Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide.
 
Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town,...

Traces over four centuries of African American history, drawing on personal journals, interviews, and archival materials to document times ranging from the Colonial period and slavery through the Civil War and the Civil Rights era.

A simple biography of the Baptist minister and civil rights leader who helped American blacks win many battles for equal rights and who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.

A biography of Malcolm X, focusing on the incidents that led to his belief that blacks should be willing to use any tactics necessary to secure their freedom and equality.

Using a variety of primary sources, this biography of Harriet Tubman describes the life of a former slave who was responsible for helping many other slaves to freedom.

A biography of the Baptist minister and civil rights leader whose philosophy and practice of nonviolent civil disobedience helped American blacks win many battles for equal rights.

A biography of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the major leagues, as told by his daughter.

A biography of the black woman whose cruel experiences as a slave in the South led her to seek freedom in the North for herself and for others through the Underground Railroad.

A biography of the former slave who became an outspoken antislavery and women's rights activist in the United States.