In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency--a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Publisher's description: In recent years, America's criminal justice system has become the subject of an increasingly urgent debate. Critics have assailed the rise of mass incarceration, emphasizing its disproportionate impact on people of color. As [law professor] James Forman Jr. points out, however, the war on crime that began in the 1970s was supported by many African Americans in the nation's urban centers. In Locking Up Our Own, he seeks to...

Byron Robidoux's dreams are right in front of him for the taking. Then his close friend, and first love, Zoe Hammond comes back into his life. They never counted on their friendship igniting into something more. But when Zoe's daughter is targeted, Byron will do anything to protect them, even sacrifice his dreams for a chance at his first love.

Barack Obama made history when he became president in 2008, but his election was made possible partially by the hard work of the many African American politicians who came before him. Even before the abolition of slavery, African Americans held political office, although they have not had an easy time of it. This historical overview of black politicians in the United States enhances classroom learning by bringing to light little-known facts, supported...

Gwen Ifill began her journalism career at the Boston Herald in 1977, covering race riots by telephone. It was too risky for a young black reporter to venture onto the grounds of South Boston High School. Thirty years later, a black man announced his candidacy for president of the United States. Obama is the leading edge of a sea change in American politics, but his is by no means the only story. Ifill offers incisive, detailed profiles of other prominent...

Blackmailed into assassinating the man elected as the nation's first African American president, Vietnam veteran J.D. Cade finds himself fighting to protect his son's life as the zero hour approaches

White House correspondent April Ryan presents a vital look at women of different ages and backgrounds who devote their lives to making the world a better place, even if that means stepping out of their "place." From the inception of the nation to the present day, Black women have transformed their pain into progress and have been at the front lines of America's political, social, and economic struggles. Combining profiles and in-depth interviews...

"Kentucky state representative Charles Booker tells the improbable story of his journey from one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country to a political career forging new alliances among forgotten communities across the New South and beyond"--

The historical significance of Barack Obama's triumph in the presidential election of 2008 scarcely requires comment. Yet it contains an irony: he won a victory as an African American only by denying that he should discuss issues that target the concerns of African Americans. Obama's very success, writes Fredrick Harris, exacted a heavy cost on black politics.