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The Black Chicago Renaissance
The Black Chicago Renaissance Kam Williams Book Review “Beginning in the 1930s and lasting into the 1950s, black Chicago experienced a cultural renaissance that rivaled and, some argued, exce...
Howard Street
Howard Street Tony Lindsay Book Review Writers are introduced to the craft of writing through a variety avenues: reading, experience, teaching, and mimicking. Writers often copy the skill sets of tho...
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration Connie Bradley Book Review I finally finished the 620-page The Warmth of Other Suns by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Isabel W...
Corridors of Genius
Corridors of Genius Robert Fleming Book Review So many conflicting words have been written about the King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson, (1958-2009). Glenda R. Taylor’s Corridors of Genius tak...
The Memory Librarian
The Memory Librarian Robert Fleming Book Review When I think of singer-actor-fashion icon Janelle Monae, the word eclectic comes to mind. She is everywhere in the media, on every platform. Along with...
After the Dance: My Life with Marvin Gaye
After the Dance: My Life with Marvin Gaye Kam Williams Book Review “After her 17th birthday in 1973, Janis Hunter met Marvin Gaye—the soulful prince of Motown with the seductive liquid...
The Darkling
The Darkling Robert Fleming Book Review This debut novel, by Keoni Anderson, has all of the earmarks of one of the pulps from the golden age of science fiction, with Henry, the fresh-scrubbed ...
Likeness of Being
Likeness of Being Jamie Walker Book Review In Likeness of Being: A Poetic Look at Friends and Strangers, poet Nathan M. Richardson offers readers an invitation to his soulful, Southern roots. Full ...
Ramblers: Loyola Chicago 1963 - The Team that Changed the Color of College Basketball
Ramblers: Loyola Chicago 1963 - The Team that Changed the Color of College Basketball Kam Williams Book Review “Was there a time when civil rights protesters could be attacked by a club-wield...
A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond
A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago's Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond Kam Williams Book Review "A fundamental teaching my parents always emphasized [was] that life happens to...
Punta Soul
Punta Soul Kam Williams punta_28.jpg Film Review PARANDA MEDIA 80 Vaughn Avenue, New Rochelle, NY 10801 Contact: Margery Laing 914-393-3037 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Februa...
I Can Do Bad All by Myself
I Can Do Bad All by Myself Kam Williams img1A.jpg Film Review DVD Features Adaptation of Tyler Perry’s Music-Driven Morality Play I Can Do Bad All by Myself Click to order via Amazon Rat...
The Apostles
The Apostles Thumper Book Review Y Blak Moore’s second novel, The Apostles, started with bang and finished with the finesse of a water balloon kissing a concrete sidewalk. The novel about gan...
Echoes of Cabrini-Green: Letters to my Mother
Echoes of Cabrini-Green: Letters to my Mother Eryka Parker Book Review In Echoes of Cabrini-Green, Rudolph Elliot Willis writes letters to his late mother, narrating the events of his childhood leadi...
Wimbey’s Corner
Wimbey’s Corner Emanuel Carpenter Book Review At first glance, one might think that Wimbey’s Corner is a story about a big and black country bumpkin’ named Wayne Hunter who moves from a...
The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coates Thumper Book Review In an effort to expand my reading to non-fiction titles, as well as the fact that the book is small in size, I read The Beauti...
Prodigal
Prodigal Chauncey Ridley Book Review David Covin’s Prodigal is a well-tuned engine of richly resonant, polysemous form firing on all cylinders: a hip, ripping thriller set in the mean streets o...
Walking Among The Kudzu
Walking Among The Kudzu Emanuel Carpenter Book Review In H. Victoria Hargro Atkerson's latest book, "Walking Among the Kudzu," readers are taken on the journey of the life of Shelby ...
Buddy Guy: When I Left Home — My Story
Buddy Guy: When I Left Home — My Story Robert Fleming Book Review When I Left Home, the memoir of legendary blue guitarist Buddy Guy, with support from noted writer David Ritz, traces the musician ...
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky
The Girl Who Fell from the Sky Thumper Book Review The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow is the most remarkable debut novel that I have read in years! The small novel about a young girl...
Once Is Never Enough
Once Is Never Enough Idrissa Uqdah Book Review If Loving You Is Wrong, I don't Want To Be Right The old rythmn and blues tune, If Loving You Is Wrong, I don't Want To Be Right aptly desc...
