A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.

    The great scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, once wrote about the Problem of race in America, and what he called “Double Consciousness,” a sensitivity that every African American possesses in order to survive. Since childhood, Ailey Pearl Garfield has understood Du Bois’s words all too well. Bearing the names of two formidable Black Americans—the revered choreographer Alvin Ailey and her great grandmother Pearl, the descendant of enslaved Georgians and tenant farmers—Ailey carries Du Bois’s Problem on her shoulders.Ailey is reared in the north in the City but spends summers in the small Georgia town of Chicasetta, where her mother’s family has lived since their ancestors arrived from Africa in bondage. From an early age, Ailey fights a battle for belonging that’s made all the more difficult by a hovering trauma, as well as the whispers of women—her mother, Belle, her sister, Lydia, and a maternal line reaching back two centuries—that urge Ailey to succeed in their stead.To come to terms with her own identity, Ailey embarks on a journey through her family’s past, uncovering the shocking tales of generations of ancestors—Indigenous, Black, and white—in the deep South. In doing so Ailey must learn to embrace her full heritage, a legacy of oppression and resistance, bondage and independence, cruelty and resilience that is the story—and the song—of America itself.

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    She knew that Red would always be there for her and would do anything to make sure she wanted for nothing. His love was unconditional. Red promised Gabrielle the world but couldn’t promise that he’d be in it forever.They say it’s better to have loved than not loved at all but Gabrielle looked at life differently. Instead of dealing and then healing from what happened to Red, Gabrielle ran away from everything and everyone that reminded her of her first love.One treacherous event lands Gabrielle crossing paths with the infamous Chance “Pressure” Davis. Even though Pressure reminded Gabrielle of everything she lost, for the life of her, she couldn’t run from him. Did she really want to? In the streets, Pressure is the man and he’s quickly trying to be the man in Gabrielle’s life too.The only thing standing in the way is the undying love Gabrielle has for Red. Pressure has never felt for anybody the way he does for Gabrielle but he’s not willing to live in the shadows of or compete with a dead man.Sometimes people come into your life for a reason or a season and soon, Pressure will realize that it’s either go big or go home. After dealing with a headstrong and stubborn woman like Gabrielle, he just might choose to go home. On the other hand, Gabrielle will too soon find out that sometimes a gangsta's heart ain’t worth healing

    After a two-year relationship filled with more heartbreak than happiness, she is starting over. When she meets handsome, suave, single father, Simeon "Sime" Cartwright, she has no idea that her life is about to change forever. Their romance is one for the ages, but nothing worth having comes easy and Ari is paying the ultimate price. Her world is slowly crashing all around her as she clings to Sime for love, comfort, and safety.Simeon Cartwright is a former street dude turned businessman and single father. His life revolves around work, his family, and his six-year-old daughter. Single since his baby mama ran off six years ago, Sime is instantly intrigued by the green-eyed beauty who comes with more than a little bit of baggage. While dealing with Ari’s drama he has a bit of drama of his own with the unexpected return of his estranged baby mama.From baby mama drama to a deranged ex and murder, Ari and Sime fight to overcome everything thrown at them, all while trying to remain true to each other. Will they be able to make it and live happily ever after, or will they fold under the weight of the world on their shoulders?

    

    

    

    

    

    Her experience with men is one that has never surpassed the bedroom. She has become accustomed to being used for what she possesses between her thighs. While she watches her best friend find love with the man of her dreams, she longs for a love all her own. Plagued by past trauma, hurt, and insecurities, she has concluded that it just may not be in the cards for her. Deeming herself unworthy, she has settled for simply having her needs met, that is, until she meets the man who would challenge her very existence.Cody Parrish has just returned home from a two-year deployment and is eager to get back to his roots. Single for the last five years, he is open to the dating scene. A reunion with two of his best friends throws him in the pathway of a beautiful, vibrant, and sassy woman who captures his attention like no other. Though their initial meeting ends on a sour note, he cannot deny her captivating presence. When they cross paths a short time later, he asks her out in an attempt to make up for their first impressions of each other.While Julissa is a tough cookie, Cody is dead set on breaking down every defense she has. Will she give in and finally allow herself to experience the love she longs for, or will her past continue to deprive her of what she rightfully deserves? *** This book should be read in this order: Pretty Caged Bird, Tame Me, With Everything In Me***

