To find your next great read, one of the best sources is our curated list of recently published books. You can filter the list on Fiction, Nonfiction, Children’s, and Poetry categories. If you are interested in books that will be published in the future, also check out our list of upcoming books.

Behind the Dark Veil by Carolyn Holland

In an effective novel of horror and fantasy, New Jersey native Carolyn Holland’s Behind The Dark Veil, has all of the literary stylings of the trendy Afrofuturism concept. It is set in 1794 in the golden age of American slavery. The author moves backward in time when a privileged noble, Marcel Benoit, is caught shamelessly in Paris with the wife of a benefactor. Scandal ensues in 1724 as Marcel’s life goes down the drain, from aristocratic comfort to wretched poverty.

 

Fresh contemporary tales of good and evil, cloaked in African and African American history, a spoonful of Sun Ra and Octavia Butler, and a sprinkle of forbidden love make this gem an exciting read. Holland has a real tenderness for her characters. As her readers, you’ll read these stories with a sense of awe, wonder, and enchantment. This is a total literary surprise. Read the full review ▶

Sankofa University: Studying African-Centered History and Culture by Burnett Kwadwo Gallman

Dr. Burnett Kwadwo Gallman’s Sankofa University: Studying African-Centered History And Culture, is a stunning tribute to the achievements of our ancestors in the world’s culture and civilization. One of his fellow scholars and historians described it as “part memoir, part bibliography, part almanac, and essay collection.” The author, with an obsession to research and teach, says the genes and DNA of his ancestors won out in his life, citing the work of such trailblazers as John Hendrik Clarke, Asa G. Hilliard, Frances Cress Welsing, Chancellor Williams, and Cheikh Anta Diop.

 

This book brings reason and practical wisdom to topics usually ruled by emotion, ignorance, and fear. Every article fosters illumination and enlightenment. Much of Dr. Gallman’s analysis is convincing and he can be very articulate, precise, and persuasive with facts to back him up. He excels at the big picture and its cultural and historical after-shocks. This book is an intellectual force to be reckoned with. Read the full review ▶

Tina Lifford of Queen Sugar

Now that the lockdowns from the pandemic are essentially over, and book lovers are gathering in person, we have updated our list of Important Book Fairs, Festivals, and Conferences from around the country — including several international events. So get out your calendar and plan your literary adventure for the rest of the year. We also list upcoming events and allow you to filter by location to easily find the event nearest you.

 

AALBC recently attended the National Book Club Conference in Atlanta, GA which featured civil rights icon Andrew Young, Tina Lifford (Aunt Violet on Queen Sugar), authors Carl Weber, Victoria Christoper Murray, Kalisha Buckhanon, and many others. Look out for highlights, of the 2022 conference, in newsletters later this month.

Photographer Cassie Harris loves making people feel beautiful and empowered with her company Buxom Boudoir–a modern twist on classic pinup photography. But when she's thrown into modeling for a new body positive lingerie line, can she do the same for herself? And then there’s her long-time rival, Reid Montgomery—although she doesn’t want to admit it, their chemistry is undeniable. This sizzling rivals-to-lovers novel about a Black plus-size heroine is this summer’s must read. Denise Williams says reading The Accidental Pinup is “like finding the perfect bra and falling in love at the same time—rare, delightful, and unforgettable.” Read Now ▶

Dear Troy,

 

Your support is crucial to helping us improve AALBC.com. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support our mission of celebrating Black culture through books.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – August 9, 2022 - Issue #364

The Fame Game: An Insider’s Playbook for Earning Your 15 Minutes: Legendary Hollywood entertainment manager and publicist Ramon Hervey II shares insightful tales of his remarkable career in The Fame Game. Having worked with everyone from Little Richard, Bette Midler, and the Bee Gees, to Aaliyah, Rick James, and Vanessa Williams —this juicy and addictive retrospective also traces the origins of fame and how social media is changing the rules. Available now!

The Juju Girl by Nikki Marsh

Awarded by the 2022 Black Caucus of the American Library Association Self Published ebook in fiction by an African American author, Nikki Marsh’s The Juju Girl has everything an outstanding YA book should possess. Gabbie, a 15-yer-old girl, comes into her own after she is forced to flee from her small town along the Mississippi River by the powerful Great Storm of 1893, On the brink of womanhood, she arrives in New Orleans and is thrust into the class-conscious Creole Society, finding herself a stranger in a strange culture. Read the Full Review ▶

“Black women, contrary to anything else you may have heard or may think, are at the center of their world.” — Nellie Y. McKay

Dr. Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, professor of English, creative writing and African literature at Penn State Altoona, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Award from Saginaw Valley State University.

 

Wesley, “one of the most prolific African poets of the twenty-first century,” immigrated to the United States with her family during the 14-year Liberian civil war, a war that has helped shape her writing as a Diaspora African woman writer in the United States. For more than two decades, Wesley’s poetry has given voice to the voiceless, the hundreds of thousands of Liberian war dead through its exploration of themes on the plight of the refugee of war, the new African Diaspora mother/wife and African femininity, motherhood, home, displacement, and the survivor as a witness. Learn More ▶

Jasmine Guillory is a New York Times bestselling author. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Bon Appetit, and Time, and she is a frequent book contributor on The Today Show. She lives in Oakland, California.

 

Her latest novel, By the Book, earned a ton of honors including; Harper’s Bazaar Best Romantic Books of 2022, USA Today’s Bestseller, Apple’s Best Book of 2022, The Root’s Books We Can’t Wait to Read, and other accolades. Learn More ▶

Nellie Y. McKay (May 12, 1930 – January 22, 2006) was a pivotal figure in contemporary American letters. The author of several books, McKay is best known for coediting the canon-making Norton Anthology of African American Literature with Henry Louis Gates Jr., which helped secure a place for the scholarly study of Black writing that had been ignored by white academia.

 

However, there is more to McKay's life and legacy than her literary scholarship. After her passing, new details about McKay’s life emerged, surprising everyone who knew her. Why did McKay choose to hide so many details of her past? Biographer and scholar, Shanna Greene Benjamin examined McKay's path through the professoriate to learn about the strategies, sacrifices, and successes of contemporary Black women in the American academy. Read more in Nellie Y. McKay’s 2021 biography, Half in Shadow: The Life and Legacy of Nellie Y. McKay ▶

Our mission includes uplifting and supporting websites created for, and by, Black people. As the World Wide Web becomes increasingly controlled by a handful of extremely powerful corporations, content created by Black people which showcases Black culture is increasingly marginalized. All of us, regardless of background, enjoy a less rich experience on the web as a result. Check our Top 50 ▶

A Black Texan family gathers to say goodbye to their matriarch, and as they do, long-held secrets begin to bubble to the surface. From a fresh new voice in Black fiction comes a heartfelt family saga about what we inherit and the power of forgiveness. Tackling themes of race, class, and legacy, Perish is the story of every family that has struggled to understand the invisible forces that shape generations. “Readers will discover their own strength and ability to move past intergenerational trauma—and embrace their roots along the way.” —BUST magazine • Buy Now ▶

Dear Reader,

 

Here I’m rockin’ my “Black Authors Matter” (available at Cush City) at the National Book Club Conference. The conference was a lovely event and a great opportunity to meet authors in the company of other book lovers. I applaud Curtis Bunn (check his video) for running this event for 20 years!

 

Your support is crucial to helping us improve AALBC..com. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This newsletter is sponsored by Amistad and Tiny Reparations Books
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – August 23, 2022 - Issue #366

The 2022 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award honors the best in Black literature in the United States and around the globe. Introduced in 2001, the Legacy Award was the first national award presented to Black writers by a national organization of Black writers. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry honorees are selected in a juried competition. Merit awards are given at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Each October, the award winners are celebrated during a gala that draws hundreds of literary stars, readers, and representatives of the publishing industry, the arts, media, politics, and academia. Learn More About All of the 2022 Legacy Award Nominated Books ▶

The Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation also bestows Merit Award honors. This year, Ron Kavanaugh has been honored along with, Elizabeth Alexander, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor.

 

Ron is the founder of the Literary Freedom Project, a 501(c)3 tax-exempt not-for-profit arts organization that supports the literary arts through education, creative thinking, and new media. Ron has worked tirelessly and unselfishly promoting Black writers for more than a quarter of a century. His website Mosaic Books predated AALBC.com by two years and was the oldest website dedicated to Black books until it was shut down in 2014. It was Ron who originally shared the Black-owned bookstore list. Ron also published Mosaic Literary Magazine. His accomplishments are too numerous to mention here. I’m proud to call him my friend.

Seven Sisters And A Brother (paperback): Friendship, Resistance, and Untold Truths Behind Black Student Activism in the 1960s

History has recorded many instances of struggles for varied rights by a people haunted by the legacies of slavery. Yet, too often some such occurrences, though no less noteworthy, never make it into the annals of history; they exist instead as footnotes at best. With Seven Sisters and a Brother: Friendship, Resistance, and Untold Truths Behind Black Student Activism in the 1960s authors Marilyn Allman Maye, Harold S. Buchanan, Jannette O. Domingo, Joyce Frisby Baynes, Marilyn Holifield, Myra E. Rose, Bridget Van Gronigen Warren, and Aundrea White Kelly have helped ensure that their story secures a solid place in the ongoing narrative. A “choral memoir,” Seven Sisters and a Brother is a decidedly informative documentation of the efforts of eight students (seven young women and one young man) in the late 1960s to have Black students get the opportunity, resources, and support needed to acquire a balanced education at the elite Swarthmore College. Read the Full Review ▶

Terrance Dean

“Terrance Dean — a beloved Denison University professor, the Columbus Museum of Art's first Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Scholar-in-Residence, and editorial board member for The Columbus Dispatch.” Terrance transitioned on August 11, 2022, he was 53.

 

I first met Terrance, about 20 years ago, while selling books for Kevin Powell who was doing a reading for an organization Dean founded, Men’s Empowerment. Later, when Dean’s bestselling book, Hiding In Hip Hop: On The Down Low In The Entertainment Industry—From Music To Hollywood was published I created one of my first videos of him discussing the book. He was a good Brother.

Gwendolyn Osborne

Gwen began her journalism career as a reviewer for The Detroit Free Press. Her work has also appeared in several national publications including Book Magazine, Mode Magazine, and The Crisis, the organizational publication of the NAACP. She also served as an associate editor for Black Issues Book Review.

 

Gwen was an expert in Black romance novels. She provided guidance to me on the authors and books I should know in the genre, She wrote an article for AALBC “It’s All About Love: Romance Readers Speak Out”. The article is over 20 years old and is just as informative today as it was when it was written. Gwen passed on May 14, 2022; she was 72.

Biyi Bandele

Biyi Bandele-Thomas (October 13, 1967 – August 7, 2022) was an award-winning novelist, playwright, photographer, and director. He was born in Nigeria and is the son of a veteran of the Burma campaign. The Independent named him one of Africa’s fifty greatest artists. Biyi’s directorial debut film, Half of a Yellow Sun – based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – was screened in the Special Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.

 

I did not know Biyi personally. I was informed of his transition, which “Totally shocked the African writing community.” by Kadija Sesay. Kadija has been instrumental in helping me build out content on African writers, allowing me to share information about important writers from the continent like Biyi Bandele.

Following in the footsteps of Dr. MLK Jr. and John Lewis, Senator Warnock is today’s leading voice in voting rights. As a pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the first Black senator from Georgia, Senator Warnock promises to lead us forward as he reflects on the ongoing toggle between the pain and promise of the American story. A rare voice in American politics, Senator Warnock will make you, too, feel like you can beat the odds. Read His Story ▶

Dear Troy,

 

Reflecting on the individuals highlighted in this newsletter, I can’t help but be moved by the impact they have on Black books. However, none of these people attained their accomplished by themselves, and AALBC would not be where it is without them. “It takes a village…”

 

I can never over-emphasize how important your support is to AALBC.com. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – August 16, 2022 - Issue #365

64 Bestselling Books for May/June - 2022

Our bestsellers list has been published continuously since 1998 and is the most visible list focused on Black Books in existence. Spread the word about our list; don’t let one or two lists, we don’t control, determine which books are important.

 

Fiction: Sales were led by preorders for Running to Fall: A Novel written by Kalisha Buckhanon and published by AALBC Publishing (Sept 6, 2022) Essence magazine selected Running to Fall for their “18 New Books We Can’t Wait To Read This Summer” list.

 

Nonfiction: The Enneagram for Black Liberation: Return to Who You Are Beneath the Armor You Carry by Chichi Agorom was the #1 bestselling fiction book. It was followed by the 2022 Pulitzer Prize winning memoir, Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South by Winfred Rembert.

