African American Memoirs

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Arsenio Hall, America’s beloved late-night TV host, reveals the ups and downs of his remarkable career as a trailblazing pioneer with this “vivid, outrageous” (The New York Times) behind-the-scenes, star-studded, no-holds-barred memoir of celebrity, race...

2024 Grammy Award Winner #1 NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER In an inspiring follow-up to her acclaimed memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world. ...

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A glorious chronicle of a life like none other—enlightening, entertaining, surprising, empowering—and a testament to the world-changing power of Black motherhood “A beautiful and brave story of strong women, fierce mothering, and the power of...

“In her long and extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson has not only exceeded as an actor, she has shaped the course of history.” –President Barack Obama, 2016 Presidential Medal of Honor ceremony "Just As I Am is my truth. It is me, plain and unvarnished, with the glitter and garland set...

A New York Times and Washington Post Notable Book A Best Book of the Year by BuzzFeed and Real Simple An “unmissable” (Vogue), “exceptional” (The Washington Post), and “evocative” (Chicago Tribune) memoir about three Black girls from the storied Bronzeville section of Chicago that...

In five years, Jesmyn Ward lost five young men in her life - to drugs, accidents, suicide, and the bad luck that can follow people who live in poverty, particularly Black men. Dealing with these losses, one after another, made Jesmyn ask the question: Why? And as she began to write, she realized the truth - and it took her breath away. Her brother and her friends all died because of who they were and where they were from, because they lived with a history of racism and economic struggle that fostered drug addiction and the dissolution of family and relationships.

African American Romance Collection that includes 10 books. The Snow Series: What happens when everything seems perfect and peaceful, but all of a sudden you, your family, or your surroundings is threatened by something or someone that will rob you of what you've always know? This happens to many people, from all walks of life, each and every day. No one is exempt from the trouble that can cause one to have his or her own personal meltdown. Some are able to overcome their meltdown? Others, however, are not so fortunate. They find themselves stuck, trying hard to deal with the meltdown of ...

Susie King Taylor, born a slave in 1848, would learn to read at secret schools and go on to teach countless others to read and write. Follow the course of the Civil War in her own words as she remembers her work as a nurse and teacher with an Army troop of African-American soldiers.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In her “vulnerable, tender, and infinitely inspirational” (Oprah Daily) memoir, the first Black woman to ever be appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States chronicles her extraordinary life story. “A billowingly triumphant American tale.”—The...

In this powerful and unflinching memoir, Carol Denise Mitchell revisits her award-winning novel What Happened to Suzy, a harrowing yet inspiring account of a young girl’s survival through unimaginable abuse, poverty, and betrayal. Born into a large, troubled family, Suzy endures years of physical and emotional torment at the hands of those meant to protect her. But through resilience, courage, and the rare kindness of a few, she finds her voice and reclaims her life. This 25th anniversary edition includes new reflections and remains a vital testament to the strength of the human spirit ...

This epic work tells the story of the Hemingses, whose close blood ties to our third president had been systematically expunged from American history until very recently. Now, historian and legal scholar Annette Gordon-Reed traces the Hemings family from its origins in Virginia in the 1700s to the family's dispersal after Jefferson's death in 1826. It brings to life not only Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson but also their children and Hemings's siblings, who shared a father with Jefferson's wife, Martha.

AudioFile Magazine Earphones Award Winner The "Mega Diva" and legendary star of Black-ish looks back on her memorable journey to fame and the unforgettable life lessons she learned along the way. Jenifer Lewis keeps it real in this provocative and touching memoir by a mid-western girl with a...

William Pepper was James Earl Ray's lawyer in the trial for the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr., and even after Ray's conviction and death, Pepper continues to adamantly argue Ray's innocence. This myth-shattering expose is a revised, updated, and heavily expanded volume of Pepper's original best-selling and critically-acclaimed book of the same name, with 26 years of additional research included. The result reveals dramatic new details of the night of the murder, the trial, and why Ray was chosen to take the fall for an evil conspiracy.

One of the most influential public intellectuals in the world and the architect of the two biggest ideas to reshape the American conversation about fairness offers the intimate story of how her life gave birth to these ideas. It is not very often that someone comes along and permanently reshapes...

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR: The TODAY Show, Vanity Fair, Financial Times, W Magazine, Oprah Daily, LibraryReads Praised as “funny and witty” by Kwame Alexander on the TODAY show, now published in the US for the first time, Fearless and Free is the memoir of the “trailblazing”...

At once incendiary and icy, mischievous and provocative, celebratory and elegiac - here is a deeply felt meditation on race, sex, and American culture through the prism of Margo Jefferson's rarefied upbringing and education among a Black elite concerned with distancing itself from Whites and the Black generality while tirelessly measuring itself against both.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE NAACP IMAGE AWARD A “gripping, revelatory” (NPR) memoir of hard-won success, struggles with addiction, and a lifelong mission to give back—from the late iconic actor beloved for his roles in The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, and Lovecraft Country...

In this award-winning Audible Studios production, Trevor Noah tells his wild coming-of-age tale during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa. It’s a story that begins with his mother throwing him from a moving van to save him from a potentially fatal dispute with gangsters, then follows the budding comedian’s path to self-discovery through episodes both poignant and comical.

The incredible life story of Haben Girma, the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School, and her amazing journey from isolation to the world stage. Haben grew up spending summers with her family in the enchanting Eritrean city of Asmara. There, she discovered courage as she faced off...

AMAZON #1 BESTSELLER! "I wasn’t born a criminal—I was born into chaos." From the gritty streets of the South Bronx during the 1970s and '80s, Ghetto Bastard is a raw, unflinching urban memoir about survival, trauma, and the search for self-worth. Russell Vann tells his true story with brutal honesty, taking readers deep into a world shaped by poverty, abandonment, and the struggles of growing up in a system that offered no safety net—but also by fierce hope. Raised without guidance and surrounded by violence, Vann navigates a reality where love is scarce and trust is dangerous. From ...