    

    He has one job left, then his debts will be paid, and his loyalty will only be to himself. When he gets to his last job and finds a damsel in distress, he chooses to prioritize her life over his freedom… and only time will tell if it costs him his life.In the streets of Memphis, Joy Dixon is known as Trouble. Trouble has seemed to follow her and her mother all the days of her life. The night Joy thinks her life is about to end, she’s rescued by Caliber. Used to men expecting a lot of something for nothing, Joy expects Caliber to demand the world. It catches her by surprise when he doesn’t ask for anything in return. In fact, he only offers to keep her safe. When she finds out exactly who he is, Joy embarks upon the hard journey of trusting and finding solace in her gangster… the gentleman.

    The lifestyle of the rich and wealthy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, at least not for Amina. She would gladly trade in her ball gowns, fancy dinners, and arranged marriage for a pair of sweats, movie nights with her best friend, and a man that she can love at her own free will. But having a mother as controlling as Winnie Coltrain proves that even the simplest of dreams don’t come true without a fight. Will she conform to what is expected of her, or does she fight for her right to live a life she chooses?Gray Porter is a hometown barber whose main concern in life is taking care of his mother and siblings. After his father dies tragically when he is sixteen, he takes it upon himself to fill his shoes. Years later, his mother is dating, and his siblings are almost grown, leaving Gray to finally live life for himself. When he falls for Amina, his world is turned upside down in more ways than one. Will the woman who became the love of his life be the reason he loses everything?

    

    

    

    

    It kick-started Kareem’s interest in a rich history erased by white educators. It also sparked his activism. During these years, as Kareem struggled with racism, visibility, and justice, his father’s presence loomed large with purpose. He was a Black cop weathering a complicated conflict of loyalties during the most tumultuous civil rights upheaval the country had ever been through. Now, at a time when his powerful voice is needed the most, Kareem shares his unique perspective from the front lines of sixty years of social change, not just as an activist, but as a son, an athlete, a writer, and a Black man in America.

    The second time it was supposed to be a business transaction. That was it … just business. But it ended up being something way more than that. It was souls mating. Energy. Yeah, that’s how I would describe it. Two creatives drawn to each other on an indescribable level. One that shifted the foundation that I stood firmly on top of. After what I had gone through, my focus was on building empires and taking care of my amazing baby boy. I didn’t want to say that I was at the point where I had sworn off men—but I guess you could say that I was at the point where I had sworn off men. Somehow, though, the universe knew what she was doing, because this man that I got...But then, there’s the one I had—or should I say, the one that was for the streets. You remember him, right? Percy. Well, he’s all in his feelings.You know what’s crazy to me?How bent out of shape men get when the shoe is on the other foot. They talk reckless, they throw tantrums, try to paint us as hoes. Never owning up to the fact that if they hadn’t fucked up a good thing, they wouldn’t have shit to worry about. The formula is simple. Act right and you never have to tap into all those emotions. With everything he did, you’d think he would just accept defeat, and gone about his business.But nah, he had to go and do the unthinkable.And it’s not just him either. Seems other individuals feel like they want to be up in business that doesn’t pay them. I’m just trying to live my life... my new life; be problem, and drama free. But you can’t go around trying to cause problems for other people’s lives and expect it not to come to your front door to collect.I guess we’ll just let the consequences begin…

    

    But the child of Delia and Justice from "Justice’s Rose", Liam knows exactly what love is supposed to look like; he won’t accept anything less. Since he assumes the only people interested in him are groupies looking for the next come up, Liam chooses not to date any particular woman; he just dips his feet in the pool never committing to the waves. All that changes when he meets Kree. But is his hidden baggage going to be the end of their love? Or even worse... will it cost them their lives?Kree is a young single mother who's just trying to raise her daughter; the last thing Kree is interested in is another meaningless relationship. Praying for a new beginning, she picks up her daughter and moves from Georgia to North Carolina. Because of her past, Kree’s perception on love is tainted. Will Liam be able to work past all of Kree’s insecurities to show her how he really feels?Find out what happens on the playing field of love.