 

Children’s Books: Sailing Commitment Around the World with Captain Bill Pinkney is the top book in the children’s category. Written by Captain Bill Pinkney with illustrations by Pamela C. Rice, the picture book for early readers tells the story of Captain Pinkney’s historic solo sail around the world in 1990.

 

Poetry: Collections by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie, Ai Ogawa, Langston Hughes, and Nikki Giovanni make our list this period and ensure there is poetry everyone can enjoy.

Check Out All 64 Bestselling Books ▶

Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation by Linda Villarosa

“Since the first African enslaved men, women, and children reached American shores, there has been a Black-white divide in who survives, how they live, and who dies, from birth to end of life,” the author writes. “Despite decades of social, economic, and educational progress and what has unquestionably been the rise of a robust Black middle class, racial disparities have remained intact. Yes, something about being Black is creating a health crisis, and that something is racism. It is the American problem in need of an American solution.”

 

Dr. Freeman said to look deeper, and Villarosa does this to startling effect, beginning with the tragic fate of the Reif sisters, who were taken from their Montgomery, Alabama home in 1973 and sterilized by a government clinic. It didn’t matter that Minnie Lee Rief was 14 or that her younger sister, Mary Alice, was 12. They couldn’t read or write. The author further adds that about 100,000 to 150,000 poor women, mostly Black, were sterilized with government programs over decades. More ▶

Post-Traumatic by Chantal V. Johnson

Chantal Johnson’s debut novel, Post-Traumatic, confronts the emotional toll of sexual assault, a real-life survivor narrative, with the prickly residue of mental demons. Her main character, Vivian is a lawyer who advocates for those deemed deranged at a New York City psychiatric facility. This confidant, smart attorney, a hip 30-something, believes the state is the enemy of the people, convinced that profit and power are designed to keep patients off-balanced and helpless. Also, she believes the doctors and nurses want to keep the ill inside the institution and her job is to get them out, to provide expertise for them to avoid the iron grip of the hospital.

 

Usually, the tough issue of rape is a staple of crime fiction or memoir, but this is the rare work of fiction that tackles sexual violence in the African American community, beyond the gritty streets of the ghetto. Black women are often the forgotten survivors of rape. More ▶

The Untold Stories of Reverse Racism by Rodney Cloud Hill

Hill welcomes readers into a work of fiction based on historical facts, a work in which he adroitly flips the script—presenting racism in reverse. In this shift, the “dominant race” (Whites/Europeans) becomes the oppressed and the “inferior race” (Blacks/Africans) is now the oppressor. References, experiences, perspectives, and belief systems are flipped—hence, for example, the title Blackwash, instead of Whitewash. Names of individuals, places, events, laws, and so on, are altered to fit this fictional stage. However, the facts that shore up this imaginary scenario are only too real. More ▶

Sister Mother Warrior by Vanessa Riley

Acclaimed author of Island Queen Vanessa Riley brings readers a vivid, sweeping novel of the Haitian Revolution based on the true-life stories of two extraordinary women: the first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur, and Gran Toya, a West African-born warrior who helped lead the rebellion that drove out the French and freed the enslaved people of Haiti. Gran Toya: Born in West Africa, Abdaraya Toya was one of the legendary minos—women called “Dahomeyan Amazons” by the Europeans—who were specially chosen female warriors consecrated to the King of Dahomey.

 

Betrayed by an enemy, kidnapped, and sold into slavery, Toya wound up in the French colony of Saint Domingue, where she became a force to be reckoned with on its sugar plantations: a healer and an authority figure among the enslaved. Among the motherless children she helped raise was a man who would become the revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines. More ▶

Carl Weber’s Kingpins: Brooklyn by Brandie Davis

In the Eighties and Nineties, Wesley Evans, better known as Ruby, was Brooklyn’s wealthiest, longest reigning kingpin. Accomplishing all it took to make history, including rubbing elbows with celebrities and expanding his businesses out of state, he avoided all the bounties put on his head and NYPD’s handcuffs.

 

Ruby set the bar in Brooklyn, and when he finally became a legit family man, he left behind rules that would ensure not only success, but also humility, for the kings who would follow him. More ▶

Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle by Shannen Dee Williams

 

In Subversive Habits, Shannen Dee Williams provides the first full history of Black Catholic nuns in the United States, hailing them as the forgotten prophets of Catholicism and democracy.

 

Drawing on oral histories and previously sealed Church records, Williams demonstrates how master narratives of women’s religious life and Catholic commitments to racial and gender justice fundamentally change when the lives and experiences of African American nuns are taken seriously. For Black Catholic women and girls, embracing the celibate religious state constituted a radical act of resistance to white supremacy and the sexual terrorism built into chattel slavery and segregation. More ▶

Truth Check Created by The Center for Black Health & Equity

Black communities are constantly flooded with misinformation on social media in the form of hoaxes, false claims, and flat-out lies. With the simple click of a button — a like, a share, a comment — fake and harmful info in your newsfeed can spread out of control. Truth Check is about arming ourselves with the tools we need to stop the spread of misinformation.

 

Jenifer Lewis composed a compelling song explaining the importance of checking your news sources Watch her Video ▶

Dear Troy,

 

Your support is crucial to helping us improve AALBC..com. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – July 13, 2022 - Issue #363

National Book Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi (How to Be an Antiracist, Antiracist Baby) returns with a new picture book that serves as a modern bedtime classic.

 

As children all over the world get ready for bed, the moon watches over them. The moon knows that when we sleep, we dream. And when we dream, we imagine what is possible and what the world can be.

 

With dynamic, imaginative art and poetic prose, Goodnight Racism delivers important messages about antiracism, justice, and equality in an easy-to-read format that empowers readers both big and small. Goodnight Racism gives children the language to dream of a better world and is the perfect book to add to their social justice toolkit. Buy Now ▶

Miss Chloe: A Literary Friendship with Toni Morrison by A.J. Verdelle

“Miss Chloe is an important book, dealing with the friendship of A. J. Verdelle and Toni Morrison. It's about the close bond between them as women, writers, and creative artists. …it's also a clinic about creative writing, publishing, and inspiration.” —Robert Fleming, AALBC Book Review and Author of Evil Never Sleeps

 

Verdelle describes Toni Morrison aka Chloe A. Wofford, the wise, reflective woman from the small town of Lorain, Ohio. She had been a faithful reader of Morrison’s complex, enlightening novels, notably The Bluest Eye and Beloved, so the inevitable meeting occurred at a church function in Boston. Her rendition of the meeting with the legendary author is priceless and the rest is history. More ▶

She Memes Well: Essays by Quinta Brunson

From comedian Quinta Brunson (creator and star of Abbott Elementary) comes a deeply personal and funny collection of essays about trying to make it when you’re struggling, the importance of staying true to your roots, and how she’s redefined humor online.

 

Quinta Brunson is a master at breaking the internet. Before having any traditional background in media, her humorous videos were the first to go viral on Instagram’s platform. From there, Brunson’s wryly observant POV helped cement her status in the comedy world at large, with roles on HBO, Netflix, ABC, Adult Swim, BuzzFeed, the CW, and Comedy Central. Now, Brunson is bringing her comedic chops to the page in She Memes Well, an earnest, laugh-out-loud collection about this unusual road to notoriety. More ▶

Game: An Autobiography by Grant Hill

Grant Hill always had game. His choice of college was a subject of national interest, and his arrival at Duke University cemented the program’s arrival at the top. In his freshman year, he led the team to its first NCAA championship and three championship appearances in four years. His Duke career produced some of the most iconic moments in college basketball history, and Coach K proved to be a lifelong mentor. Later, as one of the NBA’s best players and a new face of the Detroit Pistons franchise, Hill was the first person with the potential to give Michael Jordan a run for his money, not just as a player but as a brand. His $45 million rookie contract was almost the least of it. He turned down Nike for Fila, and soon Method Man and Tupac Shakur were wearing his shoes. More ▶

Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation by Linda Villarosa

In 2018, Linda Villarosa’s New York Times Magazine article on maternal and infant mortality among black mothers and babies in America caused an awakening. Hundreds of studies had previously established a link between racial discrimination and the health of Black Americans, with little progress toward solutions. But Villarosa’s article exposing that a Black woman with a college education is as likely to die or nearly die in childbirth as a white woman with an eighth-grade education made racial disparities in health care impossible to ignore. Now, in Under the Skin, Linda Villarosa lays bare the forces in the American healthcare system and in American society that cause Black people to “live sicker and die quicker” compared to their white counterparts. More ▶

Carl Weber’s Kingpins: Brooklyn by Brandie Davis

In the Eighties and Nineties, Wesley Evans, better known as Ruby, was Brooklyn’s wealthiest, longest-reigning kingpin. Accomplishing all it took to make history, including rubbing elbows with celebrities and expanding his businesses out of state, he avoided all the bounties put on his head and NYPD’s handcuffs.

 

Ruby set the bar in Brooklyn, and when he finally became a legit family man, he left behind rules that would ensure not only success but also humility, for the kings who would follow him. What happens when these rules are not followed… More ▶

Dele Weds Destiny by Tomi Obaro

“Fast-paced, glamorous, and bursting with emotion…. The bonds between women—as friends, and across the generations—are the jewels that make this story shine.” —Tayari Jones, author of An American Marriage

 

The story of three once-inseparable college friends in Nigeria who reunite for the first time in thirty years at a lavish wedding in Lagos for one of their daughters—a sparkling debut novel about mothers and daughters, culture and class, sex and love, and the extraordinary resilience of female friendship. More ▶

Black Authors Matter TV

Black Authors Matter TV is a weekly, live-streamed program where authors, publishers, bookstore owners, book club facilitators, book marketers, and other movers and shakers in the African-American literature arena are interviewed. BAM TV is live-streamed every Tuesday on the National Black Book Festival's Facebook page from 7 to 9 pm CST.

 

On May 24, 2022, Troy Johnson, Brandon Massey, and Mary Monroe appeared on the Black Authors Matter TV podcast. Listen Now ▶

Dear Reader,

 

Your support is crucial to helping us improve AALBC..com. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Kokila.
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – June 28, 2022 - Issue #362

When tracing the history of almost any major American institution of power and wealth you’ll find it was either created by Black Americans or created to control them. And now, award-winning author Clyde Ford has compiled the history of this struggle in his new book Of Blood and Sweat: Black Lives and the Making of White Power and Wealth. Incredibly researched and documented, Of Blood and Sweat is a fascinating look at the past offering broad implications for the present and invaluable insight into our understanding of Black history and the story of America. Available now from Amistad Books! Buy Now ▶

Isn’t Her Grace Amazing!: The Women Who Changed Gospel Music by Cheryl Wills

At long last, Isn’t Her Grace Amazing! salutes the pioneers and present-day superstars of gospel in a lavishly illustrated and beautifully packaged book. Some talented performers such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe have faded from history, while singers such as Mary Mary and Yolanda Adams have appeared at The White House, on reality television, and sold millions of records. Many women in the gospel music industry such as Willie Mae Ford Smith often go unnoticed, unpaid, and under-appreciated for their talents. These women of song are the bedrock for songwriting, arranging, directing, and developing singers – now is their moment to shine.

 

Five winners will be selected, and all you have to do to be entered is click the button below.

One-Shot Harry by Gary Phillips

Los Angeles, 1963: African American Korean War veteran Harry Ingram earns a living as a news photographer and occasional process server: chasing police radio calls and dodging baseball bats. With racial tensions running high on the eve of Martin Luther King’s Freedom Rally, Ingram risks ending up one of the victims at every crime scene he photographs.

 

When Ingram hears a call over the police scanner to the scene of a deadly automobile accident, he recognizes the vehicle described as belonging to his good friend and old army buddy, the white jazz trumpeter Ben Kinslow, with whom he’d only just reconnected. The LAPD declares the car crash an accident, but when Ingram develops his photos there are signs of foul play. Ingram feels compelled to play detective, even if it means putting his own life on the line. Read More ▶

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Inspired by true events and brimming with hope, Take My Hand is a stirring exploration of accountability and redemption.

 

“Dolen Perkins-Valdez is a brilliant writer in a class all by herself. I love her voice and how she makes the past feel immediate and relevant, because it is.” —Terry McMillan, #1 AALBC and New York Times bestselling author  “Dolen Perkins Valdez takes a moment in our history that has been hidden inside the folds of time and she brings those heinous acts back into the light. This is a riveting story of one woman’s fight against a system that believes it has the right to determine who should give birth in this country and who should not. Civil Townsend’s plight as she seeks justice is heartbreaking, but also inspiring, reminding us that one woman can stand and make a difference. Beautifully written in typical Dolen Perkins Valdez’s style, I didn’t put this book down until I closed the last page and even then, I wanted more.” —Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling author of The Personal Librarian Read More ▶

Song for Almeyda and Song for Anninho by Gayl Jones

Gayl Jones, the novelist Toni Morrison discovered decades ago and Tayari Jones recently called her favorite writer, offers two books in one with this volume of poetry. Jones renders the saga of Palmares, a foundational tale in the annals of colonial terrorism and Black resistance, in verse, told in the voices of the characters in her epic novel Palmares.

