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Topic Guide

JoCoLibrary - Race Reads - Arts & Culture

By:

RaceProjectKC

Johnson County Library

Staff-created list

Race Project KC's recommendations for books exploring race issues in the United States.

By:

RaceProjectKC

Johnson County Library

1-25 of 64 items

1-25 of 64 items

A Fool's Errand

A Fool's Errand

Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump

by Bunch, Lonnie G

Book - 2019

Founding Director Lonnie Bunch's inside story of how the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture was created. By turns inspiri...Show more Founding Director Lonnie Bunch's inside story of how the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture was created. By turns inspiring, funny, frustrating, quixotic, and bittersweet, this is his deeply personal tale of the challenges and rewards of bringing a nationally acclaimed new institution to life. Show less

Founding Director Lonnie Bunch's inside story of how the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture was created. By turns inspiri...Show more Founding Director Lonnie Bunch's inside story of how the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture was created. By turns inspiring, funny, frustrating, quixotic, and bittersweet, this is his deeply personal tale of the challenges and rewards of bringing a nationally acclaimed new institution to life. Show less

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Stay Woke

Stay Woke

A Meditation Guide for the Rest of Us

by Williams, Justin Michael

Book - 2020

An entertaining no-BS, how-to guide that ignites purposeful action driven by the clarity of meditation. It is about bringing meditation to people who are ...Show more An entertaining no-BS, how-to guide that ignites purposeful action driven by the clarity of meditation. It is about bringing meditation to people who are yearning to move up in the world -meditation for achievement driven, success-minded, upward-moving people who want to use the practice to become more connected to their mission and purpose. This book will speak to meditation in totally new contexts: impacting social justice movements, minority and LGBTQ+ related topics, and fostering self-love and self-empowerment for those marginalized by the dominant culture-- perhaps particularly the yoga and meditation movements. While the author is a gay African-American Millennial male, he speaks to anyone who has the idea that "meditation is not for me. Show less

An entertaining no-BS, how-to guide that ignites purposeful action driven by the clarity of meditation. It is about bringing meditation to people who are ...Show more An entertaining no-BS, how-to guide that ignites purposeful action driven by the clarity of meditation. It is about bringing meditation to people who are yearning to move up in the world -meditation for achievement driven, success-minded, upward-moving people who want to use the practice to become more connected to their mission and purpose. This book will speak to meditation in totally new contexts: impacting social justice movements, minority and LGBTQ+ related topics, and fostering self-love and self-empowerment for those marginalized by the dominant culture-- perhaps particularly the yoga and meditation movements. While the author is a gay African-American Millennial male, he speaks to anyone who has the idea that "meditation is not for me. Show less

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Not your White Jesus

Not your White Jesus

Following A Radical, Refugee Messiah

by Rosendahl, Sheri DiGiacinto

Book - 2018

Jesus is not white. Jesus is not American. Jesus does not want to make America great. While many of us grew up looking at gleaming portraits of Jesus with...Show more Jesus is not white. Jesus is not American. Jesus does not want to make America great. While many of us grew up looking at gleaming portraits of Jesus with blond, flowing hair and hearing sermons reaffirming that we have the answers to save a fallen world, the real Jesus,--a Middle Eastern Jew preaching radical, humble, self-emptying love--calls us to a different life. As we see oppression and hate run rampant in our nation, it's as if Christianity has lost sight of the red letters altogether. Sheri Faye Rosendahl takes a look at important social issues in our society, the responses of American Christians, and the true ways behind the red letters. Not Your White Jesus addresses the need to reexamine the true ways of Jesus that we find clearly in the red letters, enabling readers to discover what it truly means to follow the ways of Jesus in contrast to following the ways of the American Christian elite. Show less

Jesus is not white. Jesus is not American. Jesus does not want to make America great. While many of us grew up looking at gleaming portraits of Jesus with...Show more Jesus is not white. Jesus is not American. Jesus does not want to make America great. While many of us grew up looking at gleaming portraits of Jesus with blond, flowing hair and hearing sermons reaffirming that we have the answers to save a fallen world, the real Jesus,--a Middle Eastern Jew preaching radical, humble, self-emptying love--calls us to a different life. As we see oppression and hate run rampant in our nation, it's as if Christianity has lost sight of the red letters altogether. Sheri Faye Rosendahl takes a look at important social issues in our society, the responses of American Christians, and the true ways behind the red letters. Not Your White Jesus addresses the need to reexamine the true ways of Jesus that we find clearly in the red letters, enabling readers to discover what it truly means to follow the ways of Jesus in contrast to following the ways of the American Christian elite. Show less