    

    Will he leave her stranded in the middle of a scorching heatwave that sets South Florida ablaze instead? Or will she get her act together so they can create one of their own?

    With both of them being prominent, successful lawyers, she followed in their footsteps and set out to create a name just for herself. Her career has been the forefront of her life, coming before everything, including her once upon a time longtime friend and lover, Emerald Hampton. Their relationship suffered long ago due to her commitment to school and her career and his rising music stardom. Years have passed and Emerald has returned to claim the woman that was always supposed to be his. However, confronting old feelings means confronting old secrets.Emerald Hampton also known professionally as GEM has had success all over the world with his beautiful vocals. Even with all of his fame and fortune, he still feels like something is missing from his life. That something is Rhyon Capers, the woman he has loved since he was eight years old. After taking some time off from the industry, he ventures home to get his woman. While he knew he would not receive the warmest of welcomes from her, he was prepared to go put in work to make her his again. Will they be able to work through the dormant feelings and past secrets to rekindle a lost love, or will they have to accept that their time has passed?

    “You’re a big boy now,” Granny says. “Time for you to learn.”At Granny’s, Sunday isn’t Sunday without a big family gathering over a lovingly prepared meal. Old enough now, our narrator is finally invited to help cook the dishes for the first time: He joins Granny in grating the cheese, cleaning the greens, and priming the meat for Roscoe Ray’s grill. But just when Granny says they’re finished, her grandson makes his own contribution, sweetening this Sunday gathering—and the many more to come.

    

    

    With lyrical text by bestselling author Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and images by Regis and Kahran Bethencourt—the team behind CreativeSoul Photography—each page of The Me I Choose To Be is an immersive call for self-love and highlights the inherent beauty of all Black and brown children.

    This is a short collection of poetry from the pen and mind of Nyles Adams, most of which originally appeared in other Alexandria House works.Read, absorb and snap your fingers if you are so inclined.

    

       Beginning in Africa before 1619, Your Legacy presents an unprecedentedly accessible, empowering, and proud introduction to African American history for children. While your ancestors’ freedom was taken from them, their spirit was not; this book celebrates their accomplishments, acknowledges their sacrifices, and defines how they are remembered—and how their stories should be taught.

    

    

    

    

    With no significant other or children, work and her friends are her main priorities. Breelyn and Rae, her friends, notice that she needs a break and sends her on the vacation of her life.West Miller is the epitome of a bachelor. Handsome and financially fit, he takes vacations often to his favorite resort. While he’s out, he spots a beauty wandering around, and she steals his attention.A spontaneous meeting leads Logan and West to have a heated encounter, scorching Logan. Though enjoying their time together, it all comes to a cold end. Will Logan be able to keep her flame?

    