 

In the late 17th century, the fugitive slave enclave of Palmares was destroyed by Portuguese colonists. Amid the flight and re-enslavement of Palmares’s inhabitants emerges the love story of Almeyda and Anninho. In Song for Anninho, Almeyda moves between a dark present, in which she is once again enslaved and abused by a terrible captor, and memories of her lover, Anninho, whom she believes to have been killed. Song for Almeyda, released now for the first time, is told in the voices of Anninho and his fellow warriors. Read More ▶

Shine Bright: A Personal History of Black Women in Pop by Danyel Smith

A weave of biography, criticism, and memoir, Shine Bright is Danyel Smith’s intimate history of Black women’s music as the foundational story of American pop. Smith has been writing this history for more than five years. But as a music fan, and then as an essayist, editor (Vibe, Billboard), and podcast host (Black Girl Songbook), she has been living this history since she was a latchkey kid listening to “Midnight Train to Georgia” on the family stereo.

 

Smith’s detailed narrative begins with Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved woman who sang her poems and continues through the stories of Mahalia Jackson, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, and Mariah Carey, as well as the under-considered careers of Marilyn McCoo, Deniece Williams, and Jody Watley. Read More ▶

Our popular list of Black-Owned Bookstores has had some recent updates. The biggest change is the addition of several stores in the state of Georgia. Boasting 17 Black-owned stores, Georgia has more than any state. This comes as no surprise; Atlanta, GA topped my list of “The Top Cities for Readers of African American Literature,”

 

While operating my own pop-up bookstore, in Tulsa, OK, a customer from Bermuda came in. I asked if they were familiar with the Nubian Nookbookstore in Bermuda. It turns out that they were related to the store’s owner, author Rosheena Beek. They also informed me Rosheena passed away and that the store was now closed. Rosheena had a lovely spirit, She will be missed, for people like her run the best bookstores.

 

Earlier this year we lost bookseller, Yusef Harris, who, in 1986, founded Alkebu-Lan Images Bookstore & Gift Shop in Nashville Tennessee. Harris built an institution that continues to serve the Nashville community.

Publishers Weekly recently published a variety of articles covering all aspects of Black books. Mainstream and independent publishing is covered. Most importantly the articles provide a historical context:

Black Publishing in High Cotton By Tracy Sherrod

LANGSTON HUGHES received one of the earliest book deals in publishing. Carl Van Vechten, a novelist (Nigger Heaven) who was primarily known for his photography, introduced Hughes’s work to Blanche Knopf in the 1920s. She also helped Nella Larsen, who is best known for the novel, Passing, get a book deal, practically launching the Harlem Renaissance, as Blanche was one of the few women in publishing—before women were commonly being published. Read More in PW ▶

Paul Coates: The Legacy of Marcus Garvey in Publishing and Bookselling

MORE THAN 50 years ago, poet and publisher Haki Madhubuti issued a call for independent Black book producers and sellers to unite and work for the common good of the Black community. Read More in PW ▶

Erroll McDonald: I Am Not Your BIPOC

The acronym BIPOC… is an abstraction stunning for the violence of its erasure of identity, its blithe lumping together of groups… as if their concerns were indistinguishable. Read More in PW ▶

Dear Troy,

 

Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

Peace and Love,

Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Amistad
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – April 21, 2022 - Issue #357

In The Lightmaker's Manifesto, Karen Walrond helps us name the skills, values, and actions that bring us joy; identify the causes that spark our empathy and concern; and then put it all together to change the world. Creative and practical exercises, including journaling, daily intention-setting, and mindful self-compassion, are complemented by lively conversations with activists and thought leaders such as Valarie Kaur, Brené Brown, Tarana Burke, and Zuri Adele. With stories from around the world and wisdom from those leading movements for change, Walrond beckons readers toward lives of integrity, advocacy, conviction, and joy. Buy Now ▶

His Name Is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice by Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa

The book’s authors, Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa, both respected political journalists for The Washington Post, reveal the grim, deeply personal account of the man whose martyrdom triggered a global response to this nation’s racism. While many youths have embraced the symbol of Floyd, very few people recognized the commonality of this man with so many black males in our community. In so many ways, George Perry Floyd Jr. was an everyman through towns and cities containing men of color. These newspaper scribes want to give the full measure of Floyd’s life, warts and all. They speak candidly about Floyd’s colorful father. The elder George Floyd was a professional musician, playing guitar for the Chocolate Buttermilk Band, a funk group that backed James Brown, Teddy Pendergrass, and other R&B bands. More ▶ Read an Excerpt ▶

The New Age of Empire: How Racism and Colonialism Still Rule the World by Kehinde Andrews

This is an updated version of, Kehinde Andrews, seminal book, which has shaken up academia and historians in Europe and the Caribbean with its penetrating analysis. Historian Robin D, G Kelley called the book “a provocation,” and adds: “…we are still living this imperial nightmare, still reaping consequences of contemporary racialized violence and exploitation. The lesson: no freedom under racism, no future under capitalism, no justice without decolonization.”

 

It’s very timely that the book opens with the 2020 George Floyd killing and the huge protest of resistance that followed the police murder. The British critic terms the Floyd killing as “the straw that broke the camel’s back, coming so close on the heels of the lynching of Ahmaud Arbery and state-sanctioned murder of Breonna Taylor.” He mentions the killing as one of the most significant events to rock the foundations of racism, genocide, colonialism, and imperialism. More ▶

The Sun Does Shine (Young Readers Edition) by Anthony Ray Hinton, with Lara Love Hardin and Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

The Sun Does Shine is an extraordinary testament to the power of hope sustained through the darkest times, now adapted for younger readers, with a revised foreword by Just Mercy author Bryan Stevenson.

 

In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Stunned, confused, and only 29 years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity and believed that the truth would prove his innocence and ultimately set him free. Read an Excerpt ▶

Will by Will Smith

I’ve always thought of myself as a coward. Most of my memories of my childhood involve me being afraid in some way-afraid of other kids, afraid of being hurt or embarrassed, afraid of being seen as weak.

 

But mostly, I was afraid of my father.

 

When I was nine years old, I watched my father punch my mother in the side of her head so hard that she collapsed. I saw her spit blood. That moment in that bedroom, probably more than any other moment in my life, has defined who I am today.

 

Within everything that I have done since then—the awards and accolades, the spotlights and the attention, the characters and the laughs—there has been a subtle string of apologies to my mother for my inaction that day. For failing her in that moment. For failing to stand up to my father.

For being a coward. Read the Rest of Chapter One ▶

Unbossed: How Black Girls Are Leading the Way by Khristi Lauren Adams

From Khristi Lauren Adams, author of the celebrated Parable of the Brown Girl, comes Unbossed, a hopeful and riveting inquiry into the lives of eight young Black women who are agitating for change and imagining a better world. Offering practical lessons in leadership, resilience, empathy, and tenacity from a group of young leaders of color who are often neglected, Unbossed includes profiles of Jaychele Nicole Schenck, Ssanyu Lukoma, Tyah-Amoy Roberts, Grace Callwood, Hannah Lucas, Amara Ifeji, Stephanie Younger, and Kynnedy Smith. Read an Excerpt ▶

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

“What is your definition of a Christian?” Dad asked in his deeply earnest way.

Cone looked at Dad with equal seriousness and responded: “A Christian is one who is striving for liberation.”

 

James Cone’s working definition of a Christian described a Christianity of the enslaved, not the Christianity of the slaveholders. Receiving this definition was a revelatory moment in Dad’s life. Ma had her own similar revelation in her Black student union—that Christianity was about struggle and liberation. My parents now had, separately, arrived at a creed with which to shape their lives, to be the type of Christians that Jesus the revolutionary inspired them to be. This new definition of a word that they’d already chosen as their core identity naturally transformed them. Read the Rest of Chapter One ▶

Dear Troy,

George Floyd’s, tragic murder, just over 2 years ago, has had the most profound impact on the Black book ecosystem than any event I have witnessed in the past 25 years. Our country was forced to reckon with its legacy of brutality leveled against Black people and how it impacts everyone today.

 

This resulted in a huge surge of interest in books on racism. Led by Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist, book buyers intentionally purchased these books from Black-owned bookstores. This support, during the pandemic, was a tremendous windfall for many stores. Today there are more Black-owned bookstores than ever before. We recognize the importance of our bookstores; the challenge will be continuing to support them.

 

Troy, your support is crucial to helping us celebrate our triumphs over tremendous obstacles, through books. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback — all actions are crucial. No matter how trivial you may feel your actions might be, collectively they matter a great deal.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Broadleaf Books an imprint of 1517 Media.
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – June 21, 2022 - Issue #361

The Enneagram is an ancient system of human development that shows us the limiting stories that keep us stuck in unhelpful patterns and invites us into more expansive stories. For too long, conversations about the Enneagram and its personality types have been centered on and by whiteness. In The Enneagram for Black Liberation, certified Enneagram teacher and trained psychotherapist Chichi Agorom reclaims the Enneagram as a powerful tool for Black women to rediscover our wholeness and worth that existed long before systems of supremacy told us we weren't enough. Buy Now ▶

Publishing experts, including AALBC’s Troy Johnson, discuss where the industry goes next, from the role of data to the future of physical shops in an e-commerce age. More ▶.

Afrikan World Books Afrikan World Books distributes Black books around the world. As a result, they have an excellent understanding of the books that are selling well in the Black community. Many of these popular, and important, books will not be found on the lists created by the New Times Lists. Here, Afrikan World Books shares some of their most popular titles with us:

 

The Black Agenda by Glen Ford
In this stunning overview, Ford draws on his work for the Black Agenda Report, one of the most incisive and perceptive publications of the progressive left, to examine the often-competing struggles for class power and identity in the Black movement.

 

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk
A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing in this New York Times bestseller.

 

The Panthers Can't Save Us Now: Debating Left Politics and Black Lives Matter by Cedric Johnson
Writing against the grain of popular left sentiments, Johnson cautions against a new ethnic politics. Instead, he calls for broad-based left politics as the only viable means for ending the twin crises of racial inequality and police violence.

 

Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self-Empowerment for Women by Iyanla Vanzant
The revised and expanded 20th-anniversary edition of Iyanla Vanzant’s first published work offers a powerful path to self-empowerment through the revitalization of one’s spiritual and ancestral roots.

 

Recitatif: A Story by Toni Morrison
In this 1983 short story—the only short story Morrison ever wrote—we meet Twyla and Roberta. Twyla’s and Roberta’s races remain ambiguous throughout the story. Morrison herself described Recitatif, is a story that will keep readers thinking and discussing for years to come

 

African Empires in Ancient America by Clyde Winters
In this book, you will discover that Africans have a long tradition of sea exploration and founded many of the major American civilizations. Dr. Clyde Winters gives a detailed account of the Malian colonies established by these West Africans in North America and Brazil.

The Black Agenda by Glen Ford

Who was Glen Ford? If you ask that question of some of the best critical thinkers in the Black community, they would say Ford was one of the most capable’ take-no-prisoners’ political commentators of the last century. “Glen Ford was the most brilliant, courageous, and consistent writer and journalist in the Black radical and independent tradition of his generation,” activist Cornel West wrote.

 

A socialist, Vietnam veteran, former Black Panther Party member, and a Washington political observer for much of his career, Ford co-founded The Black Agenda, with Bruce Dixon and Margaret Kimberley. He also co-launched, produced, and hosted the first nationally syndicated Black news interview program on commercial television, Arica’s Black Forum in 1977. More ▶;

Sorry You’re Having A Bad Night by E.K. Robertson

From its prologue to its epilogue, E. K. Robertson’s Sorry You’re Having A Bad Night delivers on the hallmarks of a good contemporary mystery, including plots ripped from the headlines, well-woven intrigue, twists and turns, tangled webs of he said/she said/he did/she did, and good descriptive details and pacing. The prologue introduces readers to an as-yet-unnamed radio host and investigative journalist on the brink of premiering her brainchild podcast, with “Twenty-seven colorful and controversial episodes of a story only she could tell,” one “that would set the [Black entertainment] industry ablaze.” More ▶

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

“It brings me great joy to introduce readers to new authors, and this young poet Leila Mottley wrote a soul-searching portrait of survival and hope,” said Oprah Winfrey.