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Mixed-race Superman

Mixed-race Superman

Keanu, Obama, and Multiracial Experience

by Harris, Will

Book - 2019

Drawing on his own personal experience and examining the way Barack Obama and Keanu Reeves have been embedded in our collective consciousness, Harris asks...Show more Drawing on his own personal experience and examining the way Barack Obama and Keanu Reeves have been embedded in our collective consciousness, Harris asks what they can teach us about race and heroism - and what it means to be of mixed race in a divided world. Show less

Drawing on his own personal experience and examining the way Barack Obama and Keanu Reeves have been embedded in our collective consciousness, Harris asks...Show more Drawing on his own personal experience and examining the way Barack Obama and Keanu Reeves have been embedded in our collective consciousness, Harris asks what they can teach us about race and heroism - and what it means to be of mixed race in a divided world. Show less

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Who We Be

Who We Be

The Colorization of America

by Chang, Jeff

Book - 2014

Race. A four-letter word. The greatest social divide in American life, a half-century ago and today. During that time, the U.S. has seen the most dramatic...Show more Race. A four-letter word. The greatest social divide in American life, a half-century ago and today. During that time, the U.S. has seen the most dramatic demographic and cultural shifts in its history, what can be called the colorization of America. But the same nation that elected its first Black president on a wave of hope--another four-letter word--is still plunged into endless culture wars. How do Americans see race now? How has that changed--and not changed--over the half-century? After eras framed by words like 'multicultural' and 'post-racial,' do we see each other any more clearly? Who We Be remixes comic strips and contemporary art, campus protests and corporate marketing campaigns, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Trayvon Martin into a powerful, unusual, and timely cultural history of the idea of racial progress. Show less

Race. A four-letter word. The greatest social divide in American life, a half-century ago and today. During that time, the U.S. has seen the most dramatic...Show more Race. A four-letter word. The greatest social divide in American life, a half-century ago and today. During that time, the U.S. has seen the most dramatic demographic and cultural shifts in its history, what can be called the colorization of America. But the same nation that elected its first Black president on a wave of hope--another four-letter word--is still plunged into endless culture wars. How do Americans see race now? How has that changed--and not changed--over the half-century? After eras framed by words like 'multicultural' and 'post-racial,' do we see each other any more clearly? Who We Be remixes comic strips and contemporary art, campus protests and corporate marketing campaigns, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Trayvon Martin into a powerful, unusual, and timely cultural history of the idea of racial progress. Show less

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The Birth of A Nation

The Birth of A Nation

How A Legendary Director and A Crusading Editor Reignited America's Civil War

by Lehr, Dick

Book - 2014

In 1915, two men--one a journalist agitator, the other a technically brilliant filmmaker--incited a public confrontation that roiled America, pitting blac...Show more In 1915, two men--one a journalist agitator, the other a technically brilliant filmmaker--incited a public confrontation that roiled America, pitting black against white, Hollywood against Boston, and free speech against civil rights. This is the fiery story of a revolutionary moment for mass media and the nascent civil rights movement, and the men clashing over the cultural and political soul of a still-young America standing at the cusp of its greatest days. Show less

In 1915, two men--one a journalist agitator, the other a technically brilliant filmmaker--incited a public confrontation that roiled America, pitting blac...Show more In 1915, two men--one a journalist agitator, the other a technically brilliant filmmaker--incited a public confrontation that roiled America, pitting black against white, Hollywood against Boston, and free speech against civil rights. This is the fiery story of a revolutionary moment for mass media and the nascent civil rights movement, and the men clashing over the cultural and political soul of a still-young America standing at the cusp of its greatest days. Show less

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Black Futures

Black Futures

Book - 2020

Black Futures is a collection of work--art, photos, essays, memes, dialogues, recipes, tweets, poetry, and more--that tells the story of the radical, imag...Show more Black Futures is a collection of work--art, photos, essays, memes, dialogues, recipes, tweets, poetry, and more--that tells the story of the radical, imaginative, bold, and beautiful world that black artists, high and low, are producing today. The book presents a succession of brilliant and provocative pieces--from both emerging and renowned creators of all kinds--that generates an entrancing rhythm: Readers will go from conversations with hackers and street artists to memes and Instagram posts, from powerful prose to dazzling paintings and insightful infographics. A generational document that captures this fast-moving generation in its own dynamic and exspansive language. While shaped in the tradition of other generational statements, from The New Negro to Black Fire to Toni Morrison's landmark The Black Book, Black Futures does not have a retrospective air. It showcases the present, but points to the future. We live at a time when black culture--whether it's created by Ava DuVernay or Donald Glover, Kendrick Lamar or Cardi B, meme-makers or YouTubers--is opening our imaginations and offering new paths forward, a multi-voiced, utopian alternative to a world of walls and white nationalism. Black Futures captures this expansive vision and energy and makes it available to any reader, of any color, who wants to explore this exciting cultural moment and see the next one coming. Show less

