BOOKSHELF - books about and by African Americans - Brief Article

Ebony, Jan, 1999

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. (Warner Books, $25), gives a comprehensive view of King's life pieced together from the civil rights legend's own words, edited by Claybourne Carson. Compiled from speeches, sermons, letters and autobiographical writings, this book presents a revealing glimpse of King's private life including his upbringing, adolescence and his courting of Coretta Scott King while it illuminates his sentiment toward historic public events such as the Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Washington and the bombing of Birmingham's Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. The first-person narrative brings King's spirit to life leaving us finally not with a larger-than-life icon, but with a man full of humor, humility and honor.

Men of Color: Fashion, History, Fundamentals (Artisan, $35), is a visual journey through the century's many faces of Black men and their singular sense of style, by Lloyd Boston. From the classic three-piece suits, ascots and fedoras of the jazz age to the baggy pants and Kangols of the hip hop era, the book shows Brothers in all their glory. Men of Color, filled with striking photographs of Black legends and insightful essays about the historical context of their apparel, is a testament to the creative spirit of Black men that shines from their hairstyles to their designer duds.

For the Love of the Game: My Story (Crown Publishers Inc., $50), looks back on the whirlwind career of Michael Jordan in vivid photographs and revealing vignettes by the Chicago basketball legend. Beginning with his days at the University of North Carolina, the book chronicles important moments in Jordan's life including the Bulls' rivalry with Detroit, the murder of his father James Jordan, his partnership with Nike, his relationship with Phil Jackson, his stint as a slugger, his role as husband and father and the future of the game in the hands of young players like Kobe Bryant. With simple eloquence, the book tells the story of how a hoopster turned into an American hero.

Truly Blessed (G.P. Putnam's Sons, $23.95), a touching memoir of a music icon's rise to stardom, his descent into self-destruction after a debilitating car accident and his ultimate redemption through reclaiming his voice, by Teddy Pendergrass.

Remembered Rapture: The Writer at Work (Henry Holt & Company, $23), a collection of essays on the writing process, by bell hooks.

Race, Gender & Rhetoric: The True State of Race and Gender Relations in Corporate America (McGraw Hill, $24.95), an analysis of race and gender issues in the workplace, by John Fernandez, Ph.D.

Moving Mountains: The Principles and Purposes of Leon H. Sullivan (Judson Press, $22), an autobiography of a man who is credited with helping end apartheid and securing jobs for nearly one million Americans, by Leon H. Sullivan.

Mordecai: The Man and His Message (Howard University Press, $21.95), a biography of Mordecai Wyatt Johnson, the first Black man to head Howard University, and his tenure that endured more than three decades, by Richard I. McKinney.

The Crisis in Black on Black (Middle Passage Press, $22), a provocative collection of essays that analyze race, gender and class relations within the Black community, by Earl Ofari Hutchinson, Ph.D.

Harnessing Anger: The Inner Discipline of Athletic Excellence (Seven Stories Press, $13.95), a memoir of a Black fencing champion, by Peter Westbrook with Tej Hazarika.

Mama Flora's Family (Scribner, $25), a novel crafted from previously unpublished work by the best-selling author of Roots, by Alex Haley and David Stevens.

The Burden of Memory, The Muse of Forgiveness (Oxford University Press, $24), a collection of essays, by Wole Soyinka.

Two Cities (Houghton Mifflin, $24), a novel, by John Edgar Wideman.

The African American Book of Values: Classic Moral Stories (Doubleday, $29.95), a treasury of writings that entertain and illuminate important moral values, edited by Steven Barboza.

The Parable of the Talents (Seven Stories Press, $24.95), a science fiction novel, by Octavia E. Butler.

Shelter: One Man's Journey from Homelessness to Hope (University of Arizona Press, $12.95), a diary of a teacher's journey into homelessness, by Bobby Burns.

Loving Me: A Sisterfriend's Guide to Being Single and Happy (Henry Holt & Company, $12.95), a motivational book, by Claudette Sims.

Project Girl (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $23), a memoir, by Janet McDonald.

The Africa Cookbook: Taste of a Continent (Simon & Schuster, $25), a collection of African recipes, by Jessica B. Harris.

"Yo, Little Brother ...": Basic Rules of Survival for Young African American Males (African American Images, $14.95), a guide to life, by Anthony Davis and Jeffrey Jackson.

Patches of Fire: A Story of War and Redemption (Anchor Books, $12.95), a memoir, by Albert French.

Chocolate Burnout (Hubbard Small Press Publications, $4.50), a novel, by Vicki L. Hubbard.

Legacy (Talking Circles Press, $16), a collection of poetry, by Ekua Omosupe.