 

“I was absolutely floored when Ms. Winfrey popped up in what I thought was going to be a regular meeting,” said Leila Mottley. “It was the surprise of a lifetime! I am beyond grateful to be able to share my debut novel with the passionate readers of Oprah’s Book Club.” More ▶

Now Lila Knows by Elizabeth Nunez

Akashic Books, a leading independent publisher of books by Black writers, bring us Now Lila Knows the latest novel by the critically acclaimed author Elizabeth Nunez.

 

“Nunez has always had the power to get to the essence of what makes human beings take right and wrong turns.” —Edward P. Jones, author of The Known World

 

Now Lila Knows is a gripping story that explores our obligation to act when confronted with the unfair treatment of fellow human beings. A page-turner with universal resonance, this novel will leave readers rethinking the meaning of love and empathy.

Magic City by Jewell Parker Rhodes

“A compelling page-turner that will keep readers hoping against hope that everything will somehow, magically, turn out for the best.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

 

With a new afterword from the author reflecting on the 100th anniversary of one of the most heinous tragedies in American history—the 1921 burning of Greenwood, an affluent black section of Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as the “Negro Wall Street”—Jewell Parker Rhodes’ powerful and unforgettable novel of racism, vigilantism, and injustice, weaves history, mysticism, and murder into a harrowing tale of dreams and violence gone awry.

Dear Reader,

 

During the next few months, we will be upgrading the AALBC website — AALBC 3.0! We are aiming to enhance the look and feel of the site to help visitors appreciate the tremendous repository of information about Black books AALBC provides.

 

I’d love to reduce or eliminate our dependency on Google ads which have become increasingly intrusive in recent years, worsening the experience on our website. Troy this is why your support is crucial to helping us improve the reading experience on AALBC..com. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Broadleaf Books.
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – June 9, 2022 - Issue #360

Discover more about Juneteenth, the important holiday that celebrates the end of chattel slavery in the United States.

On June 19, 1865, a group of enslaved men, women, and children in Texas gathered around a Union solder and listened as he read the most remarkable words they would ever hear. They were no longer enslaved: they were free. The inhumane practice of forced labor with no pay was now illegal in all of the United States. This news was cause for celebration, so the group of people jumped in excitement, danced, and wept tears of joy. They did not know it at the time, but their joyous celebration of freedom would become a holiday–Juneteenth–that is observed each year by more and more Americans.

 

Author Kirsti Jewel shares stories from Juneteenth celebrations, both past and present, and chronicles the history that led to the creation of this joyous day. With 80 black-and-white illustrations and an engaging 16-page photo insert, readers will be excited to read this latest addition to Who HQ!   Only $5.99! Buy Now ▶

Fiction:
Fiction was our top-selling genre this period, with the Fall/Winter 20221 issue of the Killens Review of Arts & Letters (magazine) and Ladee Hubbard’s The Last Suspicious Holdout being the #1 and #2 bestsellers across all genres. Urban fiction titles experienced stronger sales this period.

Nonfiction:
The 1619 Project created by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Caste by Isabel have both made AALBC’s bestsellers list 5 times or more.

Children’s Books:
Sales were led by Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams. Nkechi Taifa has three books on the list this period helping to make her a Top 100 AALBC Bestselling Author.

Check Out the Complete List of Bestselling Books ▶

Since 1917 the Pulitzer Prize has honored excellence in journalism and the arts. The first award was presented in 1918. The Prize recognizes American authors in six “Letters and Drama” categories; Biography/Autobiography, Fiction, General Non-Fiction, History, Poetry, and Drama (technically not a book award, but plays are all available as books and have been included here).

The first African-American writer to win a Pulitzer Prize in the “Letters and Drama” categories was Gwendolyn Brooks who received the award for poetry for her collection Annie Allen in 1950.

This year, Chasing Me to My Grave: An Artist’s Memoir of the Jim Crow South by Winfred Rembert with Erin I. Kelly wins the Pulitzer for Biography. Palmares by Gayl Jones was a finalist in the fiction category and Refractive Africa by Will Alexander was a finalist for poetry.

Duende: Poems, 1966—Now by Quincy Troupe

A marvelous collection of poetry bridging from
the Black Arts Movement to current times.

Many readers will shy away from the sheer bulk of this treasure trove of poems, totaling 656 pages of unvarnished common sense and truth. However, it’s worthy of your purchase. Back in the day, poetry was used to tell stories of life and death, joy and sadness, love and disappointment, while celebrating the mythic figures of sports, culture, and politics. Quincy Troupe’s work contains all of the classic poems’ ingredients, designed to bewitch and cast a spell on the reader. This is truly impressive work. More ▶

Blend In or Fade Out by Colnese M. Hendon

The main theme of identity takes center stage in Colnese M. Herndon’s emotional riveting memoir, Blend In Or Fade Out, as the writer investigates her confusing blood ties. She asks: Who am I? Whereas this book is filled with disappointing mishaps and heartbreaking tragedies, the reader is treated with determination, perseverance, and courage worthy of a mythic heroine. It is not surprising that hard-luck Herndon comes out triumphant when she is awarded a 2009 fellowship of the Givens Foundation for African American Literature, wins three times the Hurston-Wright Foundation (2014, 2015, and 2018), scores in the 2017 VONA Voices and the 2019 Bread Load Writer’s Conference, and the 2019 Write of Your Life writer’s workshop in Venice, Italy More ▶

The Pursuit of Porsha: How My Journey to Happiness Can Help You Find Yours by Porsha Williams

Celebrity is not an easy game. For many people, it is so fleeting, so difficult to sustain, and so easy to sabotage. Many readers of this book will see this as a cautionary tale and others will gobble this quest for notoriety as a career guidepost.

Take The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Williams sees it as an opportunity to as a way to promote her family’s various charities and showcase her fashionable Black marriage, while putting out a positive image on the show. A Black power couple. Kordell and Porsha. In no time, she becomes the star and he’s just Porsha’s hubby. Bad for most men, that situation can undercut many loving relationships. She had no idea what she was doing when she invited cameras into their home. More ▶

A Great Moral and Social Force: A History of Black Banks by Tim Todd

Many Americans are unaware of the history and challenges Black banks in the South and Midwest faced during the late 19th and 20th centuries.

In the Kansas City Fed’s new book, A Great Moral and Social Force: America’s First Black Banks, Tim Todd focuses on the stories of Black banks in five cities: Richmond, Va.; Boley, Okla.; Chicago, Ill.; Memphis, Tenn; and Detroit, Mich. These cities were shining examples of Black wealth and success, and the book explores factors that contributed to the demise of Black banks at the peak of their success. Todd also provides historical context and analysis about why the dismantling of Black banks has played a central role in the hurdles many Black People face today regarding financial security and amassing generational wealth.

Printed and electronic copies of the book are being provided to the public for free! Get your copy now ▶

Black Authors Matter TV (BAM TV) is a weekly, live-streamed program where authors (new and old), publishers, bookstore owners, book club facilitators, book marketers, and other movers and shakers in the African-American literature arena are interviewed.

BAM TV is live-streamed every Tuesday on the National Black Book Festival's Facebook page from 7 to 9 pm CST. You can also listen via your favorite podcast platform or watch on Youtube.

— Presented by Publishers Weekly, the U.S. Book Show is a three-day virtual conference conceived during the height of the pandemic in 2021 to serve the bookselling, library, media, and book publishing industry. This major event is presented by the most prominent voice in the book industry, Publishers Weekly.

The event is for anyone connected with the book industry, booksellers, librarians, book media, authors, editors, book influencers, and others. Booksellers and librarians are invited to attend the virtual trade show for free!

Dear Troy,

During the next few months, we will be upgrading the AALBC website — AALBC 3.0! We are aiming to enhance the look and feel of the site to help visitors appreciate the tremendous repository of information about Black books AALBC provides.

 

I’d love to reduce or eliminate our dependency on Google ads which have become increasingly intrusive in recent years, worsening the experience on our website. Troy this is why your support is crucial to helping us improve the reading experience on AALBC..com. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Viking Books for Young Readers.
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – May 19, 2022 - Issue #359

Paying tribute to her mother’s strength and determination to raise four successful children in the shadow of tragedy, Where the Children Take Us is a spellbinding memoir by popular CNN anchor Zain E. Asher. An unforgettable portrait of strength, tenacity, love, and perseverance embodied in one towering woman. Buy Now ▶

Our mission includes uplifting websites created by, and for, people of African descent. These sites are sorted by the strength of their “AALBC Score.” Check out the more than 400 (and growing) popular, Black-owned, websites considered for inclusion on this top 50 list.

 

AALBC.com also researches and reports on, Top Black Book Websites, Black-Owned Bookstores, Black-Owned Magazines, and Black-Owned Newspapers, in the United States. You may also use our Huria Search engine; which is a curated search engine that only returns results from Black-owned websites—including these top 50 and hundreds of others. Read why this list of Black-owned websites was created.

Dear Reader,

I’ve strayed from my usual focus on books to the World Wide Web. I have always been a strong advocate for independent websites and Black-owned indie websites in particular.

 

I’ve been creating websites since it was possible to do so—for over 25 years. One of the most dramatic changes I’ve seen is how much harder it is for indie websites to survive, As a result, the WWW is a less diverse and rich place than it could be. The biggest reason is that Google’s search results are dominated by its products and advertisements. The actual search results are biased toward corporate sites. This makes indie harder to discover. Other reasons include the dominance of social media sites that use our data to addict us to their platforms.

 

If Black-owned websites are to be created and thrive, we have to take an active role in making it happen. This is why I spend time and energy creating the lists I’ve shared above. Hopefully, you will share this information and support these sites and any others you find valuable.

 

Always remember Reader, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Amistad
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – April 26, 2022 - Issue #358

Show the World is a celebration of self-expression and the power of using your voice, centering Black children, and exploring the many things they can do, create, and say to make their mark. Buy Now ▶

A riveting biography of Walter F. White, a little-known Black civil rights leader who passed for white in order to investigate racist murders, help put the NAACP on the map, and change the racial identity of America forever Walter F. White led two lives: one as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance and the NAACP in the early twentieth century; the other as a white newspaperman who covered lynching crimes in the Deep South at the blazing height of racial violence.

 

Born mixed-race and with very fair skin and straight hair, White was able to “pass” for white. He leveraged this ambiguity as a reporter, bringing to light the darkest crimes in America and helping to plant the seeds of the civil rights movement. White’s risky career led him to lead a double life. He was simultaneously a second-class citizen subject to Jim Crow laws at home and a widely respected professional with full access to the white world at work. His life was fraught with internal and external conflict—much like the story of race in America. Starting as an obscure activist, White ultimately became Black America’s most prominent leader. Read More ▶

The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi by Chinedu Achebe

Some of the world’s finest fiction has been written by Nigerians. Let’s look at the writers from that area in the Motherland, who have created a distinctive collection of classic works of imagination and timelessness: Wole Soyinka, Ben Okri, Chinua Achebe, Sefi Atta, Helon Habola, Teju Cole, and the popular Chimamanda Nzogi Adichie. Joining this roster, Nigerian-American Chinedu Achebe, The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi, stands tall with its particular brand of cultural irony, sexual intrigue, and political awareness. Read the Entire Review ▶

Black Chess by Roberta Roberts

To succeed at chess, players need to be—among other things—tactical, strategic, calculating, in control, focused, and vigilant. In Black Chess the characters represent both players and game pieces, who make it to the opposite end of the board in their individual and corresponding ways. In the process, they reassess their values, needs, support systems, and aspirations. Their stories are now fresh and hopeful. Roberts’ use of the game of chess as a metaphor for Black lives seeking to survive and thrive against all odds is genius and provides scope for layers of interpretation that are sure to intrigue readers. Checkmate. Well played. Read the Entire Review ▶

A masterful, moving novel about age, memory, and family from one of the true literary icons of our time.

 

Ptolemy Grey is ninety-one years old and has been all but forgotten by his family, his friends, and even himself as he sinks into lonely dementia. His grand-nephew, Ptolemy’s only connection to the outside world, was recently killed in a drive-by shooting, and Ptolemy is too suspicious of anyone else to allow them into his life. until he meets Robyn, his niece’s seventeen-year-old lodger and the only one willing to take care of an old man at his grandnephew’s funeral. Read More ▶

 

N. Ojo of Richmond, VA. was the winner of an autographed copy of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey in AALBC’s last contest.

The Cox family regrets to announce the passing of Dr. William "Bill" E. Cox, 79, of Clifton, Virginia, on March 21, 2022. Bill passed away, surrounded by his loved ones after a long illness. He leaves a rich legacy from his lifelong career advocating for equity and opportunities in higher education.