Black Futures is a collection of work--art, photos, essays, memes, dialogues, recipes, tweets, poetry, and more--that tells the story of the radical, imag...Show more Black Futures is a collection of work--art, photos, essays, memes, dialogues, recipes, tweets, poetry, and more--that tells the story of the radical, imaginative, bold, and beautiful world that black artists, high and low, are producing today. The book presents a succession of brilliant and provocative pieces--from both emerging and renowned creators of all kinds--that generates an entrancing rhythm: Readers will go from conversations with hackers and street artists to memes and Instagram posts, from powerful prose to dazzling paintings and insightful infographics. A generational document that captures this fast-moving generation in its own dynamic and exspansive language. While shaped in the tradition of other generational statements, from The New Negro to Black Fire to Toni Morrison's landmark The Black Book, Black Futures does not have a retrospective air. It showcases the present, but points to the future. We live at a time when black culture--whether it's created by Ava DuVernay or Donald Glover, Kendrick Lamar or Cardi B, meme-makers or YouTubers--is opening our imaginations and offering new paths forward, a multi-voiced, utopian alternative to a world of walls and white nationalism. Black Futures captures this expansive vision and energy and makes it available to any reader, of any color, who wants to explore this exciting cultural moment and see the next one coming. Show less

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Black History in Its Own Words

Black History in Its Own Words

Graphic Novel - 2017

Black History In Its Own Words started in January 2015 when Matt Bors asked me to find eight quotes and illustrate them for The Nib for February, Black Hi...Show more Black History In Its Own Words started in January 2015 when Matt Bors asked me to find eight quotes and illustrate them for The Nib for February, Black History Month. I chose quotes ranging from the casual to the profound from luminaries both past and present. I had so much fun that I did four extra. The next year, 2016, I drafted 12 more; I had a habit. Presented here are the original 24 as well as 15 new ones for 2017. Show less

Black History In Its Own Words started in January 2015 when Matt Bors asked me to find eight quotes and illustrate them for The Nib for February, Black Hi...Show more Black History In Its Own Words started in January 2015 when Matt Bors asked me to find eight quotes and illustrate them for The Nib for February, Black History Month. I chose quotes ranging from the casual to the profound from luminaries both past and present. I had so much fun that I did four extra. The next year, 2016, I drafted 12 more; I had a habit. Presented here are the original 24 as well as 15 new ones for 2017. Show less

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Surrender, White People!

Surrender, White People!

Our Unconditional Terms for Peace

by Hughley, D. L.

Book - 2020

Following-up his New York Times bestseller How Not to Get Shot, comedy legend D.L. Hughley offers satirical terms for a peace treaty between white America and the rest of humanity. Following-up his New York Times bestseller How Not to Get Shot, comedy legend D.L. Hughley offers satirical terms for a peace treaty between white America and the rest of humanity. Show less

Following-up his New York Times bestseller How Not to Get Shot, comedy legend D.L. Hughley offers satirical terms for a peace treaty between white America and the rest of humanity. Following-up his New York Times bestseller How Not to Get Shot, comedy legend D.L. Hughley offers satirical terms for a peace treaty between white America and the rest of humanity. Show less

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White Negroes

White Negroes

When Cornrows Were in Vogue ... and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation

by Jackson, Lauren Michele

Book - 2019

This book provides a cultural, political, and social survey through the most American of pastimes that continues to thrive today. With narrative, accessib...Show more This book provides a cultural, political, and social survey through the most American of pastimes that continues to thrive today. With narrative, accessible criticism, research, and popular cultural touchstones we can all recognize, I'd like to introduce readers to the black presence that holds up daily life as they know it. It is a crucial account of the people, stories, and culture that create the hilarious, crazy wonder that is life in the 21st century. It is also a wake up call. White Negroes wants to peel open still beating heart of interracial antagonism in this country and expose a form of theft that feels natural only because we are used to it. But we don't have to be. This book documents how this very old tradition shapes our society in the present in the hopes that we can imagine something better. White Negroes will transform what readers think they know about race and culture in the new millennium and open the door to a new present and future unburdened by crimes of the past. Show less

This book provides a cultural, political, and social survey through the most American of pastimes that continues to thrive today. With narrative, accessib...Show more This book provides a cultural, political, and social survey through the most American of pastimes that continues to thrive today. With narrative, accessible criticism, research, and popular cultural touchstones we can all recognize, I'd like to introduce readers to the black presence that holds up daily life as they know it. It is a crucial account of the people, stories, and culture that create the hilarious, crazy wonder that is life in the 21st century. It is also a wake up call. White Negroes wants to peel open still beating heart of interracial antagonism in this country and expose a form of theft that feels natural only because we are used to it. But we don't have to be. This book documents how this very old tradition shapes our society in the present in the hopes that we can imagine something better. White Negroes will transform what readers think they know about race and culture in the new millennium and open the door to a new present and future unburdened by crimes of the past. Show less