    That is until a Hunter named Devana Okar entered his life with visions of rogue wolves and with the scent that she is his MATE.Dax wasn’t expecting the True Alpha of all Wolves to come to him with a mission involving working with a Hunter. A mission to stop a rogue wolf from killing other Alpha’s and taking control of their packs. Being an Alpha himself, he knew it was a matter of time before this rogue Alpha would be at his doorstep. What made finding this rogue more dangerous were the visions of this wolf working with something evil. The only time a Hunter gets involved in matters that belonged to the pack is if the problem had anything to do with demons. Dax had to protect his pack from what was coming and come to terms with Devana, a Hunter, who is his MATE.Devana has had visions of evil all of her life that affect anyone that she is close to. Her visions always had something to do with a Hunter and a demon, which helped her fellow Hunters fight against evil. Until one night, Devana dreamt of a smokey gray wolf whose eyes glowed the deepest crimson as he slaughtered an Alpha along with his entire pack. Devana saw pack after pack that would be targeted if she didn’t stop her vision from happening. She knew once her eyes opened that she would have to call a meeting with the top Alpha of all, Quinn Savir. Devana wasn’t expecting that her call would be answered. When the call was answered, she didn’t expect to work with Daxton Rayne, the white wolf with the violet eyes whose pack would be victims of this possessed rogue wolf. Devana, along with every other Hunter, knew exactly how much Dax and other shifters hated their kind.When Devana and Dax came face to face, everything changed with just one word. MATE.Will Dax manage to put aside his hatred for Hunters to be able to claim his mate?Can Devana finally let herself get close to someone who may be able to handle the gifts she comes with?How will Dax and Devana keep his pack and all wolf shifters safe from a demon-possessed wolf?

    

    

    It reaches back across a century, with Rebecca West’s classic account of a 1947 lynching trial and James Baldwin’s “Letter from a Region in My Mind” (which later formed the basis of The Fire Next Time), and yet it also explores our current moment, from the classroom to the prison cell and the upheavals of what Jelani Cobb calls “the American Spring”. Bringing together reporting, profiles, memoir, and criticism from writers such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Elizabeth Alexander, Hilton Als, Vinson Cunningham, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Malcolm Gladwell, Jamaica Kincaid, Kelefa Sanneh, Doreen St. Félix, and others, the collection offers startling insights about this country’s relationship with race. The Matter of Black Lives reveals the weight of a singular history and challenges us to envision the future anew.

    Can he remember in time to prevent disaster? Haunted by the ghosts of his childhood, Dustin doesn’t understand why he is so disconnected to the world. His mother suggests he may find answers by studying their family’s past, which takes him back to: 1934, Harlem—His Great Aunt Rita is a fixer in the numbers racket. She works side by side with Bumpy Johnson and runs the bank for the operation while her family struggles to be accepted in New York because of the color of their skin. 1815, Nevis—Dustin’s early ancestors are split between the planter elite and the slave population. Their actions during these final years of slavery set the tone for the family for years to come. Dustin uncovers long-suppressed family secrets while he learns about his own problems from the past. Everything comes to a head in Charlottesville, Virginia, when he and his sister participate in a rally that pits White supremacists against all those who oppose them.  Can he unlock his memory in time to prevent disaster?

    Written in rhythmic verse, this picture book follows two friends, a non-Black Boricua girl and a Black girl, as others first try to tame their tresses and eventually celebrate their gorgeous, natural hair.

    Someone like Hubert Wiggins, the most eligible man in Lexington, Alabama--and the son of its most revered preacher. Proper and prosperous, Hubert is glad to finally have a wife, even one with Maggie's background. For Hubert has a secret he desperately needs to stay hidden. And Maggie's unexpected charm, elegance, and religious devotion makes her the perfect partner in lies...Their surprising union makes the Wigginses the town's most envied couple--complete with a son, Claude, whom Maggie idolizes. Until he falls in love with the worst possible fiancée. Terrified, Maggie won't let this woman destroy her son. And when her employer's brother sexually harasses her, Maggie knows something needs to be done about him as well. In fact, she realizes there are an awful lot of "disruptive" people who should be eliminated from her perfect world...But the more Maggie tries to take control, the more obstacles are thrown in her way. And when it seems like the one person she always expected to be there is starting to drift away, Maggie will play one final, merciless game to secure what she's fought so hard to earn...

    The story of America's greatest musical pioneers follows Joplin from his first meeting with a piano to the creation of his record-breaking hit, “Maple Leaf Rag.” The book is set for spring 2019.