Tales of a Jailhouse Librarian: Challenging the Juvenile Justice System One Book at a Time
Tales of a Jailhouse Librarian: Challenging the Juvenile Justice System One Book at a Time Carol Taylor Book Review After almost thirty years as a high school teacher Marybeth Zeman quits her teach...
Chasing The 400
Chasing The 400 Idrissa Uqdah Book Review The African American Caste System When you think about the caste system you think of the poor in countries like India where there is a division of society ...
Billionaire Baby
Billionaire Baby Kam Williams Book Review A lot of parents say they want their child to become a star, but not many of them are realistically prepared for what will be required of them- their tim...
The Lawyer as Leader: How to Plant People and Grow Justice
The Lawyer as Leader: How to Plant People and Grow Justice Kam Williams Book Review “The social challenges of our time are enormous. About one in seven U.S. residents live in poverty, and t...
Lynched by Corporate America
Lynched by Corporate America Kam Williams Book Review ’My intention in writing this book from the outset has been to illustrate what happens’ when one of the world’s largest com...
Making Friends With Black People
Making Friends With Black People Kam Williams Book Review ’NIGGER. White readers, I should warn you right now that if reading this particular epithet makes you uncomfortable, you're goin...
My Song: A Memoir by Harry Belafonte
My Song: A Memoir by Harry Belafonte Robert Fleming Book Review My Song: A Memoir is the story of a blessed life, that of Harry Belafonte, the mythic musician, actor, humanitarian, and social activ...
Satisfy My Soul
Satisfy My Soul Thumper Book Review Colin Channer’s sophomore novel, Satisfy My Soul, is extraordinary! It is certainly a novel that deserves to have its praises sung by folks more knowledgeabl...
Street Judge
Street Judge Thumper Book Review In his fiction debut Judge Greg Mathis, star of the syndicated Judge Mathis TV show, releases Street Judge, a mystery/thriller with a message. Although I ha...
The Adventures of Sasha & Malia at the White House
The Adventures of Sasha & Malia at the White House Kam Williams Book Review "[This] story came to me in a dream one night not long after the inauguration of President Barack Obama… I d...
Dr. No
Dr. No Robert Fleming Book Review “…a hilarious, fantastic satire of our times and culture.” —Robert Fleming Bestselling author Percival Everett is a literary alchemist wi...
Louise Thompson Patterson, A Life of Struggle and Justice by Keith Gilyard
Louise Thompson Patterson, A Life of Struggle and Justice by Keith Gilyard Brenda M. Greene Book Review To study her story is to witness the courage, sacrifice, vision and discipline of someone who s...
The Deal
The Deal Idrissa Uqdah Book Review Money, Money, Money, Money…Money! Who wouldn't jump at an offer of five million dollars, free and clear? The main characters in Victoria Christopher...
Family Properties
Family Properties Kam Williams Book Review ’Despite fair housing laws, prospective black home buyers are still ’steered’ away from white neighborhoods. Low-income...
Allah Is Not Obliged
Allah Is Not Obliged Thumper Book Review ’The full, final and completely complete title of my bullshit story is: Allah is not obliged to be fair about all the things he does here on...
The Race Card
The Race Card Kam Williams Book Review ’Almost all Americans agree that racism is wrong’ But a lot of people also worry that the charge of racism can be abused. We can all thi...
White Flight
White Flight Kam Williams Book Review "At the start of the 21st Century, the politics created by white flight are not simply still present; they are predominant. Despite its fundamental im...
Repentance
Repentance Kam Williams repentance.jpg Film Review Repentance In Theaters: Feb 28, 2014 Limited Rated R for profanity, violence and torture Running time: 90 minutes Mystery & Suspense, Ho...
Watchmen
Watchmen Kam Williams watchm18.jpg Film Review Long-Awaited Adaptation of Graphic Novel an Underwhelming Disappointment Watchmen Rated R for full frontal nu...
The Words
The Words Kam Williams the-words-moive-poster.jpg Film Review Plagiarism Exacts Emotional Toll in Tale of Overwhelming Regret The Words (2012) In Theaters: Sep 7, 2012 Wide Rated PG-13 for smoking,...