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Full Dissidence

Full Dissidence

Notes From An Uneven Playing Field

by Bryant, Howard

Book - 2020

Full Dissidence is a collection of essays focusing on the corporate assault on civil liberties, collisions of race and identity, and the kleptocracy of th...Show more Full Dissidence is a collection of essays focusing on the corporate assault on civil liberties, collisions of race and identity, and the kleptocracy of the Trump White House has forced America to ask itself if its beliefs of freedom and democracy are more than just words. Show less

Full Dissidence is a collection of essays focusing on the corporate assault on civil liberties, collisions of race and identity, and the kleptocracy of th...Show more Full Dissidence is a collection of essays focusing on the corporate assault on civil liberties, collisions of race and identity, and the kleptocracy of the Trump White House has forced America to ask itself if its beliefs of freedom and democracy are more than just words. Show less

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Move on up

Move on up

Chicago Soul Music and Black Cultural Power

by Cohen, Aaron

Book - 2019

Chicago's place in the history of soul music is rock solid. But for Chicagoans, soul music in its heyday from the 1960s to the 1980s was more than just a ...Show more Chicago's place in the history of soul music is rock solid. But for Chicagoans, soul music in its heyday from the 1960s to the 1980s was more than just a series of hits: it was a marker and a source of black empowerment. In Move On Up , Aaron Cohen tells the remarkable story of the explosion of soul music in Chicago. Together, soul music and black-owned businesses thrived. Record producers and song-writers broadcast optimism for black America's future through their sophisticated, jazz-inspired productions for the Dells and many others. Curtis Mayfield boldly sang of uplift with unmistakable grooves like "We're a Winner" and "I Plan to Stay a Believer." Musicians like Phil Cohran and the Pharaohs used their music to voice Afrocentric philosophies that challenged racism and segregation, while Maurice White of Earth, Wind, and Fire and Chaka Khan created music that inspired black consciousness. Soul music also accompanied the rise of African American advertisers and the campaign of Chicago's first black mayor, Harold Washington, in 1983. This empowerment was set in stark relief by the social unrest roiling in Chicago and across the nation: as Chicago's homegrown record labels produced rising stars singing songs of progress and freedom, Chicago's black middle class faced limited economic opportunities and deep-seated segregation, all against a backdrop of nationwide deindustrialization. Show less

Chicago's place in the history of soul music is rock solid. But for Chicagoans, soul music in its heyday from the 1960s to the 1980s was more than just a ...Show more Chicago's place in the history of soul music is rock solid. But for Chicagoans, soul music in its heyday from the 1960s to the 1980s was more than just a series of hits: it was a marker and a source of black empowerment. In Move On Up , Aaron Cohen tells the remarkable story of the explosion of soul music in Chicago. Together, soul music and black-owned businesses thrived. Record producers and song-writers broadcast optimism for black America's future through their sophisticated, jazz-inspired productions for the Dells and many others. Curtis Mayfield boldly sang of uplift with unmistakable grooves like "We're a Winner" and "I Plan to Stay a Believer." Musicians like Phil Cohran and the Pharaohs used their music to voice Afrocentric philosophies that challenged racism and segregation, while Maurice White of Earth, Wind, and Fire and Chaka Khan created music that inspired black consciousness. Soul music also accompanied the rise of African American advertisers and the campaign of Chicago's first black mayor, Harold Washington, in 1983. This empowerment was set in stark relief by the social unrest roiling in Chicago and across the nation: as Chicago's homegrown record labels produced rising stars singing songs of progress and freedom, Chicago's black middle class faced limited economic opportunities and deep-seated segregation, all against a backdrop of nationwide deindustrialization. Show less

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Rap on Trial

Rap on Trial

Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America

by Nielson, Erik

Book - 2019

A groundbreaking exposé about the alarming use of rap lyrics as criminal evidence to convict and incarcerate young men of color. A groundbreaking exposé about the alarming use of rap lyrics as criminal evidence to convict and incarcerate young men of color. Show less

A groundbreaking exposé about the alarming use of rap lyrics as criminal evidence to convict and incarcerate young men of color. A groundbreaking exposé about the alarming use of rap lyrics as criminal evidence to convict and incarcerate young men of color. Show less