    She is fascinated with the prospect of being an independent person—but when she turns sixteen, she is married off and brought to the city of Boston as a bride. Nell is a shy girl who must quickly learn how to be a wife and mother. She quickly discovers that she must acquire new skills to navigate the unknown territory of the North, as well as her relationship with her husband, Henry, who is controlling and emotionally abusive. After giving birth to three children, her body begins to fail her and Henry, concerned for her health, pulls away from her physically. But this void of intimacy drives Nell into the arms of another man.It’s through her encounter with Charles in the church kitchen, at the point when she is most vulnerable, that Nell finds escape from her depressed life with Henry. The cost though, is another pregnancy. When Charles finds out the baby is his, at first it appears he plans to leave Nell; ultimately, however, his love for her brings him back.

    Published in the Reagan era amid a severe backlash to civil rights, the Jazz Age novel tells the story of racial and gender inequality through the life of a 14-year-old girl from Georgia who is haunted by domestic and sexual violence. Prominent academic and activist Salamishah Tillet combines cultural criticism, history, and memoir to explore Walker’s epistolary novel and shows how it has influenced and been informed by the zeitgeist. The Color Purple received both praise and criticism upon publication, and the conversation it sparked around race and gender still continues today. It has been adapted for an Oscar-nominated film and a hit Broadway musical. Through archival research and interviews with Walker, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones (among others), Tillet studies Walker’s life and how themes of violence emerged in her earlier work. Reading The Color Purple at age 15 was a groundbreaking experience for Tillet. It continues to resonate with her—as a sexual violence survivor, as a teacher of the novel, and as an accomplished academic. Provocative and personal, In Search of The Color Purple is a bold work from an important public intellectual, and captures Alice Walker’s seminal role in rethinking sexuality, intersectional feminism, and racial and gender politics.

    

    

    

    As a young, beautiful and an upwardly mobile professional couple who had made their home in New York City, they were busy balancing their careers with the demands of their new marriage which as fate would have it, included an unexpected bundle of joy. They got pregnant on their honeymoon and so began their adventure in this novel, The Seed on Fire, a sexy contemporary romance of a multi-cultural couple with elements of fantasy that is also the prequel to the novel The Fire God Tour. Nothing about their lives together has ever been typical and their relationship will forever be changed by a series of nightmarish events that threaten their love and the life of their unborn child. Will their commitment to each other and support of their family be enough to cope with their challenges? Come and join them on their journey as they experience the joys and excitement awaiting the birth of their son, Miles Aridio Moore, a process, to their surprise, also fosters a period of significant self-growth.

    

    Black Lives Matter. George Floyd. When it comes to racism in America, many of us feel confused, overwhelmed, angry--and eager to know how to engage in meaningful conversations and actions surrounding such a difficult topic. In Not So Black and White, public school communicator and internationally acclaimed speaker Reggie Dabbs and pastor John Driver team up to offer a hope-filled, convicting, inspiring look at how to be anti-racist in America today.Through Reggie and John's honest conversations, you will:Hear the stories of fellow believers who have found ways to reach across the racial barrier with humility, empathy, and forgivenessUnderstand a simple yet robust history of racism in America and in the church, including its role in systems, policies, and individual actionsDiscover fully biblical yet culturally wise responses to the challenges of racism in yourself and your communityCome away with fresh thought processes and practical steps for what you can do to think rightly and engage bravely in conversations and actions to end racismNot So Black and White is a compelling resource for pastors, teachers, and community leaders who want to read about issues of racism from a biblical and a historical perspective. For readers of all denominations and backgrounds, Not So Black and White equips us to engage together in the intentional work of dismantling racism, just as the gospel calls us to do.