 

Bill’s legacy was important to the Black community, because he understood the importance of storytelling. He founded Black Issues Book Review, and helped to put Black authors on the radar by pushing these writers to self-publish their work. BIBR, as it was commonly known, was published from 1999 to 2007 and was the only large circulation forum solely devoted to covering both fiction and nonfiction books written by black authors. More about BIBR ▶

Dear Troy,

During the next few months, we will be upgrading the AALBC website — AALBC 3.0! We are aiming to enhance the look and feel of the site to help visitors appreciate the tremendous repository of information about Black Books AALBC provides. We are also planning to make enhancements under the cover to make AALBC a world-class platform.

 

Troy, you are the primary reason AALBC continues to grow in an increasingly competitive environment. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Viking Books for Young Readers.
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – April 5, 2022 - Issue #356

“A love letter of recognition to children of color"—The Horn Book

“A moving reminder of what we gain when we draw strength and inspiration from the past.”—BookPage, Starred Review

A History of Me, written by Adrea Theodore and Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson, is one mother’s account of her experience as the only Black child in school serves as an empowering message to her own daughter and children of color everywhere.

Inspired by her daughter’s experience in school as well as her own, Adrea Theodore’s debut picture book is a powerful testament to the past as well as a benediction for the future. Buy Now ▶

Children’s book authors, booksellers, and avid readers shared their favorite children’s books with us and we’ve compiled Our Top 100 Recommended African-American Children’s Books. This list is an updated version of our very popular list, which focused on books spanning a longer period of time. Many of the titles are of historical significance, but unavailable for purchase.

 

Our new list only includes books that are available for purchase. All 100 books on our list may be purchased with the ease of ordering a single book and will be shipped via UPS 3-day service for free. As always, no sales tax is collected on AALBC orders unless the books ship to Florida.

Hand-Me-Down Dreams by Phillip Wilhite

Phillip Wilhite’s novel, Hand-Me-Down Dreams, happens in a period in the glory days of big-league sports during 1980, when the media and baseball were having an extended honeymoon. Xavier, a pitcher with the New York Yankees, lives the high life with his former college sweetheart, Ida, until a serious injury in his pitching arm forces the elite club to release the fire-baller. Drinking has always been lurking in his life, but it raises its head full-blown in his troubled existence.

 

It has been said that male writers sometimes fumble when they try to create an entertaining tale of love, lust, and romance. Here Wilhite, a business broker for Wells Fargo and a sportswriter, concocts all of the ingredients for a bewitching story that plucks the heartstrings. But it’s not all fantasy. It’s the stuff that turns real-life on its head. More ▶

Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad by Eric L. Heard

Following a troubled childhood, Eric L. Heard, an army brat who resided in Germany and Japan, decided to write a book warning African American fathers to up their game as responsible parents. He looked back at his early life in Pensacola, Florida, a Black community confined by the systematic bias of Jim Crow. No challenge or obstacle would emotionally cripple Heard, for he earned a BS in engineering from Florida State University through sheer determination.

 

Every book has a purpose. “I wrote this book to connect my childhood to the challenges I face as a father of an African American child,” Heard wrote. “I have come to realize that I need to face the ghosts of the past to raise a son who can be ready for the future. The uncertainty and pain that were instilled in me fuel my anxiety and irrationality in ways that I pass on to my son as a father and mentor…” More ▶

Dear Troy,

During the months of April and May AALBC will experience growing pains as upgrade the AALBC website. We are aiming to enhance the look and feel of the site and help visitors appreciate the tremendous repository of information about Black AALBC provides.

 

Troy, you are a big reason AALBC is able to continue to grow. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, social sharing, advertisements, and feedback help support AALBC’s mission of celebrating Black culture through books.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Neal Porter Books.
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – March 22, 2022 - Issue #355

The critically acclaimed author of The Rib King, Ladee Hubbard returns with The Last Suspicious Holdout, an eagerly anticipated collection of interlocking short stories deftly chronicles the poignant moments in the lives of an African American community located in a “sliver of southern suburbia.” Exploring relationships between friends, family, and strangers, The Last Suspicious Holdout is a stunning testament to the enduring resilience of Black people. Buy Now ▶

Our Bestsellers List has been published continuously since 1998 and is the most visible list focused on Black Books in existence. You will learn about books selling well, in the Black community, that may never show up on lists published by larger corporate entities. Spread the word about our list, don’t let others determine which books are important.

 

Fiction: The bestselling fiction book this period is a literary Magazine, the Killens Review of Arts & Letters (Fall / Winter 2021). Published by the Center for Black Literature at Medgar Ever College and Edited by Clarence V. Reynolds, the Killens Review provides a wonderful collection of essays, poetry, and nonfiction.

 

Nonfiction: Nonfiction books were by far the bestselling genre this period. During Black History Month we often see a surge in nonfiction book sales. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story created by Nikole Hannah-Jones is the bestselling book, of all, this period.

 

Children’s Books: Children’s Books sales were led by Born on the Water written by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. This book is also part of the 1619 Project and was the #1 bestselling book for all of 2021.

 

Poetry: Poetry sales were led by the 4-time AALBC Bestseller, Call Us What We Carry: Poems by Amanda Gorman. We are especially happy to see Cosmic Deputy: Poetry & Context by Kalamu ya Salaam make our list. Kalamu was the coeditor, with Kwame Alexander, of our first bestselling book of poetry, 360° A Revolution of Black Poets, which made the list in 1998.

View a printer-friendly version and a collage of the book covers.

This powerful book reimagines discipleship by begging us to acknowledge that racism exists in the Church—and offers the hopeful message that we can disciple it out.

 

It is not an accident that racism is alive and well in the American church. Racism has, in fact, been taught within the church for so long most of us don’t even recognize it anymore. Pastor Albert Tate guides all of us in acknowledging the racism that keeps us from loving each other the way God intends and encourages siblings in Christ to sit together in racial discomfort, examining the role we may play in someone else’s struggle. Buy Now ▶

Dear Troy,

 

Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

Peace and Love,

Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Amistad and FaithWords
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – March 8, 2022 - Issue #353

From Sheila Williams, the author of The Secret Women, comes Things Past Telling, a remarkable epic that charts one unforgettable woman’s journey in a breathtaking novel that combines the epic romance and adventure of Outlander, the sweeping drama of Roots, and the haunting historical power of Barracoon. Buy Now ▶

I’m pleased to tell you AALBC will be publishing, Running to Fall (AALBC, Sep 6, 2022), the follow-up to Kalisha Buckhanon’s critically acclaimed novel, Speaking of Summer!

 

“My gratitude and forever ‘Black Power’ fist to great literary friend Troy Johnson and his legendary AALBC.com, which I dreamed of being listed on when I was just a college English major, for picking up this novel as one the historic AALBC would take a chance to publish in America. Being the first Black writer and novel African-American Literature Book Club publishes actively is an honor and highlight of my career I am filled with pride and joy for.”
—Kalisha Buckhanon

Kalisha Buckhanon is the AALBC bestselling author of, Upstate, which won the 2006 American Library Association ALEX Award and was nominated for a 2006 Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation Legacy Award in Debut Fiction.

 

Her novel, Speaking of Summer, was described as “An absolutely riveting thriller” by Cosmopolitan. Shondaland wrote, “This book packs a punch, so buckle in.” O: The Oprah Magazine said, “This mysterious novel is well worth the wait.” Running to Fall promises to continue the trend. Read an excerpt here ▶

20 Tulsa Entrepreneurs Begin National Accelerator Program to Turn Ideas into Reality

I worked on AALBC, from my home office, in relative isolation for years. The pandemic, surprisingly enough, has been a period in which I have connected with so many other entrepreneurs and entities who are supportive of entrepreneurs. One such entity is Builders + Backers. Builders + Backers has helped me look at my business with fresh eyes, see the potential of AALBC, and provide funds to help me realize that potential.

Dear Reader,

 

I’m super excited and honored for the opportunity to publish Kalisha’s new novel. She has always been supportive of AALBC. AALBC is fueled by our community. There is no way I could have run this site for 25 years without help. There is a lot of work ahead, but the future looks bright.

 

Always remember Reader, you are part of the help that keeps AALBC growing. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

In a remarkable blend of historical fiction and horror, Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams is a thrilling novel about biracial twin sisters separated at birth and the reckoning that comes when they reunite.

 

Twin sisters Charlie Yates and Magnolia Heathwood were secretly separated after the brutal lynching of their parents, who died for loving across the color line. Now, at the dawn of the Civil Rights Movement, Charlie is a young Black organizer in Harlem, while white-passing Magnolia is the heiress to a cotton plantation in rural Georgia. Buy Now ▶

Recently Reviewed Books

Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora by Bryant Terry

“Each chapter and verse, each poem, photograph, painting, think-piece, and recipe is a portal to beloved communities of plants and animals, food and pleasures, leisures, tastes, and cultures across many eras,” Terry writes. With a sumptuous modern playlist, he pays tribute, along with other writers and chefs, to the artists, activists, scholars, writers, poets, and other honored ancestors with our traditional food. Like other monumental classics in their field, Terry’s Black Food deserves a permanent place in your kitchen and on your bookshelf. Read More ▶

Look for Me and I’ll Be Gone: Stories by John Edgar Wideman

Like Ishmael Reed, Clarence Major, and other legendary African-American male writers of their generation, John Edgar Wideman, at eighty, is nearing the twilight of his writing career. He, however, continues to produce work of the highest quality. Following the collected short fiction volume, The Stories of John Edgar Wideman (1992), consisting of 35 stories, the writer published three more story collections: God’s Gym (2205), Briefs (2010), and American Histories (2018). Currently, he adds another gem to his literary crown: Look For Me And I’ll Be Gone, another surprising grouping of his groundbreaking short stories. Read More ▶

The African Lookbook: A Visual History of 100 Years of African Women by Catherine E. McKinley

While McKinley’s photo book is a rich visual feast (1870-1970), it serves to focus on the feminine beauty, cultural physicality, and innate resourcefulness of the African woman.

 

Witness this magical, mythic photo album! Look at the lovely girl and the majestic women in the work of Seydou Keita, the Mali stylist. Check out the pair of hip kitties with dark glasses and cool garb by another Mali shutterbug Abdourahmane Sakaly. Dig the sleek hair-do of Eva from Ghana’s James Barnor. Take a gander at the tinted photos of the mysterious Dunau. Examine the solo and group figures of the Dakar and Saint-Louis Studios. Read More ▶

Seventh Annual North Street Book Prize for Self-Published Books

Delores Lowe Friedman of Bayside, New York received a First Prize in Mainstream/Literary Fiction for her novel Wildflowers.

 

“Delores Lowe Friedman's Wildflowers is an emotionally rich and intimate novel that follows a decades-long friendship among three Black women in New York City. Their complex and shifting relationships encompass crisis support, joys and secrets shared, estrangement, and jealousy. This story celebrates the power of women's bonds, but also shows how intimacy can be shattered by projected insecurities. A lost friend can be as life-defining as any romantic breakup. Wildflowers explores this truth in honest detail.” —Jendi Reiter

Susan Taylor “Susie” Baker King (August 6, 1848 – 1912), teacher and nurse, achieved many firsts in a lifetime of overcoming adversity and helping elevate others out of slavery. As the author [in 1902] of Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33d United States Colored Troops, Late 1st S.C. Volunteers, she was the only African American woman to publish a memoir of her wartime experiences.

 

Read an excerpt from her memoir, Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33rd US Colored Troops, Late 1st S.C. Volunteers  ▶

From Black Past’s Founder, Quintard Taylor

“I am pleased to announce that as of midnight last night (Feb. 23), BlackPast.org (www.blackpast.org) crossed the one million mark for visitors in the 23 days since February 1. Specifically, the count was 1,016,614. This is an all-time record and we are going to have our first one-million-plus month in the fourteen-year history of BlackPast.org.

 

Credit for this accomplishment goes to numerous BP board members, the support team which now includes people on two continents, and of course the nearly 1,000 volunteer contributors from six continents who provide the accurate, reliable content that’s now used by thousands of visitors each day. As we write these words, hundreds of people around the world are accessing the incomparable information found on BlackPast.org.”

 

I've run AALBC.com for almost 25 years and have nothing but admiration for Black Past and what they have accomplished over the years. Blackpast.org has also been identified as one of the Top 50 Black-Owned websites ▶.

Join Us for an Advance Screening of The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

The Virtual Screening will take place
March 9th at 9:00 pm EST / 6:00 pm PST

 

Based upon Walter Mosley’s novel, The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey, Ptolemy Grey is a 91-year-old man forgotten by his family, by his friends, by even himself. On the brink of sinking even deeper into lonely dementia, Ptolemy experiences a seismic shift when he's given the tremendous opportunity to briefly regain his memories and uses this precious and fleeting lucidity to solve his nephew's death and come to terms with his past.