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The Toni Morrison Book Club

The Toni Morrison Book Club

by Bennett, Juda

Book - 2020

What is a book club but an excuse to talk to friends? The Toni Morrison Book Club brings that experience to life by telling the story of four friends who ...Show more What is a book club but an excuse to talk to friends? The Toni Morrison Book Club brings that experience to life by telling the story of four friends who turn to Toni Morrison as they search for meaning in their lives. In this startling group memoir, the writers--black and white, gay and straight, immigrant and American born--allow Morrison's words, like music, to make them feel, confess, and discover. The result is a collection of deeply personal conversations about everything from first love to Soul Train to police brutality, all told with an ever present lens on race in America. Not shying away from controversies, this book offers a radically new way to envision book clubs as a healing force in our lives. So pull up a chair and pour yourself a much needed glass of wine, as you get ready to experience the messy differences, surprising revelations, and restorative power of The Toni Morrison Book Club. Show less

What is a book club but an excuse to talk to friends? The Toni Morrison Book Club brings that experience to life by telling the story of four friends who ...Show more What is a book club but an excuse to talk to friends? The Toni Morrison Book Club brings that experience to life by telling the story of four friends who turn to Toni Morrison as they search for meaning in their lives. In this startling group memoir, the writers--black and white, gay and straight, immigrant and American born--allow Morrison's words, like music, to make them feel, confess, and discover. The result is a collection of deeply personal conversations about everything from first love to Soul Train to police brutality, all told with an ever present lens on race in America. Not shying away from controversies, this book offers a radically new way to envision book clubs as a healing force in our lives. So pull up a chair and pour yourself a much needed glass of wine, as you get ready to experience the messy differences, surprising revelations, and restorative power of The Toni Morrison Book Club. Show less

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Twisted

Twisted

The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture

by Dabiri, Emma

Book - 2020

Despite increasingly liberal world views, black hair continues to be erased, appropriated, and stigmatized to the point of taboo. Through her personal and...Show more Despite increasingly liberal world views, black hair continues to be erased, appropriated, and stigmatized to the point of taboo. Through her personal and historical journey, Dabiri gleans insights into the way racism is coded in society's perception of black hair--and how it is often used as an avenue for discrimination. Dabiri takes us from pre-colonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, and into today's Natural Hair Movement, exploring everything from women's solidarity and friendship, to the criminalization of dreadlocks, to the dubious provenance of Kim Kardashian's braids. Through the lens of hair texture, Dabiri leads us on a historical and cultural investigation of the global history of racism--and her own personal journey of self-love and finally, acceptance. Deeply researched and powerfully resonant, Twisted proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and, ultimately, liberation. Show less

Despite increasingly liberal world views, black hair continues to be erased, appropriated, and stigmatized to the point of taboo. Through her personal and...Show more Despite increasingly liberal world views, black hair continues to be erased, appropriated, and stigmatized to the point of taboo. Through her personal and historical journey, Dabiri gleans insights into the way racism is coded in society's perception of black hair--and how it is often used as an avenue for discrimination. Dabiri takes us from pre-colonial Africa, through the Harlem Renaissance, and into today's Natural Hair Movement, exploring everything from women's solidarity and friendship, to the criminalization of dreadlocks, to the dubious provenance of Kim Kardashian's braids. Through the lens of hair texture, Dabiri leads us on a historical and cultural investigation of the global history of racism--and her own personal journey of self-love and finally, acceptance. Deeply researched and powerfully resonant, Twisted proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and, ultimately, liberation. Show less

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Getting What We Need Ourselves

Getting What We Need Ourselves

How Food Has Shaped African American Life

by Wallach, Jennifer Jensen

Book - 2019

Traces the history of African American food habits from West African origins through the twenty-first century, offering a unique set of insights into the ...Show more Traces the history of African American food habits from West African origins through the twenty-first century, offering a unique set of insights into the daily concerns of black people in the US. The book demonstrates that from capture and enslavement through emancipation, the civil rights movement, and beyond, African American have embraced an understanding of the importance of food that goes beyond merely having enough to eat. Show less

Traces the history of African American food habits from West African origins through the twenty-first century, offering a unique set of insights into the ...Show more Traces the history of African American food habits from West African origins through the twenty-first century, offering a unique set of insights into the daily concerns of black people in the US. The book demonstrates that from capture and enslavement through emancipation, the civil rights movement, and beyond, African American have embraced an understanding of the importance of food that goes beyond merely having enough to eat. Show less

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Bound to the Fire

Bound to the Fire

How Virginia's Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine

by Deetz, Kelley Fanto

Book - 2017

Kelley Fanto Deetz draws upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records, and folklore to present a nuanced study of the lives of enslaved pla...Show more Kelley Fanto Deetz draws upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records, and folklore to present a nuanced study of the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation and beyond. She reveals how these men and women were literally 'bound to the fire' as they lived and worked in the sweltering and often fetid conditions of plantation house kitchens. These highly skilled cooks drew upon skills and ingredients brought with them from their African homelands to create complex, labor-intensive dishes such as oyster stew, gumbo, and fried fish. However, their white owners overwhelmingly received the credit for their creations. Show less