    

    As our protagonist states: "I more than hoped for a good time. In this place, I expected it."Purchase link at msalexhouse.comNote: This erotic short first appeared on xoafterglow.com

    The distance between them seemed to stretch out and out. There was nothing he could do. He cried out to her, his voice hoarse with tears, ‘I will find you! I promise!’London, 1820: Nineteen-year-old Mercy, the orphaned daughter of an African prince, has come to live with the well-to-do Dr Stephens and his wife, Catherine, a passionate campaigner for the abolition of slavery.Mercy throws herself into Catherine’s work, eager to help until – at an exhibition that has all of London talking – one particular painting makes a disturbing impression on her: conjuring vivid images of creaking wood and the screams of drowning people. Its effect on Dr Stephens is even stronger – a connection that seems almost personal.Meanwhile, Mat, a young black sailor, scours the city in search of the men who kidnapped his sister many years before. When his path crosses with Mercy’s and he realises the girl he has been mourning is alive, it sets events in motion that will destroy everything Mercy thought was true about her old life – and her new one.But as the names on Mat’s list are found dead, one after the other, the newly reunited siblings face a new danger. Someone is silencing all witnesses to the horrors of their past – and they could be next. But Mercy has had enough of secrets. She will have justice – no matter what the cost.An utterly gripping and powerful novel about family, secrets, identity, and risking everything to be true to yourself. If you liked The Foundling, The Miniaturist or Amy Snow, you will love Daughter of the Shipwreck.

    Arriving in Chicago in 1915, Coleman is in the first wave of African Americans to be part of the Great Migration, the largest movement of Black people fleeing the agricultural South towards the promise of opportunity in the North.By 1921, America was a nation of change, steeped in both turmoil and progress. Jim Crow laws forced segregation in the South, lynchings terrorized, prohibition loomed, and Tulsa, Oklahoma smoldered after being bombed from the air. While American women had just earned the right to vote, Coleman can find no one willing to teach a Black woman to fly. Undaunted, she learns French and travels by ship to France in order to fulfill her dream of earning a brevet.As the 1920s progress, Coleman comes of age, and both aviation and the Great Migration continue in parallel. Hardscrabble and burnished, Coleman becomes the only woman in the world to compel these lines of latitude to bend and intersect. Just as she translates deftly from English to French, she also converts wargame maneuvers into daring, graceful, and swashbuckling performances which she brings back to the United States. This fearless woman inspires a nation, earning the nicknames Daredevil, Queen Bess, and Brave Bessie for her breathtaking airshows.A full century after her accomplishments, Coleman’s story is brought to life by author Carole Hopson. A United Airlines pilot who flies the Boeing 737, Hopson, considers Bessie Coleman the pioneer who cut the path for her and believes that it is her job to continue Coleman’s work to make that path wider for those who follow. It’s Coleman’s bold determination and courage that lifted Hopson, as well as an entire people upon A Pair of Wings.

    Set-backs, failures, and fatigue impacts us all. And at times we don’t feel like going on. But we must! In this book you’ll discover faith-filled principles to use as a blueprint for perseverance, and a new definition of success for your life.

     With fun exercises, journal prompts, and personality tests, you’ll quickly learn everything you need to know about your magical girl self, including your magical girl name, what type of power you possess, and what cute companion will perfectly complement your magical girl journey. Once your magical girl identity is locked in, you’ll learn how to take on the world and continue your self-growth by: Discovering your magical girl gang Punching fear in the face/defining your monster Developing your magical girl beauty routine Finding love after fighting crime And more! With gorgeous illustrations and entertaining animated characters, The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life reveals how self-love, sisterhood, and magic go together. Perfect for fans of anime and manga like Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, and more!

    That evening, police were summoned to clear the building, firing tear gas at students in the melee that followed. When it was over, nearly twenty people were taken to the hospital, and many more injured. In Point of Reckoning, Theodore D. Segal narrates the contested fight for racial justice at Duke from the enrollment of the first Black undergraduates in 1963 to the events that led to the Allen Building takeover and beyond. Segal shows that Duke's first Black students quickly recognized that the university was unwilling to acknowledge their presence or fully address its segregationist past. By exposing the tortuous dynamics that played out as racial progress stalled at Duke, Segal tells both a local and national story about the challenges that historically white colleges and universities throughout the country have faced and continue to face.