Lisa Renee Pitts

One of the most important African American leaders of the twentieth century and perhaps the most influential woman in the civil rights movement, Ella Baker (1903-1986) was an activist whose remarkable career spanned fifty years and touched thousands of lives. A gifted grassroots organizer, Baker shunned the spotlight in favor of vital behind-the-scenes work that helped power the Black freedom struggle. Making her way in predominantly male circles...

Presents a striking picture of the elements of contemporary public education that conspire against the prospects for poor children of color, creating a persistent gap in achievement during the school years that has eluded several decades of reform.

Marita Golden began her writing career with Migrations of the Heart, a memoir about living with her husband in his native Nigeria. In Migrations, Golden described how it was only with the birth of her child--a son--that she was truly respected, for in that culture males are held in the highest esteem. Ten years later, in "Saving Our Sons," Golden presents, in essence, her son's story. Having returned to the United States from Nigeria, Marita and Michael,...

"Cassie and Caitlyn Waters may be identical twins, but everything else about them is completely different. The only thing they can agree on is that neither of them is happy that they have to move to middle-of nowhere Aura, Texas. Caitlyn tries to put a positive spin on getting a fresh start, but Cassie's busy plotting how to convince their mom they should move back to the big city as quickly as possible. But being the new kids isn't their only challenge....

"In this first scholarly biography of Lorraine Hansberry (1930-1965), the author of A Raisin in the Sun, theater professor Soyica Colbert considers the playwright's life at the intersection of art and politics, with the theater operating as a 'rehearsal room for [her] political and intellectual work.' Colbert argues that the success of Raisin overshadows Hansberry's other contributions, including the writer's innovative journalism and lesser known...

Jezebel's sexual lasciviousness, Mammy's devotion, and Sapphire's outspoken anger -- these are among the most persistent stereotypes that black women encounter in contemporary American life. Hurtful and dishonest, such representations force African American women to navigate a virtual crooked room that shames them and shapes their experiences as citizens. Many respond by assuming a mantle of strength that may convince others, and even themselves,...

The story of a black girl growing up in the desperate poverty of rural Mississippi. Written without a trace of sentimentality or apology, this is an unforgettable personal story--the truth as a remarkable young woman named Anne Moody lived it. To read her book is to know what it is to have grown up black in Mississippi in the forties and fifties -- and to have survived with pride and courage intact. In this now classic autobiography, she details the...

"One woman's true story of answering God's call by opening her door and her heart to thousands of at-risk teens in one of Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods. Her story of offering kids a safe haven from gang and gun violence and a fresh start in life will inspire you to do your part in making the world a better place"--

Can't Nothing Bring Me Down is the memoir of 101-year-old, world-record-holding runner Ida Keeling. Miss Ida, as she's known throughout her Bronx community, isn't your typical runner. Her fierce independence helped her through the Depression and the Civil Rights movement. But her greatest trials were yet to come. Ida's two sons were brutally murdered. Justice was never found. Ida felt like she didn't have the strength to carry on and she couldn't...

"Harriet Tubman, freedom fighter and leader in the Underground Railroad, is one of the most significant figures in U.S. history. Her courage and determination in bringing enslaved people to freedom have established her as an icon of the abolitionist movement. But behind the history of the heroine called "Moses" was a woman of deep faith." -- Front flyleaf of paper cover.