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Biographies (alphabetical by name of person book is about)

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers Biog/Ali M
Biography of African-American boxing legend. 172 pp

Muhammad Ali by James Duplacey Biog/Ali M
Biography of African-American boxing great. 94 pp.

Muhammad Ali: The People's Champ by Elliot Gorn SRL/Ali M
Biography of African-American boxing great. 200 pp.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Biog/Angelou M
Story of the sad southern childhood of African-American writer and poet. 290 pp.

Maya Angelou by Nancy Shuker Biog/Angelou M
Biography of African-American poet and writer. 128 pp.

* Louis Armstrong by Kenneth G. Richards Biog/Armstrong L
Biography of musician 95 pp.

Days of Grace: A Memoir by Arthur Ashe Biog/Ashe A
Memoir of African-American tennis champion.  317 pp.

* Mary McLeod Bethune, teacher with a dream by jB/Bet
Biography of black teacher and human rights activist. 80 pp.

* Mary McLeod Bethune, a great American teacher by Pat McKissak jB/Bet
Biography of black teacher and human rights activist. 111 pp.

Brandy: An intimate look by Karu F. Daniels Biog/Brandy
Biography of African-American pop singer/actress.  95 pp.

Through My Eyes: the autobiography of Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges jB/Bri
Autobiography of woman who was integrated into while schools at the age of six. 63 pp.

Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson jP/Car, Biog/Carver G
Life of George Washington Carver, African-American agricultural scientist.  103pp.

E.A.R.L. : Autobiography of DMX by DMX
Autobiography of African-American rapper/musician.

* W.E.B. DuBois: a biography by Virginia Hamilton jB/DuB
Biography of African-American leader, sociologist and writer. 218 pp.

* Cheer the Lonesome Traveler: The life of W.E.B. DuBois by James Barkley Biog/DuBois W
Biography of black sociologist and author. 183 pp.

* W.E.B. DuBois by Mark Stafford jB/Dub
Biography of black sociologist and author. 127 pp.

Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam by Jim Haskins Biog/Farrakahn L
Biography of the African-American who dreamed of a career as a violinist before joining the Nation of Islam and rising in its ranks, eventually becoming its leader.  152 pp.

Ella Fitzgerald by Bud Klimet jB/Fit
Biography of African-American jazz singer. 112 pp.

Whoopi Goldberg : entertainer by JRose Blue j/B/Gol
Biography of African-American comedian and entertainer. 103 pp.

Pearl's secret: a black man's search for his white family by Neil Henry Biog/Henry N
A black man's search for his white family.  321 pp.

Chamique: On Family, Focus, and Basketball by Chamique Holdsclaw with Jennifer Frey Biog/Holdsclaw C Female basketball star's biography.  189 pp.

Whitney Houston by Ted Cox Klimet jB/Hou
Biography of African-American pop singer and actress. 103 pp.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson: Champion and Crusader by Ted Gottfield  Biog/Johnson E
Biography of African-American basketball great diagnosed with AIDS in the early 1990's.  128 pp.

Ladies first : revelations of a strong woman by Queen Latifah with Karen Hunter ; foreword by Rita Owens Biog/Latifah Q
Autobiography of African-American singer/actress/talk show personality. 273 pp.

Spike Lee : by any means necessary by Jim Haskin jB/Lee
Examines the life and works of the filmmaker who has chosen to explore the many dimensions of the black American experience. 123 pp.

* Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X with Alex Haley  Biog/Malcolm X
Autobiography of controversial black activist. 460 pp.

* Malcolm X : by any means necessary by Walter Dean Myers  Biog/Malcolm X
Biography of black activist. 210 pp.

Mandela: An Illustrated Biography by Nelson Mandela  Biog/Mandela N
Life of Nelson Mandela, apartheid activist and first president of South Africa. 208 pp.

* Thurgood Marshall by Lisa Aldred jB/Mar
Biography of first African-American Supreme Court Judge.127 pp.

* Thurgood Marshall: Fighter for Justice by Lewis H. Fenderson Biog/Marshall T
Biography of first African-American Supreme Court Judge. 127 pp.

* Martin Luther King Jr. by Dan Frady  Biog/King M
Biography of Civil Rights leader. 216 pp.

* Martin Luther King: Fighter for freedom by Edward Preston  Biog/King M
Biography of Civil Rights leader. 142 pp.

Destined to Witness : growing up Black in Nazi Germany by Hans J. Massaquoi  Biog/Massaquoi H
Autobiography of black witness to the Nazi rise to power.  443 pp.