Kelley Fanto Deetz draws upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records, and folklore to present a nuanced study of the lives of enslaved pla...Show more Kelley Fanto Deetz draws upon archaeological evidence, cookbooks, plantation records, and folklore to present a nuanced study of the lives of enslaved plantation cooks from colonial times through emancipation and beyond. She reveals how these men and women were literally 'bound to the fire' as they lived and worked in the sweltering and often fetid conditions of plantation house kitchens. These highly skilled cooks drew upon skills and ingredients brought with them from their African homelands to create complex, labor-intensive dishes such as oyster stew, gumbo, and fried fish. However, their white owners overwhelmingly received the credit for their creations. Show less

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High on the Hog

High on the Hog

A Culinary Journey From Africa to America

by Harris, Jessica B.

Book - 2011

Acclaimed cookbook author Jessica B. Harris has spent much of her life researching the food and foodways of the African Diaspora. High on the Hog is the c...Show more Acclaimed cookbook author Jessica B. Harris has spent much of her life researching the food and foodways of the African Diaspora. High on the Hog is the culmination of years of her work, and the result is a most engaging history of African American cuisine. Harris takes the reader on a harrowing journey from Africa across the Atlantic to America, tracking the trials that the people and the food have undergone along the way. From chitlins and ham hocks to fried chicken and vegan soul, Harris celebrates the delicious and restorative foods of the African American experience and details how each came to form such an important part of African American culture, history, and identity. Although the story of African cuisine in America begins with slavery, High on the Hog ultimately chronicles a thrilling history of triumph and survival. The work of a masterful storyteller and an acclaimed scholar, Jessica B. Harris's High on the Hog fills an important gap in our culinary history. Show less

Acclaimed cookbook author Jessica B. Harris has spent much of her life researching the food and foodways of the African Diaspora. High on the Hog is the c...Show more Acclaimed cookbook author Jessica B. Harris has spent much of her life researching the food and foodways of the African Diaspora. High on the Hog is the culmination of years of her work, and the result is a most engaging history of African American cuisine. Harris takes the reader on a harrowing journey from Africa across the Atlantic to America, tracking the trials that the people and the food have undergone along the way. From chitlins and ham hocks to fried chicken and vegan soul, Harris celebrates the delicious and restorative foods of the African American experience and details how each came to form such an important part of African American culture, history, and identity. Although the story of African cuisine in America begins with slavery, High on the Hog ultimately chronicles a thrilling history of triumph and survival. The work of a masterful storyteller and an acclaimed scholar, Jessica B. Harris's High on the Hog fills an important gap in our culinary history. Show less

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The Rise

The Rise

Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food

by Samuelsson, Marcus

Book - 2020

It is long past time to recognize Black excellence in the culinary world the same way it has been celebrated in the worlds of music, sports, literature, f...Show more It is long past time to recognize Black excellence in the culinary world the same way it has been celebrated in the worlds of music, sports, literature, film, and the arts. Black cooks and creators have led American culture forward with indelible contributions of artistry and ingenuity from the start, but Black authorship has been consistently erased from the story of American food. Now, in The Rise, chef, author, and television star Marcus Samuelsson gathers together an unforgettable feast of food, culture, and history to highlight the diverse deliciousness of Black cooking today. Driven by a desire to fight against bias, reclaim Black culinary traditions, and energize a new generation of cooks, Marcus shares his own journey alongside 150 recipes in honor of dozens of top chefs, writers, and activists--with stories exploring their creativity and influence. Show less

It is long past time to recognize Black excellence in the culinary world the same way it has been celebrated in the worlds of music, sports, literature, f...Show more It is long past time to recognize Black excellence in the culinary world the same way it has been celebrated in the worlds of music, sports, literature, film, and the arts. Black cooks and creators have led American culture forward with indelible contributions of artistry and ingenuity from the start, but Black authorship has been consistently erased from the story of American food. Now, in The Rise, chef, author, and television star Marcus Samuelsson gathers together an unforgettable feast of food, culture, and history to highlight the diverse deliciousness of Black cooking today. Driven by a desire to fight against bias, reclaim Black culinary traditions, and energize a new generation of cooks, Marcus shares his own journey alongside 150 recipes in honor of dozens of top chefs, writers, and activists--with stories exploring their creativity and influence. Show less

