingham, African-American youth marched, sang, and spoke out against segregation. Although they faced police dogs and fire hoses, they offered non-violent resistance and did not back down. WHEN THE CHILDREN MARCHED explores the civil rights leaders who organized the movement and the brave children and teens at the heart of the fight.

Book by Cruz, Barbara C.

Book by Cruz, Barbara C.

Examines the trials of the men accused of murdering three civil rights workers in Mississippi in 1964, including the Supreme Court decision to try to defendants in a federal rather than a state court and the final verdicts which marked the first time, in Mississippi, that a jury convicted white men for killing African Americans or civil rights workers.

Book by Litwin, Laura Baskes, Litwin, Luara Baskes

Discusses the many issues facing teens of multiethnic descent, including discrimination and the search for ethnic identity in an unsympathetic culture.

Portrays the life of this multi-faceted African-American poet, author, and educator.

Simple text and illustrations describe the life and accomplishments of the man who first pioneered the study of black history.

A biography of, Shirley Chisholm the first black woman to run for president of the United States.