 

RSVP and let them know AALBC sent you! You’ll also receive a free promo code from AppleTV+ to continue watching the series when it premieres on AppleTV+, on March 11, 2022. Use the RSVP link, in this Newsletter, and be entered to win an autographed copy of the book.

Ashley Bryan (July 13, 2021 – February 4, 2022) grew up to the sound of his mother singing from morning to night, and he has shared the joy of song with children ever since. A beloved illustrator, he has been the recipient of the Coretta Scott King—Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award; he has also been a May Hill Arbuthnot lecturer, a Coretta Scott King Award winner, and the recipient of countless other awards and recognitions.

 

“He had turned 98 on July 13, 2021, and continued to recite poetry from his vast repertoire — especially Shakespeare’s sonnets — up to the very end.”

Dear Troy,

I urge you to sign the petition to exonerate Marcus Garvey and encourage the members of your communities to do so too. We now have only hours remaining to get one hundred thousand (100,000) signatures needed within the February 1- March 2nd 30-day period. Reaching this goal will result in an official response from the White House.

 

Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Kelly McWilliams
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – March 1, 2022 - Issue #352

Justice4Garvey campaign partners with members of the Black Book Ecosystem to petition a presidential pardon for Marcus Garvey

Black booksellers, publishers, and distributors throughout the U.S. have partnered with the Justice4Garvey campaign to petition President Joe Biden to grant a posthumous pardon to civil rights leader Marcus Garvey. The goal of the campaign is to gather the required 100,000 signatures necessary to elicit a response from the President. The signatures must be collected within a stipulated 30-day period, from February 1, 2022 to March 2, 2022.

 

On Sunday, February 6th, 2022 at 6:00 PM (EST), a special virtual town hall for the public is scheduled and will include presentations from Dr. Julius Garvey, son of the Hon. Marcus Garvey, and several other leaders to inform and encourage the community-at-large to sign the global petition. Register to participate here.

 

Signing the Petition is Easy:
1. Visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.
2. Under MESSAGE TYPE select “Contact the President.”
3. Enter your contact information.
4. Under WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY? type, “Exonerate Marcus Garvey.”
5. Hit the Send button.

Additional Marcus Garvey Resources

▪	The Political Prosecution of Marcus Garvey

▪	“Tribute to Marcus Mosiah Garvey” by Runoko Rashidi

▪	Books, by or About, Marcus Garvey for Sale on AALBC.com

We, the undersigned Black Booksellers and Publishers belong to a long tradition of providing essential and corrective information to our community. Marcus Garvey, who was wrongly convicted and punished almost one hundred years ago is a foundational part of our tradition. On February 1, 2022, a global Justice 4 Garvey effort begins which calls for the posthumous pardon of Marcus Garvey. We fully support this effort and are committed to using our platforms and our networks to secure the 100,000 signatures required for the petition’s success.

 

We call on everyone, but especially Black booksellers and publishers to join with us by encouraging people within your network to sign the Justice 4 Garvey petition when it begins circulating on the first day of Black History Month. Additionally, we ask that you create and sponsor activities and events during February to heighten awareness of the sacrifice, and achievements of Marcus Garvey and all those ancestors who stood for our freedom.

 

 

▪	Troy Johnson, AALBC.com

▪	Kassahun Checole, Africa World Press

▪	Nati Kamau-Nataki, Afrikan World Books

▪	Nzingha Nommo, Afriware Books & Co.

▪	W. Paul Coates, Black Classic Press

▪	Saleem Hassan, Books by Saleem

▪	Vera Warren Williams, Community Book Center

▪	Verlean Singletary, Da Book Joint

▪	Desmond Reid, Dare Books

▪	David Miller, Dare To Be King Publications

▪	James Fugate and Tom Hamilton, Eso Won Books

▪	Sekou, Frontline Books & Kultural Emporium

▪	Jeannine Cook, Harriett's Bookshop

▪	Jamilah Horton, House Of Pages Bookstore

▪	Tony Browder, IKG Publishing

▪	Wade and Cheryl Hudson, Just Us Books

▪	Hanna Oliver Depp, Loyalty Books

▪	Luther Warner, Lushena Books

▪	Derrick and Ramunda Young, Mahogany Books

▪	Blanche Richardson, Marcus Books

▪	Nia Damali, Medu Bookstore

▪	Delores Williams, People Get Ready Bookstore

▪	Shirikiana Gerima, Sankofa Video Books & Café

▪	Patrick Oliver, Say it Loud! Publications

▪	D. L. Mullen, Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery

▪	Donna and Donya Craddock, The Dock Bookshop

▪	Haki Madhubuti, Third World Press

▪	Uuka Elegba, Umoja Books and Products

▪	Kenneth and Sharon Holley, Zawadi Books

#ExonerateGarvey / #30Days4Garvey

Dear Reader,

Thanks in advance for signing the petition. I have always been impressed and inspired by Garvey. The Black Stars (★) you’ll find in my newsletter and throughout AALBC.com are placed in homage to Garvey. It is also in his spirit that I run AALBC.com: “Up! You mighty race, you can accomplish what you will.”

 

Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by sponsored by the Black Book Ecosystem
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – February 1, 2022 - Issue #349

Barbara Chase-Riboud, the author of the award-winning Sally Hemings now brings to life Hannah Elias, one of the richest black women in America in the early 1900s, in this mesmerizing novel. Packed with glamour, suspense, history, and drama, The Great Mrs. Elias brings a fascinating woman and the age she embodied to glorious, tragic life. Buy Now ▶

The Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) are presented annually to the authors and illustrators of the best children’s and young adult books on Africa published, or republished, in the U.S.

The awards were created by Africa Access and the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association (ASA) to encourage the publication and use of accurate, balanced children’s materials about Africa. The awards are presented in two categories: Young Children and Older Readers. Read More ▶

Limited copies of back issues of the Killens Review Arts & Letters are now available.

 

The Review was launched in 2010 and welcomes Black poets, novelists, short story writers, playwrights, journalists, essayists, scholars, yet-to-be-discovered writers, and visual artists whose works resonate with an intergenerational range of readers throughout the African Diaspora. Quantities are truly limited; act now to secure one of these collector’s items today!

Brave. Black. First.: A Jigsaw Puzzle and Poster Celebrating African American Women Who Changed the World_ by Cheryl Willis Hudson, Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson

 

A one-of-a-kind puzzle featuring groundbreaking African American women, published in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Based on the children’s book Brave. Black. First., this puzzle celebrates the artists, athletes, activists, politicians, and writers who championed civil rights in their communities. From Sojourner Truth and Ruby Bridges to Angela Y. Davis and Michelle Obama, the collaged image captures the iconic moments of African American women whose heroism and bravery rewrote the American story for the better. Buy Now ▶

Publishers Weekly, known in the book world as “the bible of the book business,” is currently celebrating its 150th anniversary.

 

Publishers Weekly (PW) has grown into a multimedia news platform with international coverage of the book publishing industry. Its varied products are used by publishers, booksellers, librarians, literary agents, authors, book lovers, and the media. PW publishes articles and news on the book business, bestsellers lists, and industry statistics, but their best-known service is their prepublication book reviews, of which they publish nearly 9,000 a year.

 

PW covers the Black Book Ecosystem better than arguably any other media platform. In 1999, they were one of the first publications to cite in AALBC in a magazine article, “A Diverse Market for African-American Books Keeps Growing.” Most recently, PW covered our collective effort to get President Biden to pardon Marcus Garvey; “Black Booksellers Launch Petition to Pardon Marcus Garvey.” If you are a book lover you will definitely enjoy (PW). Read More ▶

A couple of weeks ago I emailed all of the readers who, over the past three years, have chosen to provide financial support to AALBC by paying for their newsletter subscription. My goal was to thank these ardent supporters, solicit feedback, and understand what motivates them to provide financial support. The responses were truly helpful and motivating. I have shared the feedback of one supporter below:

 

“I am motivated by AALBC's commitment to community and readership, consistency, and love and respect of books. In the midst of financial challenges, AALBC remains resilient. AALBC is a valued institution and the leading website for books, literary resources, and information on African diasporic literature. Our books record our history/herstory as a global people.

Books honor and document the sacrifices of America's enslaved Africans, our ancestors. Men, women, and children could be murdered if caught daring to read. It is crucial that we protect our institutions. We are under attack. There is a concerted effort to erase African American history/herstory, our contributions, and civil and human rights. Our books are being banned daily in schools and libraries across America.

 

Troy Johnson, you are doing a great job with AALBC! Please continue the fight! We need you! We can unite to grow readers, book clubs, and collectives by purchasing books from AABLC and other Black bookstores. We as a community continue to support Black athletes, actors, etc. It's time they support us by adopting a Blackstore. This applies to the entire Black diaspora. Thank you, for your commitment and service!”

 

Aluta Continua!

Lorraine Currelley
Executive Director(s)
Poets Network & Exchange
Bronx Book Fair

Dear Reader,

Always remember Reader, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by Amistad
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – February 8, 2022 - Issue #351

From the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, a biography in verse and prose of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler, author of Parable of the Sower and Kindred. Buy Now ▶

Bookstore: The Dock Bookshop, Fort Worth, TX

This is my friendly reminder to support your independent booksellers. People often ask; why I spend so much time, energy, and money supporting other booksellers — my “competition” — when I could use these resources to support my own business?

I do it because there are so many great books, but increasingly fewer curated platforms with the visibility to get these books into the hands of the readers, who are most likely to enjoy and benefit from them. This is particularly true for books written by or about Black people.

 

There are fewer platforms publishing critical book reviews; covering, participating in, promoting, and hosting events; promoting authors and their books; bestowing awards; than ever before. These are things that AALBC does, and it is only possible because of your book purchases and website engagement.

 

AALBC can not function in a vacuum. There is an entire ecosystem of Black book professions that I must work with to learn about the books and authors that I share with you. AALBC is better when there is a vibrant “Black Book Ecosystem.” This is why I actively promote and support other booksellers and provide the following information on AALBC:

Publisher and Distributor: Africa World Press & The Red Sea Press

Useful Resources

▪	Black-Owned Bookstores

▪	Black-Owned Book Websites

▪	Black-Owned Book Distributors

▪	Top Black-Owned Websites

▪	Black-Owned Magazines

▪	Black-Owned Newspapers

Often we default to Amazon when it comes to our books. As a bookseller for almost 25 years — most of that time, unfortunately, as an Amazon affiliate — I understand the destruction Amazon has unleased on the Black Book Ecosystem. From Amazon’s perspective, we are either competition to be eliminated or sharecroppers for their plantation.

Marcus Books, Oakland, CA

Fortunately, there is still an option: Support your indie booksellers!

 

Amazon is simply not going to do the things that AALBC and other, mission-driven, indie booksellers do. Our goal is to support the culture, not extract as much wealth from it as possible.

You don’t have to tear up your Prime card and boycott Amazon, just keep us in mind when it comes to books. We will all benefit in the long run. 🙂

 

OK, I’ll get off the soapbox. If anything I wrote resonates let me know: troy@aalbc.com. Even if I’m off base, I’d love to hear from you either way.

Dear Reader,

 

Members of the Black Book Ecosystem have committed to help gather 100,000 signatures to request an official response from the White House and President Biden for a posthumous exoneration of the Rt. Honorable Marcus Garvey for his unjust persecution and imprisonment by the U.S. government in 1923. We will be hosting a video conference, on Friday, February 6, 2022, with Garvey’s son, Dr. Julius W. Garvey. More information will be provided soon.

 

Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by sponsored by Dutton Books for Young Readers
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – January 27, 2022 - Issue #348

This remarkable picture book, Hey You!: An Empowering Celebration of Growing Up Black, is a lyrical, inspirational exploration of growing up Black, written by award-winning illustrator Dapo Adeola, and brought to life by some of the most exciting Black artists of today. Buy Now ▶

The Coretta Scott King Awards are presented annually by the American Library Association to honor African-American authors and illustrators who create outstanding books for children and young adults. “… an excellent start on your quest for the best in African-American literature for children.”

 

The award was established in 1969 to recognize authors. In 1979 it was expanded to include a separate award for illustrators. There are five categories of book awards; Author, Author Honor, Illustrator, Illustrator Honor, and the John Steptoe Award for New Talent. Check out the 2022 honored books and those going back to 1997 — most are still and print and new copies may be purchased.

Technically a website like AALBC can carry every book in print and let readers figure out the best ones to read or use algorithms to push the books that will generate the most profit.

 

AALBC is different. All of the books on our website, close to 20K titles, are curated by a wide variety of book professionals to ensure any book you find on AALBC will be an excellent one. This is probably more true for children’s books than any other genre. Below are a few, of many lists, of children’s books selected just for our visitors. The lists included books that were critically acclaimed, award winners, recommended booksellers, or resonated strongly with me. Enjoy!