The Girl Is in Trouble
The Girl Is in Trouble Kam Williams the-girl-is-in-trouble.jpg Film Review The Girl Is in Trouble In Theaters: Apr 3, 2015 LimitedOn DVD: May 11, 2015Runtime: 1 hr. 34 min.Rating: UnratedGenre: Myst...
The Perfect Holiday
The Perfect Holiday Kam Williams the_pe24.jpg Film Review Santa Woos Overburdened Mom in Syrupy Sweet Christmas Comedy The Perfect Holiday Rated PG for mild epithets and suggestive humor. Runni...
Phat Girlz
Phat Girlz Kam Williams phat_g31.jpg Film Review Plus-Sized Sisters Find Acceptance in Africa in Cross-Cultural Romantic Comedy Phat Girlz Rated PG-13 for sex, expletives, and crude humo...
Red Hook Summer
Red Hook Summer Kam Williams red-hook-summer.jpg Film Review Latest Spike Lee Joint Deserves to Get the Hook Red Hook Summer (2012) In Theaters: Aug 10, 2012 Limited R, 2 hr. 1 min. Drama Directed ...
Real Steel
Real Steel Kam Williams images/realsteel2.jpg Film Review Father and Son Belatedly Bond in Rock‘em-Sock‘em Robot Saga Real Steel Rated PG-13 for violence, intense ac...
Riddick
Riddick Kam Williams riddick.jpg Film Review Vin Diesel Reprises Role as Alien Antihero in Futuristic Sci-fi Adventure Riddick In Theaters: Sep 6, 2013 Wide Rated R for profanity, nudity, sexuality...
The Sapphires
The Sapphires Kam Williams the-sapphires-movie-poster.jpg Film Review The True Story of Four Aboriginal Girls Who Risked Their Lives Entertaining the U.S. Troops during the Vietnam War The Sapphi...
Sarah Palin: You Betcha!
Sarah Palin: You Betcha! Kam Williams images/sarahpalin_movieposter.jpg Film Review Sarah Palin Takes It on the Chin in Unflattering Bio-Pic Sarah Palin: You Betcha! Unrated Running time: 91 m...
Seven Pounds
Seven Pounds Kam Williams seven_3.jpg Film Review Will Smith as Widower Wracked with Guilt Seven Pounds Click to order via Amazon Rated PG-13 for mature themes, sensuali...
Smokin’ Aces
Smokin’ Aces Kam Williams smokin13.jpg Film Review Hit Men Aplenty in Overplotted Mafia Comedy Smokin’ Aces (2007) Rated R for sexuality, female frontal nudity, pervasive p...
Supremacy
Supremacy Kam Williams supremacy.jpg Film Review Supremacy In Theaters: Jan 30, 2015 LimitedOn DVD: Apr 21, 2015Rating: UnratedGenre: DramaDirected By: Deon TaylorRuntime: 1 hr. 46 min. Distributor:...
Things Never Said
Things Never Said Kam Williams things-never-said.jpg Film Review Battered Wife Finds Strength in Poetry in Female Empowerment Flick Things Never Said In Theaters: Sep 6, 2013 Limited Rated R for s...
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins
Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins Kam Williams nicole20.jpg Film Review Egotistical Talk-Show Host Humbled at Crass Family Reunion The Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins Click to or...
When the Levees Broke
When the Levees Broke Kam Williams when_t13.jpg Film Review When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Parts A Film Review by Kam Williams Fair (1 star) Unrated Running time: 240 minut...
Winnie Mandela
Winnie Mandela Kam Williams nelsonandwinnie.jpg Film Review Jennifer Hudson Portrays Infamous Icon in Warts-and-All Biopic Winnie Mandela In Theaters: Sep 6, 2013 Limited On DVD: Dec 17,...
13
13 Kam Williams images/13_movieposter.jpg Film Review Remake of French Thriller Revolves around Grisly Game of Russian Roulette 13 Click to Buy via Amazon.com Rated: R Ru...
2 Guns
2 Guns Kam Williams 2-guns.jpg Film Review Washington and Wahlberg Co-Star in Implausible Crime Caper 2 Guns In Theaters: Aug 2, 2013 Wide Rated R for profanity, brief nudity and pervasive ...
American Gangster
American Gangster Kam Williams washin61.jpg Film Review Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe Square-Off in Harlem Heroin-Trade Saga American Gangster (2007) Click to o...