Jazz is the Bittersweet Blues of Life by Wynton Marsalis  789.5/Marsalis W
Biography of African-American jazz musician. 249 pp.

Kaffir Boy in America: An Encounter with Apartheid by Mark Mathabane  Biog/Mathabane M South African immigrant experience.  303 pp.

The Color of Water: A black man's tribute to his white mother by James McBride  Biog/McBride J
A black man credits his mom for all things good in his life.  291 pp.

Toni Morrison by Douglas Century  Biog/Morrison T, jB/Mor
Biography of African-American writer. 103 pp.

Bad Boy : a memoir by Walter Dean Myers  Biog/Myers W
Young adult novelist's boyhood in Harlem and struggle to be a writer.  214 pp.

Singing Away the Hunger : the autobiography of an African woman by Mpho 'M'atsepo Nthunya Biog/Nthunya M
Biography of Sotho woman from Africa. 174 pp.

* Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks Biog/Parks R
Autobiography of African-Americanwoman who refused to move to the back of the bus. 192 pp.

* Rosa Parks: a Penguin Lives biography by Douglas Brinkley Biog/Parks R
Biography of African-Americanwoman who jump started the Civil Rights Movement.  246 pp.

* Paul Robeson: Hero before his time by Rebecca Larsen Biog/Robeson P
Profiles the career of African-American singer, actor and political activist. 158 pp.

* Jackie Robinson by Gina DeAngelis Biog/Robinson J
Biography of African-American baseball great. 104 pp.

* I Never Had it Made by Jackie Robinson Biog/Robinson J
Autobiography of African-American baseball legend.  287 pp.

The Rock Says by the Rock Biog/Rock
Biography of African-American and Samoan wrestling superstar turned actor. 292 pp.

Wilma Rudolph by Tom Biracree jB/Rud
Biography of African-American woman who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in track in a single Olympics. 111 pp.

Rebel For the Hell of It: the life of Tupac Shakur by Armond White Biog/Shakur T
Biography of African-American rapper and movie star. 230 pp.

Will Smith: King of Cool by Brian J Robb Biog/Smith W
Biography of actor and rap musician. 144 pp.

LT Over the Edge: tackling quarterbacks, drugs and and a world beyond football by Lawrence Taylor.
Football biography. 261 pp.

Leon's Story by Leon Tillage jB/Til
School janitor tells about life during the Civil Rights Movement. 107 pp.

Harriet Tubman by Rebecca Price Janney Biog/Tubman H
Biography of underground railroad organizer. 158 pp.

Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry Biog/Tubman H
Biography of underground railroad organizer. 247 pp.

* Booker T. Washington and the Negro's place in America by Samuel Spencer Biog/Washington B 212 pp.

* Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington Pb/Classics/Washington B
Autobiography of Booker T. Washington. 166 pp.

* Ida B. Wells-Barnett : powerhouse with a pen by Catherine A. Welch jB/Wel
Biography of the African American woman who used her talents as a speaker and journalist to work for the civil rights of black people. 104 pp.

* Ida B. Wells-Barnett : woman of courage by Elizabeth Van Steenwyk jBiog/Wells-Barnett I
Biography of the African American woman who used her talents as a speaker and journalist to work for the civil rights of black people. 128 pp.

Phillis Wheatley : A revolutionary poet by Jacquelyn McLendon Biog/Wheatley P
Biography of African-American slave and poet. 112 pp.

Phillis Wheatley : Negro slave of Mr. John Wheatley of Boston by Marilyn Jensen jB/Whe
Biography of African-American slave and poet. 112 pp.

Young superstars of tennis : the Venus and Serena Williams story by Mike Fillon
Story of twin African-American tennis champions.  144 pp.

Loose Balls: Easy Money, Hard Fouls, Cheap Laughs, and True Love in the NBA by Jayson Williams with Steve Friedman 796.332/Williams J
Biography of African-American basketball star. 276 pp.

Oprah Winfrey by Judith Janda Presnall Biog/Winfrey O
Biography of African-American television personality and actress. 111 pp.

* Carter G. Woodson: Father of African American history by Robert F. Durden  jB/Woo
Biography of son of former slavery who earned a PhD in history. 128 pp.

Black Boy: A record of childhood and youth by Richard Wright Biog/Wright R Pb/Classics/Wright R
Biography of growing up black in the twentieth century. 288 pp.

03.22.10     Back to the Top