African Americans and the ArtsLike this list

21 items

• Faith Ringgold

  Narrating the World in Pattern and Color

  Jackson, Sharna,

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  A biography of the author of the Caldecott Honor Book Tar Beach accompanied by illustrations of her style and a mini gallery of her quilts and other key artworks.

• The Swans of Harlem

  Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

  Valby, Karen,

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  The story of the Dance Theatre of Harlem and five of its trailblazing ballerinas who overcame racism and societal pressures to shatter artistic boundaries.

• Greatest Hits

  King, B. B.

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  Covers the period from mid- to late-'60s through the late '80s including his signature tune, "The Thrill is Gone."

• Life Doesn't Frighten Me

  Angelou, Maya

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  Poetry by Angelou, illustrations by Jean-Michel Basquiat.

• You've Got to Learn

  Simone, Nina, 1933-2003,

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  Nina Simone in concert at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1966.

• When Broadway Was Black

  The Triumphant Story of the All-Black Musical That Changed the World

  Gaines, Caseen, 1986-

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  An in-depth look into the rise of the 1921 Broadway hit, Shuffle Along, the first all-Black musical to succeed on Broadway.

• Sam Cooke at the Copa

  Recorded Live at the Copacabana, New York City, July 7 & 8, 1964

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  Includes "The Best Things in Life Are Free," "Bill Bailey," and "When I Fall in Love."

• By Her Own Design

  a Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register

  Huguley, Piper,

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  Historical fiction about the Black designer of Jacqueline Bouvier's wedding dress.

• Augusta Savage

  the Shape of a Sculptor's Life

  Nelson, Marilyn, 1946-

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  By a renowned poet, a biography in verse of the trailblazing sculptor who opened the country's first Black-owned and -operated art gallery.

• Mahalia Jackson

  Queen of Gospel

  Jackson, Mahalia, 1911-1972

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  Hymns and sacred songs from the artist who was the link between the Blues and Soul.

• After the Rain

  Muddy Waters, 1915-1983,

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  Remakes of a lot of familiar songs, including "Honey Bee" and "Rollin' and Tumblin'," and also Muddy's own electric guitar.

• Basquiat

  The Unknown Notebooks

  Basquiat, Jean-Michel, 1960-1988

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  Contains numerous drawings and paintings with handwritten notes and poems.

• Parable of the Sower

  Butler, Octavia E.

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  Speculative fiction that begins in 2024, when society in the United States has grown unstable due to climate change, growing wealth inequality, and corporate greed.

• Experience Hendrix

  the Best of Jimi Hendrix

  Hendrix, Jimi

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  Includes the live version of "The Star Spangled Banner" from Woodstock, with massive historical and cultural importance.

• The Art of Ruth E Carter

  Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, From Do the Right Thing to Black Panther

  Carter, Ruth E., 1960-

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  Presents the creative genius of Ruth E. Carter, the first African American woman to win an Oscar for costume design.

• The Harlem Renaissance

  100 Years of Black Culture

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  Lasting roughly from the 1910s through the mid-1930s, the period is considered a golden age for Black literature, music, stage performance, and art.

• Agent Josephine

  American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy

  Lewis, Damien,

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  A thrilling biography of the dancer, singer, and actress, the first Black woman to appear in a major motion picture.

• Vintage Hughes

  Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967

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  Poems and stories from the voice of Harlem and Black consciousness.

• Edmonia Lewis

  Walls, Jasmine,

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  Graphic nonfiction about the first Black and Native American sculptor to earn international acclaim.

• The Black Panther Party

  a Graphic Novel History

  Walker, David, 1968-

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  Gripping illustrated history of the significance and impact of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.