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The Jemima Code

The Jemima Code

Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks

by Tipton-Martin, Toni

Book - 2015

Women of African descent have contributed to America's food culture for centuries, but their rich and varied involvement is still overshadowed by the deme...Show more Women of African descent have contributed to America's food culture for centuries, but their rich and varied involvement is still overshadowed by the demeaning stereotype of an illiterate Aunt Jemima who cooked mostly by natural instinct. To discover the true role of black women in the creation of American, and especially southern, cuisine, Toni Tipton-Martin has spent years amassing one of the world's largest private collections of cookbooks published by African American authors, looking for evidence of their impact on American food, families, and communities and for ways we might use that knowledge to inspire community wellness of every kind. The Jemima Code presents more than 150 black cookbooks that range from a rare 1827 house servant's manual, the first book published by an African American in the trade, to modern classics by authors such as Edna Lewis and Vertamae Grosvenor. The books are arranged chronologically and illustrated with photos of their covers; many also display selected interior pages, including recipes. Tipton-Martin provides notes on the authors and their contributions and the significance of each book, while her chapter introductions summarize the cultural history reflected in the books that follow. These cookbooks offer firsthand evidence that African Americans cooked creative masterpieces from meager provisions, educated young chefs, operated food businesses, and nourished the African American community through the long struggle for human rights. The Jemima Code transforms America's most maligned kitchen servant into an inspirational and powerful model of culinary wisdom and cultural authority. Show less

Women of African descent have contributed to America's food culture for centuries, but their rich and varied involvement is still overshadowed by the deme...Show more Women of African descent have contributed to America's food culture for centuries, but their rich and varied involvement is still overshadowed by the demeaning stereotype of an illiterate Aunt Jemima who cooked mostly by natural instinct. To discover the true role of black women in the creation of American, and especially southern, cuisine, Toni Tipton-Martin has spent years amassing one of the world's largest private collections of cookbooks published by African American authors, looking for evidence of their impact on American food, families, and communities and for ways we might use that knowledge to inspire community wellness of every kind. The Jemima Code presents more than 150 black cookbooks that range from a rare 1827 house servant's manual, the first book published by an African American in the trade, to modern classics by authors such as Edna Lewis and Vertamae Grosvenor. The books are arranged chronologically and illustrated with photos of their covers; many also display selected interior pages, including recipes. Tipton-Martin provides notes on the authors and their contributions and the significance of each book, while her chapter introductions summarize the cultural history reflected in the books that follow. These cookbooks offer firsthand evidence that African Americans cooked creative masterpieces from meager provisions, educated young chefs, operated food businesses, and nourished the African American community through the long struggle for human rights. The Jemima Code transforms America's most maligned kitchen servant into an inspirational and powerful model of culinary wisdom and cultural authority. Show less

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Black Smoke

Black Smoke

African Americans and the United States of Barbecue

by Miller, Adrian

Book - 2021

Across America, the pure love and popularity of barbecue cookery has gone through the roof. Prepared in one regional style or another, in the South and be...Show more Across America, the pure love and popularity of barbecue cookery has gone through the roof. Prepared in one regional style or another, in the South and beyond, barbecue is one of the nation's most distinctive culinary arts. And people aren't just eating it; they're also reading books and articles and watching TV shows about it. But why is it, asks Adrian Miller--admitted 'cuehead and longtime certified barbecue judge--that in today's barbecue culture African Americans don't get much love? In Black Smoke, Miller chronicles how Black barbecuers, pitmasters, and restaurateurs helped develop this cornerstone of American foodways and how they are coming into their own today. Show less

Across America, the pure love and popularity of barbecue cookery has gone through the roof. Prepared in one regional style or another, in the South and be...Show more Across America, the pure love and popularity of barbecue cookery has gone through the roof. Prepared in one regional style or another, in the South and beyond, barbecue is one of the nation's most distinctive culinary arts. And people aren't just eating it; they're also reading books and articles and watching TV shows about it. But why is it, asks Adrian Miller--admitted 'cuehead and longtime certified barbecue judge--that in today's barbecue culture African Americans don't get much love? In Black Smoke, Miller chronicles how Black barbecuers, pitmasters, and restaurateurs helped develop this cornerstone of American foodways and how they are coming into their own today. Show less

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I Too Sing America

I Too Sing America

The Harlem Renaissance at 100

by Haygood, Wil

Book - 2018

I Too Sing America' celebrates the visual art and material culture of the Harlem Renaissance, illuminating the lives of its people, the art, the literatur...Show more I Too Sing America' celebrates the visual art and material culture of the Harlem Renaissance, illuminating the lives of its people, the art, the literature, the music, and the social history through paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, and contemporary documents and ephemera. Included are works by cherished artists such as James Van Der Zee, William Henry Johnson, Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Archibald Motley, Palmer Hayden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Romare Bearden. The project is the culmination of decades of reflection, research, and scholarship by Wil Haygood, acclaimed biographer and preeminent scholar on Harlem and its cultural history. In thematic chapters, the author captures the range and breadth of the Harlem Renaissance, a sweeping creative movement that saw an astonishing array of black writers, artists, and musicians gather over a period of a few intense years, expanding far beyond its roots in Harlem to unleash a myriad of talents on the nation. Show less