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty
An Oversimplification of Her Beauty Kam Williams an-oversimplification-of-her-beauty.jpg Film Review Annoying Narration Ruins Jay-Z Produced Romantic Romp An Oversimplification of Her Beauty (2013)...
Are We Done Yet?
Are We Done Yet? Kam Williams are_we3.jpg Film Review Slapstick Sequel Actually an Improvement on the Original Formula Are We Done Yet? Rated PG for sexual innuendo and mild epithets. Ru...
The Best Man
The Best Man Michael Dequina thebestman.jpg Film Review Read the 2025 novel based adapted from the film. THE BEST MAN Buy or Rent from Amazon In Theaters: Oct 22, 1999 Wide On DVD: Feb...
Bobby
Bobby Kam Williams lauren24.jpg Film Review RFK Assassination Revisited as ’Crash’ Style Roundelay Bobby (2006) Directed and written by Emilio Estevez Rated R for profanity,...
College Road Trip
College Road Trip Kam Williams raven-27.jpg Film Review Raven-Symone’ and Martin Lawrence Co-Star in Coming-of-Age Comedy College Road Trip Rated G Running time: 83 minutes Studio:...
Color of the Cross
Color of the Cross Kam Williams color_60.jpg Film Review Crucifixion Revisited with Black Jesus as Victim of Bias Crime Color of the Cross Film Review by Kam Williams Was Jesus a black man?...
Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha Kam Williams confes4.jpg Film Review Melvin Van Peebles Stars in Semi-Autobiographical Vanity Pic Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFoot...
Constellation
Constellation Kam Williams conste58.jpg Film Review Dysfunctional Family Drama Unfolds Across the Color Line Constellation Click to order via Amazon Rated PG-13 for brief profanit...
Cop Out
Cop Out Kam Williams images/img28.jpg Film Review Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis Co-Star in Mismatched Cops Comedy Cop Out Rated R for pervasive profanity, sexual references, violence and br...
Cover
Cover Kam Williams vivica41.jpg Film Review DVD Mystery Explores Life on the Down-Low Cover Click to order via Amazon Studio: 20th Century Fox DVD...
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus Kam Williams the-sweet-blood-of-jesus.jpg Film Review Da Sweet Blood of Jesus [2015] In Theaters: Feb 13, 2015 LimitedRating: UnratedGenre: Drama Runtime: 2 hr. 3 min.Stu...
Evan Almighty
Evan Almighty Kam Williams evan_a1.jpg Film Review God Asks Modern-Day Noah to Build Ark in Faith-Based Family Comedy Evan Almighty Rated PG for crude humor and scenes of ...
Hairspray
Hairspray Kam Williams hairsp27.jpg Film Review Hairspray Click to order via Amazon Rated PG for teen smoking, mild epithets andsuggestive content. Running time: 107 minutes Studio: New Li...
Hancock
Hancock Kam Williams hancoc6.jpg Film Review Hancock (2008) Rated PG-13 for profanity and sci-fi violence. Running time: 92 minutes Studio: Columbia Pictures Film Review...
A Haunted House 2
A Haunted House 2 Kam Williams haunted-house2-movie-review.jpg Film Review A Haunted House 2 In Theaters: Apr 18, 2014 Wide Running time: 87 minutes Rated R for violence, graphic sexuality, front...
Homie Spumoni
Homie Spumoni Kam Williams homie_59.jpg Film Review Italian Kid Learns He’s Really Black in Cross-Cultural Comedy Homie Spumoni Click to order via Amazon Rated R ...
Inside Man
Inside Man Kam Williams http://aalbc.com/reviews/inside7.jpg Film Review Bank Robbery-Turned-Hostage Drama Courtesy of Spike Lee Inside Man R for profanity and violence Running time: 129 minu...
Come by Here
Come by Here Thumper Book Review I found a pearl when I happened upon the remarkable author Clarence Major. I discovered Clarence Major by way of an anthology, titled After Hours edited by Robert ...
A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks
A Song for Gwendolyn Brooks Neoma Nwasike Book Review Gwendolyn Brooks was a very influential African American poet who became the first Black writer to win a Pulitzer Prize award (Poetry). In the ch...
The Hatwearer’s Lesson
The Hatwearer’s Lesson Thumper Book Review I am perplexed. Maybe someone — anyone, can help me. I’m trying to figure out what happened between BeBe’s By Golly Wow, the last Yolanda...
