$40 Million Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete

Rhoden, William C. (Crown Pub., c2006)
Shelf Number: 796.08996/R4759f

The New York Times sports columnist uses the plantation as a metaphor for the sports industry defined by white ownership and black labor. He applauds the efforts of athletes like Curt Flood, whose sacrifices paved the way for free agency, and criticizes the "conveyor belt" that lures young children and their parents into becoming prospects for corporate profit. New insight on the role of blacks in the sports they dominate, but don't control.

African American Grief

Rosenblatt, Paul C(Routledge,c2005)
Shelf Number: 155.937/R8137a

This title considers the potential effects of slavery, racism, white ignorance and oppression on the African American experience and conception of death and grief in America . The author analyzes key phenomena of the unique African American experience of grief.

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

Obama, Barack (Crown Pub., c2006)
Shelf Number: 328.73092/OB12a/BIOGRAPHY

Obama's second bestseller. "Obamamania" has caused a media frenzy since he recently announced he may run for President. Dreams from My Father , was a biography re-released to meet demand after his 2004 Democratic Convention speech. Audacity of Hope is about his adventures on the campaign trail. Black Issues Book Review calls it "academic and intellectual enough to further discourse on some of the most complicated policy issues of the day . . . yet . . . full of enough Kennedyesque idealism and enthusiasm that he never loses the common touch."

The Black Panthers

Shames, Stephen. (Aperture, c2006)
Shelf Number: 322.420973/SH528b

Bobby Seale and Charles E. Jones wrote the text to this tribute to the legacy of the Black Panther Party to accompany the extraordinary photography of Stephen Shames.

Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster

Dyson, Michael Eric. (Basic Civitas Books /Perseus Books Group, c2006)
Shelf Number: 363.34922/D998c

The first major book to be released about Hurricane Katrina chronicles what happened when and argues that the nation's failure to offer timely aid to Katrina's victims indicates deeper problems in race and class relations. The cavalry arrived four days late, showing not only active malice toward poor blacks but also passive indifference to their problems.

Cooking for Your Man

Banks, Yolanda (Broadway Books, c2006)
Shelf Number: 641.5/B2189c

The wife of NFL quarterback Tony Banks introduces a diverse assortment of 150 delicious recipes that are perfect for family and friends, both as everyday treats or for special occasions.