I Too Sing America' celebrates the visual art and material culture of the Harlem Renaissance, illuminating the lives of its people, the art, the literatur...Show more I Too Sing America' celebrates the visual art and material culture of the Harlem Renaissance, illuminating the lives of its people, the art, the literature, the music, and the social history through paintings, prints, photography, sculpture, and contemporary documents and ephemera. Included are works by cherished artists such as James Van Der Zee, William Henry Johnson, Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, Archibald Motley, Palmer Hayden, Elizabeth Catlett, and Romare Bearden. The project is the culmination of decades of reflection, research, and scholarship by Wil Haygood, acclaimed biographer and preeminent scholar on Harlem and its cultural history. In thematic chapters, the author captures the range and breadth of the Harlem Renaissance, a sweeping creative movement that saw an astonishing array of black writers, artists, and musicians gather over a period of a few intense years, expanding far beyond its roots in Harlem to unleash a myriad of talents on the nation. Show less

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Colored Pictures

Colored Pictures

Race and Visual Representation

by Harris, Michael D.

Book - 2003

In this book, artist and art historian Michael Harris investigates the role of visual representation in the construction of black identities, both real an...Show more In this book, artist and art historian Michael Harris investigates the role of visual representation in the construction of black identities, both real and imagined, in the United States. He focuses particularly on how African American artists have responded to--and even used--stereotypical images in their own works. Show less

In this book, artist and art historian Michael Harris investigates the role of visual representation in the construction of black identities, both real an...Show more In this book, artist and art historian Michael Harris investigates the role of visual representation in the construction of black identities, both real and imagined, in the United States. He focuses particularly on how African American artists have responded to--and even used--stereotypical images in their own works. Show less

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The Image of the Black in African and Asian Art

The Image of the Black in African and Asian Art

Book - 2017

The book moves beyond the "West", that is to say Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean, to consider the art of Africa and the world to the east...Show more The book moves beyond the "West", that is to say Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean, to consider the art of Africa and the world to the east, to represent and place in historical context images of people of sub-Saharan African descent. The question remains: what does it mean for an artist of African descent to make an image of him or herself, or another person of African descent, as opposed to an image of a Black person created by an artist who is not Black? This vexed question has been at the heart of debates about "identity politics" for a very long time. Show less

The book moves beyond the "West", that is to say Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean, to consider the art of Africa and the world to the east...Show more The book moves beyond the "West", that is to say Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean, to consider the art of Africa and the world to the east, to represent and place in historical context images of people of sub-Saharan African descent. The question remains: what does it mean for an artist of African descent to make an image of him or herself, or another person of African descent, as opposed to an image of a Black person created by an artist who is not Black? This vexed question has been at the heart of debates about "identity politics" for a very long time. Show less

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30 Americans

30 Americans

Rubell Museum

by Rubell Family Collection

Book - 2017

Nationally celebrated as one of the most important exhibitions of contemporary art in the United States within the last decade, 30 Americans showcases an ...Show more Nationally celebrated as one of the most important exhibitions of contemporary art in the United States within the last decade, 30 Americans showcases an influential group of prominent African American artists who have emerged as leading contributors to the contemporary art scene in the US and beyond. The exhibition and accompanying catalog explores the evolving roles of black subjects in art since the 1970s and highlights some of the most pressing social and political issues facing our country today, including ongoing narratives of racial inequality; the construction of racial, gender and sexual identity; and the pernicious underpinnings and effects of stereotyping. Many of the artists in this exhibition interrogate how African Americans are represented, politicized and contested in the arts, media and popular culture. Several are driven by the exclusion of black subjects in art throughout much of history and celebrate and glorify black subjects through pictorial traditions including genre painting and portraiture. Show less

Nationally celebrated as one of the most important exhibitions of contemporary art in the United States within the last decade, 30 Americans showcases an ...Show more Nationally celebrated as one of the most important exhibitions of contemporary art in the United States within the last decade, 30 Americans showcases an influential group of prominent African American artists who have emerged as leading contributors to the contemporary art scene in the US and beyond. The exhibition and accompanying catalog explores the evolving roles of black subjects in art since the 1970s and highlights some of the most pressing social and political issues facing our country today, including ongoing narratives of racial inequality; the construction of racial, gender and sexual identity; and the pernicious underpinnings and effects of stereotyping. Many of the artists in this exhibition interrogate how African Americans are represented, politicized and contested in the arts, media and popular culture. Several are driven by the exclusion of black subjects in art throughout much of history and celebrate and glorify black subjects through pictorial traditions including genre painting and portraiture. Show less

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