 

▪	Bestselling Children’s Book Authors You’ll Love ♥

▪	25 Bestselling Children’s Books for Full Year - 2021

▪	Top 150 Recommended African-American Children’s Books: 1972 – 2020

▪	The Most Critically Acclaimed Children’s Books of the Year

▪	Children’s Books by Target Age Group

▪	110 Board Books Celebrating Black Culture

▪	The Best African American Children’s Picture Books for 2020

▪	Our Latest Bestselling Children’s Books

▪	The John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished American Children’s Books

▪	The Children’s Africana Book Award-Winning Books

Over 30 literary creators will participating in the book fair. Meet Ekua Holmes, Ibi Zoboi, EB Lewis, Jason Reynolds, Leah Henderson, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Paula Chase, Karyn Parson, Kekla Magoon, Tina Wells, Cheryl Willis Hudson, Gordon C. James, Torrey Maldonado, Schele Williams, C.J. Farley, Nancy Devard and Antwan Eady. For more information call (215) 878-BOOK.

 

Virtual Preview: Saturday, February 5, 2022 – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. EST
Face book Live. Get an inside look at the stellar lineup of some of the best and the brightest from the children’s literary community. Register Here ▶

 

Live Event: Saturday, February 26, 2022, from 1:00 to 4 p.m. EST
Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th Arch Street on Hosted by the African American Children’s Book Project, the book fair is one of the oldest and largest single-day events for children's books in the country. Games, prizes, and promotional giveaways will highlight the afternoon. A wide selection of affordable Black children’s books will be available for purchase. Learn More ▶

Dear Reader,

 

Occasionally someone will tell me, “There are very few good books featuring Black children.” When I started AALBC, in 1997, this was true. Today, I can’t keep up with all the terrific books being published.

If you are anywhere near Philly on February 26th, check out the African American Children’s Book Fair (mentioned above). I attended in 2020, was thoroughly impressed, and discovered some books that I now sell on AALBC.

 

Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by sponsored by Nancy Paulsen Books
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – February 3, 2022 - Issue #350

Available together for the first time in one specially designed boxed set, and spanning more than 35 years of work, the first comprehensive collection of essays, criticism, and articles by the legendary author of the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston, showcases the evolution of her distinctive style as an archivist and author — edited by Henry Louis Gates and Genevieve West. Buy Now ▶

Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi

From the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, Ibi Zoboi, comes a biography in verse and prose of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler.

Acclaimed novelist Ibi Zoboi illuminates the young life of the visionary storyteller Octavia E. Butler in poems and prose. Born into the Space Race, the Red Scare, and the dawning Civil Rights Movement, Butler experienced an American childhood that shaped her into the groundbreaking science-fiction storyteller whose novels continue to challenge and delight readers fifteen years after her death. More ▶

Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi

In his adult novel debut, Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and NAACP Image Award finalist and Alex and New England Book Award winner Tochi Onyebuchi brings us a sweeping sci-fi epic in the vein of Samuel R. Delany and Station Eleven

A David and Jonathan story that throws readers into the history and sins of the Connecticut metropolis, this ambitious, sprawling novel weaves together disparate narratives—a space-dweller looking at New Haven as a chance to reconnect with his spiraling lover; a group of civil servants attempting to renew the promises of Earth’s crumbling cities; a journalist attempting to capture the violence of the streets—into a richly urgent mosaic about race, class, gentrification, and who is allowed to be the hero of any history. More ▶

Manifesto: On Never Giving Up by Bernardine Evaristo

From the bestselling and Booker Prize-winning author of Girl, Woman, Other, Bernardine Evaristo’s memoir of her own life and writing, and her manifesto on unstoppability, creativity, and activism

Bernardine Evaristo’s 2019 Booker Prize win was a historic and revolutionary occasion, with Evaristo being the first Black woman and first Black British person ever to win the prize in its fifty-year history. Girl, Woman, Other was named a favorite book of the year by President Obama and Roxane Gay, was translated into thirty-five languages, and has now reached more than a million readers. More ▶

The Witch’s Apprentice: Dragons in a Bag #3 by Zetta Elliott

Zetta Elliott wants Black children today to see themselves in stories. Stories of all types and especially ones that she never saw herself in while growing up. In her urban fantasy series Dragons in a Bag, Elliott has crafted a young, middle grade fantasy series that opens a new genre for children of color to see themselves in and enjoy.

With the publication of The Witch’s Apprentice, the third installment in the acclaimed series, readers will now be able to binge read all three books at once, or savor their reading experience by exploring each book individually. Join Jaxon and his friends through a reimagined New York City and Chicago as they embark on their latest adventure to unlock the mystery behind a strange sleep sickness engulfing the city. More ▶

Chris Washburn, a former high school basketball phenom, tells his emotional story about losing millions of dollars and his NBA career due to his 14-year addiction to crack. Chris’ story is ultimately redemptive as he beat the odds by surviving to tell his story.

He is fueled by helping others avoid making the same mistakes he made. Washburn’s upcoming memoir, written with G.L. Henderson, goes into the details of being shot, held hostage over $35 owed to a crack dealer, going to jail, eating out of the trash, and more harrowing experiences.

This video was recorded during the 2022 F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival. Watch the Video ▶

The 16th National Black Writers Conference will be guided by this year’s theme: “The Beautiful Struggle: Black Writers Lighting the Way.”

Events will be held live and virtually on Wednesday, March 30 – Saturday, April 2, 2022. Learn More ▶

Dear Reader,

 

Members of the Black Book Ecosystem have committed to help gather 100,000 signatures to request an official response from the White House and President Biden for a posthumous exoneration of the Rt. Honorable Marcus Garvey for his unjust persecution and imprisonment by the U.S. government in 1923. We will be hosting a video conference with Garvey’s son, Dr. Julius W. Garvey. More information will be provided soon.

 

Always remember, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements help support AALBC’s mission.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by sponsored by Amistad
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – January 25, 2022 - Issue #347

“So if I played four hundred rounds of Monopoly with you and I had to play and give you every dime that I made, and then for fifty years, every time that I played, if you didn't like what I did, you got to burn it like they did in Tulsa and like they did in Rosewood, how can you win? How can you win?”

 

Bestselling author and political activist Kimberly Jones declared these words amid the protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd in the Summer of 2020. She gave a history lesson that in just over six minutes captured the economic struggles of Black people in America and within days, the video had been viewed by millions. In How We Can Win, Jones delves into the impacts of systemic racism and reveals how her formative years in Chicago gave birth to a lifelong devotion to justice. She calls for Reconstruction 2.0, a multilayered plan to reclaim economic and social restitutions—those restitutions promised with emancipation but blocked, again and again, for more than 150 years. How We Can Win delivers strategies for how we can effect change as citizens and allies while nurturing ourselves—the most valuable asset we have—in the fight against a system that is still rigged.

Praise for How We Can Win:

 

★ “No punches pulled, no opportunities for change missed and no lies told. I am so grateful this generation has a voice like hers to guide us.” —Jameela Jamil, actor, advocate and writer

★ “Clear, unflinching and hopeful…A must-read for everyone ready to fight for true equity.” —Layla F. Saad, bestselling author of Me and White Supremacy

★ “There is a way forward in this rigged system, but it will take us knowing how we got here and working as a community to get out…This book is a liberatory map I desperately pray we all follow.”—Sonya Renee Taylor, bestselling author of The Body is Not An Apology

★ “Brilliant, authentic and just what I needed. It made me feel seen… We need this book in every school, prison and church.” —Leslie E. Redmond, Esq., founder of Don’t Complain, Activate and former president of the Minneapolis NAACP

★ “An impassioned and actionable call for leveling the playing field in America.” —Publisher's Weekly

★ “[Jones] made what I think is the most coherent, clear, current case for younger people to understand reparations.” —Joy Reid on MSNBC

 

 

Kimberly Jones is an activist, former bookseller and current host of the Well-Read Black Girl book club’s Atlanta chapter. She has directed feature films and cutting-edge diverse web series and has an overall deal with Warner Bros. Pictures. Jones is also co-author of the bestselling YA novels I’m Not Dying with You Tonight and Why We Fly.

This email is sponsored by Henry Holt & Company,
an Imprint of Macmillan Publishers.
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.

The whole world seems to transform during the summer of 1965 in When Winter Robson Came. Eden’s cousin from Mississippi comes to visit her in L.A. just as the Watts Riots erupt in this stirring new novel by Coretta Scott King Honor winner Brenda Woods. Buy Now ▶

Vice President Kamala Harris: Her Path to the White House by Malaika Adero

America has a love-hate relationship with pioneers, the people who break impossible barriers to forge a successful life. Kamala Devi Harris, who was sworn in as 49th Vice President of the U.S. on January 20, 2021, is a member of this remarkable club. Editor-writer Malaika Adero, a legend in the publishing industry for more than 30 years with stints at Simon & Schuster and Amistad Press, puts together a stylish collection of text and image to pay tribute to this politician, who is the first woman to serve in the second-in-command, the first Black and South Asian – Caribbean American Female to occupy that office. The coffee-table book of this high achiever, Vice President Kamala Harris: Her Path To The White House, is more than the usual scrapbook of her triumphs. More ▶

 

Yonder by Jabari Asim

The Water Dancer meets The Prophets in this spare, gripping, and beautifully rendered novel exploring love and friendship among a group of enslaved Black strivers in the mid-19th century.

 

They call themselves the Stolen. Their owners call them captives. They are taught their captors’ tongues and their beliefs but they have a language and rituals all their own.

 

In a world that would be allegorical if it weren’t saturated in harsh truths, Cato and William meet at Placid Hall, a plantation in an unspecified part of the American South. Subject to the whims of their tyrannical and eccentric captor, Cannonball Greene, they never know what harm may befall them: inhumane physical toil in the plantation’s quarry by day, a beating by night, or the sale of a loved one at any moment. It’s that cruel practice—the wanton destruction of love, the belief that Black people aren’t even capable of loving—that hurts the most. More ▶

Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan, Illustrated by Keturah A. Bobo

The true story of Black activist Opal Lee and her vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday that represents the nation’s creed of freedom for all. More ▶

Friday Foster: The Sunday Strips by Jim Lawrence

The Friday Foster comic strip is the story of a former nightclub “camera bunny” turned photographer’s assistant turned fashion model. With an innate inclination to help others and a natural beauty that makes her a magnet for men, Friday often finds herself in some very sticky situations and world class adventures.

 

For the first time ever, the classic Friday Foster newspaper color comic strip created by James D. “Jim” Lawrence (of Buck Rogers and James Bond fame) and illustrated by Jorge “Jordi” Longar n then later Gray Morrow is collected. The strip ran from 1974-1970 and inspired the 1975 movie of the same name starring Pam Grier. The strip is the first mainstream comic strip starring an African-American character in the title role. More ▶

All 346 Newsletters, going back 20 years, are available on our website. These archived newsletters can still provide you with valuable information about books you can still enjoy. The older newsletters are also time capsules, providing a historical snapshot of Black books.

 

AALBC’s Newsletters, emailed June 2019 to the present may be found here. Newsletters sent from May of 2019 to February of 2001 may be found here.

 

Our newsletters are free by default, but if you find our newsletters valuable, please consider a paying a voluntary minimum annual subscription of $17.99. Your financial support helps fund our mission to help you discover the Black books you are most likely to enjoy. Subscribe Today ▶

Dear Troy,

Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent.

 

In this eNewsletter, I’ve highlighted the importance Your paid subscriptions to our newsletter. In a country where so much of our information and entertainment is controlled by a small number of purely profit driven entities, we are not being provided with the information that best serve our needs. In the Black book world this means we are simply not going to be informed about all of the great books that are available. Independent platforms like AALBC can help us retain some control over how our story is told and to deem which books are important. Your financial support make this possible.

 

A world in which Amazon is working hard to be the only place one can buy a book readers — especially readers of Black books — will be increasingly underserved. The only way to prevent this is to support independent booksellers including AALBC. Your book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements will do the trick.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

This message is sponsored by sponsored by Nancy Paulsen Books
Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – January 13, 2022 - Issue #346

Our bestsellers list has been published continuously since 1998 and is the most visible list focused on Black Books in existence. You will learn about books selling well, in the Black community, that may never show up on lists published by larger corporate entities. Spread the word about our list, don’t let others determine which books are important.

 

Fiction: Voices of the Harlem Renaissance: Originally Published as The New Negro an Interpretation edited by Alain Locke and featuring a new introduction by AALBC’s Troy Johnson was the #1 fiction book for 2021. Voices, which was originally published almost 100 years ago, benefited from strong sales because it is an excellent treatment of The New Negro an Interpretation and we have focused on providing sales and distribution through independent channels.