The Love Ethic
The Love Ethic Robert Fleming Book Review Inspired by their work with African American couples at their Chicago organization, the acclaimed Twinlineal Institute, Kamau and Akilah Butler, bo...
The Last Love Letter
The Last Love Letter Robert Fleming Book Review Amanda Easton, the author of The Last Love Letter, has a history of letter writing going back to her college days when she sometimes said the...
Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing Thumper Book Review The year, 2002, I decided to take Black History Month literally by reading books that expanded my scope of being black in America. I decided to read Last Man Sta...
My America: Langston Hughes on Democracy
My America: Langston Hughes on Democracy Ahmad Wright Book Review My America: Langston Hughes on Democracy by Randal Maurice Jelks is self-described as “a commentary on select Langston essays, poems,...
Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me
Soulacoaster: The Diary of Me Jesse Washington Book Review Let’s get this out of the way up front: R. Kelly’s autobiography does not discuss what really happened with the sex tape th...
The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock 'n’ Roll
The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock 'n’ Roll Robert Fleming Book Review It’s a shame that nothing substantial has been written about that sacred Black entertainment network of the ...
Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients To Happily Living & Loving Together
Perfect Combination: Seven Key Ingredients To Happily Living & Loving Together Kam Williams Book Review “Jamillah and David Lamb are the dynamic couple behind the successful Off-Broadway play...
A Reason to Believe: Lessons from an Improbable Life
A Reason to Believe: Lessons from an Improbable Life Kam Williams Book Review "My life is often described as ‘improbable’ because I grew up in a broken home and in poverty…...
Ingleside: Based on a True Story
Ingleside: Based on a True Story Robert Fleming Book Review As a former veteran newspaper reporter on the crime beat, I can smell a homicide when it’s authentic and this book is bursting at the...
Red at the Bone
Red at the Bone Brenda M. Greene Book Review Jacqueline Woodson is the best-selling author of more than two dozen award-winning books, including the 2016 New Times best-selling National Book Award fi...
Michelle Obama: A Life
Michelle Obama: A Life Kam Williams Book Review “Here is the first comprehensive account of the life and times of Michelle Obama, a woman of achievement and purpose—and the most unlik...
The Seduction of Mr. Bradley
The Seduction of Mr. Bradley Idrissa Uqdah Book Review The Seduction of Mr. Bradley by Chicago author Minnie E. Miller tells a very different kind of love story, a love story complicated by prefere...
Culture Worrier: Selected Columns 1984—2014: Reflections on Race
Culture Worrier: Selected Columns 1984—2014: Reflections on Race Kam Williams Book Review “These pages represent some of the valuable lessons I’ve learned about people and media over t...
Beauty And The Beast
Beauty And The Beast Idrissa Uqdah Book Review Deatri King-Bey has stepped out of the box and given her readers a Black fairy tale in Beauty And The Beast that I really enjoyed. Set in modern...
Real Men Cook
Real Men Cook Kam Williams Book Review "Increasingly, African-American men in particular are often portrayed as criminals, drug addicts, absentee fathers, and jailbirds. Seldom are they...
Passing by Samaria
Passing by Samaria Paige Turner Book Review In the early days of the church, when doing the Lord’s work, Christians tried to pass by the town of Samaria, tried to evade visiting this unpleasan...
Got to be Real: Four Original Love Stories
Got to be Real: Four Original Love Stories Thumper Book Review Got to Be Real is a thrilling collection of four original love stories, told by fellas who get pulses racing from Los Angeles to New ...
Two Wings to Veil My Face
Two Wings to Veil My Face Tony Lindsay Book Review There is genre fiction, and there is literary fiction. Within these two categories are groups; in part, genre fiction consists of mystery, romance, ...
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Becoming by Michelle Obama Amanda Robinson Book Review Being a Black woman in America right now comes with a great deal of scrutiny. We are praised for our diversity, yet simultaneously cast aside fo...
Running to Fall
Running to Fall Publishers Weekly’s Booklife Book Review This review originally appeared on Booklife Buckhanon (Speaking of Summer) reveals the emotional complexity behind the facade...
Where Wild Peaches Grow
Where Wild Peaches Grow Eryka Parker Book Review When heartbreak and familial betrayal send Nona “Peaches” Davenport running from her home of Natchez, Mississippi as a teenager, neither s...