 

Nonfiction: Sales of So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo surged immediately after the cruel murder of George Floyd. Readers, of all backgrounds, were anxious to understand the nature of racism how they could do something about it. More importantly, readers wanted to buy So You Want to Talk About Race, and similar title’s, from independent Black-owned booksellers. Sales have remained strong for these books more than a year later.

 

Children’s Books: Children’s books has been the top-selling category of books the past two years, which is really remarkable given the strength of nonfiction book sales (a close second). Born on the Water: The 1619 Project written by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, and wonderfully illustrated by Nikkolas Smith, enjoyed a tremendous amount of support from virtually the entire bookselling community.

 

Poetry: Vice: New and Selected Poems by Ai Ogawa won a National Book Award in 1999, the year it was first published. Given the strength of the sales of Amanda Gorman’s Call Us What We Carry, the 22-year-old Vice topping all other poetry book sales is impressive.

See all 95 Titles ▶

Fiction: The Zora Neale Hurston Boxed Set was an AALBC bestseller even before its publication date. The 10-book boxed set features the best of Hurston’s fiction and nonfiction in one impressive package.

 

Nonfiction: Nikole Hannah-Jones’ The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story was the #1 bestselling book across all genres this period. This does not include the many copies of the book sold as a result of our collaboration with Bookshop.org to support the New York based not-for-profit organization, The Literary Freedom Project.

 

Children’s Books: Born on the Water, which is also part of The 1619 Project was our top selling children’s book. Illustrated by Nikkolas Smith and written by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renée Watson, Born on the Water was also one of our most popular books of the year.

 

Poetry: Amanda Gorman’s Call Us What We Carry: Poems helps make Gorman one of AALBC’s all-time bestselling authors.

See all 47 Titles ▶

Palmares by Gayl Jones

No less than the esteemed late novelist Toni Morrison, the chief editorial gatekeeper of Random House, was stunned by the narrative power of Gayl Jones’ first novel, Corregidora. The book of incest and topsy-turvy desire was published to critical acclaim in 1975. Jones was 26 at the time. Then Eva’s Man, a collection of painful flashbacks features the main character, Eva Medina Canada’s emotional unraveling into mental illness, which culminates in the castration of Davis, the man who imprisons her so he can repeatedly rape her. The book in 1976 totally hooked her readers who clamored for her next literary escapade.

 

Now, after more than two decades, Jones’ mammoth work, Palmeres, emerges on the bookshelves, seeking to enthrall old fans and snare new readers. The genesis of this hefty book was the spark of creation stemming from a volume-length poem, Song of Anninho, which was published by Detroit’s Lotus Press in 1981. It also was inspired by the church plays from her maternal grandmother, Amanda Wilson, and the childhood tales written by her mother, Lucille Jones. Jones, a keen observer of history, culture, and tradition, absorbed the concept of utopia — a place where oppression and intolerance would not be acceptable. More ▶

The 16th National Black Writers Conference (NBWC2022) Call For Papers Is Now Open! Scholars, Writers, Literary Activists, Cultural Critics, And Students Are Invited To Submit Proposals for the 16th National Black Writers Conference (March 2022)! Deadline: Monday, February 14, 2022

Download the Guidelines Here ▶

Alkebu-Lan Images, a cornerstone of the North Nashville community for more than 35 years, lost its founder. Yusef Harris — teacher, mentor, climber of Mount Kilimanjaro — has died.

Harris opened Alkebu-Lan in 1986 while pursuing his doctorate in psychology at Vanderbilt University and teaching part time at Tennessee State University. The Jefferson Street property went up for sale, and he made a down payment with a loan from Metro Development and Housing Agency. Since then, the shop has become a cultural mecca, selling books, art, apparel and other goods that reflect and celebrate African culture. Read the full article at nashvillescene.com ▶

Dear Reader, 

 

As 2022 begins I reflect on nearly two years of a global pandemic and it feels surreal, like something out of an Octavia Butler novel. Despite so many cancelled in-person events, restrictions, mandates, and heartache there is still good reason for hope. I trust the books shared in our newsletter and website continue to bring you joy, inform you, and help make your life better.

 

I know online discussions are not the same as in-person conversations, but consider joining our online discussion forums, you may find your enjoy the differences — especially if you are tired of being manipulated by algorithms and having your privacy mined for profit with other options. Feel free to discuss books or anything that interests you.

 

Always remember Troy, you are why we’ve been able to make AALBC the premier online platform for books by, or about, people of African descent. Your paid subscriptions, book purchases, suggestions, engagement on the site, commenting, social sharing, and advertisements helps support AALBC’s mission.

 

Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com

Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.
★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – January 11, 2022 - Issue #345

Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López’s highly anticipated companion to their #1 New York Times bestseller The Day You Begin illuminates the power in each of us to face challenges with confidence.

 

On a dreary, stuck-inside kind of day, a brother and sister heed their grandmother’s advice: “Use those beautiful and brilliant minds of yours. Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. Somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored you are now.” And before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom. Then, on a day full of quarrels, it’s time for a trip outside their minds again, and they are able to leave their anger behind. This precious skill, their grandmother tells them, harkens back to the days long before they were born, when their ancestors showed the world the strength and resilience of their beautiful and brilliant minds. Jacqueline Woodson’s lyrical text and Rafael Lopez’s dazzling art celebrate the extraordinary ability to lift ourselves up and imagine a better world.

Praise for The Day You Begin:

 

★ “Energetic layered multimedia illustrations accompany the poetically repeating lines, vividly depicting winged escapes over images of a slave ship and contemporary real-world high-rises.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

 

★ “ [A] narrative rich with literary and visual symbolism, simultaneously simple and profound…With this book, Woodson and Lopez create a path that children may follow as they gain confidence and imagine a way forward no matter what challenges arise.” —Booklist, starred review

 

★ “The incomparable Woodson and Lopez extend a reassuring hand in this verbally and visually poetic book.” —New York Times Book Review

 

★ “A beautiful and inclusive story that encourages children to find the beauty in their own lives and share it with the world.” — School Library Journal

This email is sponsored by
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Consider sponsoring our eNewsletter or a dedicated email.

A moving tribute to the joy and grounding that fathers bring to their children’s lives.

Daddy Speaks Love speaks to that everlasting bond between children and their fathers and is a perfect gift for special occasions including Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, baby showers, and more! Buy Now ▶

Will by Will Smith

There are millions of success stories in America. This is one of them. Film superstar Will Smith’s memoir, Will, is almost a fantasy comprised of Yankee success, determined ambition, and sheer luck. However, what makes this book special is Smith’s bold candor about his emotions, motives, and intentions. Rising from a troubled childhood in the Wynnefield neighborhood of West Philadelphia, his soaring journey from “bubble gum” rapper to TV sitcom star to mega movie idol moves from one improbable event to another, endlessly aided by one of this society’s powerful “angels,” who guided him through self-doubt to lofty heights of fame in every facet of media. Read More ▶

Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar by Harold Phifer

Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace At A Beach Bar is Harold Phifer’s memoir of childhood abuse, family dysfunction, and his search for peace. Starting in the present, we go back to the past, then further back to his childhood, looping back and forth in interwoven narratives, as he recounts his life.

“I grew up in a severely dysfunctional environment where I was constantly manipulated by a controlling aunt, abused by my mindless big brother, and shamed by my schizophrenic mom. Ducking, dodging, and going un-noticed were daily rituals.” Read More ▶

Stacey’s Extraordinary Words by Stacey Abrams

The debut picture book from iconic voting rights advocate and #1 New York Times bestselling author Stacey Abrams is an inspiring tale of determination, based on her own childhood.

Stacey is a little girl who loves words more than anything. She loves reading them, sounding them out, and finding comfort in them when things are hard. Read More ▶

The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs

The Three Mothers, the first book to celebrate the three great women who raised and shaped America’s most pivotal heroes: MLK, Malcolm X, and James Baldwin.

Much has been written about the Berdis Baldwin’s son James, about Alberta King’s son Martin, and Louise Little’s son Malcolm. But virtually nothing has been said about the extraordinary women who raised them, who themselves were all born within six years of each other, all contending with the very specific prejudices faced by Black women during Jim Crow. Read More ▶

You Don’t Know Us Negroes And Other Essays by Zora Neale Hurston

One of the most acclaimed artists of the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston was a gifted novelist, playwright, and essayist. Drawn from three decades of her work, this anthology showcases her development as a writer, from her early pieces expounding on the beauty and precision of African American art to some of her final published works, covering the sensational trial of Ruby McCollum, a wealthy Black woman convicted in 1952 for killing a white doctor. Among the selections are Hurston's well-known works such as “How It Feels to be Colored Me” and “My Most Humiliating Jim Crow Experience.”

You Don’t Know Us Negroes was edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and M. Genevieve West. Read More ▶

Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the author of a dozen books for middle grade readings including the upcoming novel, Operation Sisterhood.

My mom was from Jamaica, my dad is from Nigeria, and I was born in New York. I grew up nourished by stories from my family of “back home,” of immigration, of my heritage and multiple ethnicities. Those were my favorite bedtime stories by far. From the moment I was born, my family gave me the precious gift of Black stories on our bookshelves, at the dinner table, at bedtime, from their own lives, from Black authors all across the Diaspora. All those stories helped me to understand that Black lives are beautiful, powerful, and dynamic and come in infinite flavors. Read More ▶

11th Annual Daytona Beach F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival 2022 - January 7th and 8th, 2022

The F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival returns for its annual on-site “All Things Books” weekend in Daytona Beach., FL.

Donna M. Gray-Banks is the Founder and Director of the F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival (Fiction, Romance, Erotica, Spiritual and Health), one of the largest book festivals for minority and indie self-published authors in Florida. The Festival began in 2011, and the City of Daytona Beach, Florida, began sponsorship of the Festival in 2012.

AALBC’s Founder, Troy Johnson will be participating. Register and Learn More ▶

The Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap is a first-of-it’s-kind multimedia collection chronicling the growth of the music and culture from the parks of the Bronx to solidifying a reach that spans the globe. The set includes 129 tracks on 9 CDs (Check out our YouTube Playlist featuring all 129 songs) and a 300-page book with original design by Cey Adams, artist and founding creative director of Def Jam Recordings, as well as essays by some of hip-hop’s leading writers and critics and never-before-seen photographs.

Through the music, writing, and extensive liner notes, the Anthology reveals the many trends within this multifaceted genre, it’s social and political implications, and it’s influence on popular culture. More ▶

▪	Floyd Cooper (Jan 8, 1956 – Jul 15, 2021), Award Winning Children’s Book Illustrator

▪	Eric Jerome Dickey (Jul 7, 1961 – Jan 3, 2021), One of AALBC’s Bestselling Authors

▪	Bernette Ford (Jun 30, 1950 – Jun 20, 2021), Children’s Book Author and the First African-American Editor to Hold the VP/Associate Publisher at a Major House

▪	Glen Ford (Nov 5, 1949 – Jul 28, 2021), Author and Executive Director of Black Agenda Report

▪	Eddie Faye Gates (Feb 5, 1934 – Dec 9, 2021), Renowned Historian on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

▪	Lawrence Otis Graham (Dec 25, 1961 – Feb 19, 2021), Chronicler of America's Black Upper Class

▪	Eloise Greenfield (May 17, 1929 – Aug 5, 2021), Award Winning Children’s Book Author

▪	bell hooks (Sep 25, 1952 – Dec 15, 2021) Cultural Critic, Feminist Theorist, and Writer

▪	Lynda M. Johnson (1956 – Sep 25, 2021), President and Co-founder of Go On Girl! Book Club

▪	Kamilah Aisha Moon (Sep 5, 1973 – Sep 24, 2021), Acclaimed Poet

▪	Paul Mooney (Aug 4, 1941 – May 19, 2021), Legendary Comedian

▪	Melvin Van Peebles (Aug 21, 1932 – Sep 22, 2021) Founding Father of Black American Cinema

▪	Jerry Pinkney (Dec 22, 1939 – Oct 20, 2021), Award Winning Children’s Book Illustrator

▪	Colin Powell (Apr 5, 1937 – Oct 18, 2021), Secretary of State

▪	Albert J. Raboteau(Sep 4, 1943 – Sep 18, 2021), the Henry W. Putnam Professor of Religion at Princeton University

▪	Winfred Rembert(1945 – 2021) Artist, Subject of Two Award-winning Documentary Films

▪	Greg Tate (Oct 15, 1957 – Dec 7, 2021) “Godfather of Hip-Hop Journalism”

▪	Desmond Tutu (Oct 7, 1931 – Dec 26, 2021) Nobel Prize-Winning South African Archbishop Emeritus

▪	Cicely Tyson (Dec 19, 1924 – Jan 28, 2021), Actress, Lecturer, and Activist

May they all their souls rest in peace.