Multicultural

The Menstuff® library lists pertinent books on multicultural issues. Photo upper left is by Henri Leighton at henle@webtv.net See also Videos (Circle of Recovery, Color of Fear, Color of Fear 2-Walking Each Other Home and Stolen Ground).

IMPORTANT NEW BOOKS

Click on covers for more specific information.

 
2001 Multicultural Resource Calendar. This calendar focuses primarily on the US. It includes entries of religious holidays and festivals, historical/cultural events, and birthdays as well as months specially designated by congressional or presidential proclamations for special themes. They have included events and historical dates that recognize that discrimination has occurred against groups such as people with disabling conditions and gays/lesbians. They have also included a Resource Section with detailed information about most events to encourage an informed awareness of these events that will make interactions with other cultures an experience of learning, appreciation and mutual respect. www.diversityresources.com or 800.865.5549

Abbott, Franklin, Boyhood: Growing up male:  A multicultural anthology. By turns touching, funny, poignant, and painful, this book chronicles the road to manhood through the personal narratives and poems of accomplished writers from around the world. Shepherd Bliss, RObert Bly, John Gilgun, Terry Kupers, THomas Moore, Rakesh Ratti, Malidoma Some, Bhante Wimala and many others. Crossing Press, 1993

Abbott, Franklin, Boyhood: Growing up male:  A multicultural anthology. By turns touching, funny, poignant, and painful, this book chronicles the road to manhood through the personal narratives and poems of accomplished writers from around the world. Shepherd Bliss, RObert Bly, John Gilgun, Terry Kupers, THomas Moore, Rakesh Ratti, Malidoma Some, Bhante Wimala and many others. 2nd Edition. University of Wisconsin Press, 1998 ISBN 0-299-15754-7 Buy This Book!

Abbott, Franklin, ed. Boyhood: Growing Up Male. A Multicultural Anthology. By turns touching, funny, poignant and painful, Boyhood chronicles the road to manhood through the personal narratives and poems of accomplished writers from around the world. Contributors include Jeff Beane, Shepherd Bliss, Robert Bly, Edward Field, John Gilgun, Fred Wei-han Ho, Randy Hilfman, Terry Kupers, Thomas Moore, Gordon Murray, Rakesh Ratti, Bob Shelby, John Silva, Malidoma Some, Sy Safransky, Bhante Wimala and many others. University of Wisconsin Press 1998 Buy This Book!

Akbar, Na'im, Visions for Black Men. Given all of these odds; given the almost impossible circumstances which we have faced; given these barriers which would have devastated any other human breed a long time ago - the simple question is:  Why are we still here anyway?  This book raises issues which are not only important to black men but to all of us. How do we restore African manhood to those whom our society has not viewed as the chosen people?  Discover the startling prediction of the mystical tradition of Ancient Africa - that the descendants of a once-great nation will rise again. Mind Productions, 1998 ISBN 0-935257-01-2 Buy This Book!

Almeida, Rhea, Transformations of Gender and Race:  Family and Developmental Perspectives. This book will help therapists improve their skills by arming them with new theories and practices that concern inclusiveness of identity, psyche, and culture in the therapy room. This book radically shifts current thinking in systemic theory and practice with individuals, children, couples, and families, giving therapists a fresh perspective on working with clients of all cultural backgrounds and both genders. You'll discover superb contemporary thinking in cultural studies, post-colonial theory, gender theory, queer theory, and clinical and research work with numerous populations who have been overlooked and undertheorized. You'll gain a wealth of knowledge and expertise from its contributors who have been immersed in the issues they address. Haworth Press, 1998 www.haworthpressinc.com or getinfo@haworthpressinc.com

Amadiume, Ifi, Male Daughters, Female Husbands: Gender & sex in an African society. Challenging the received orthodoxies of social anthropology, the author argues that in precolonial society, sex and gender did not necessarily coincide. Examining the structures that enabled women to achieve power, she shows that roles were niether rigidly masculinized nor feminized. Women could play roles usually monopolized by men and were then classified as males for the purposes of power - a classification facilitated by women's independent economic resources and the existence of a strong goddess-focussed religion. Economic changes in colonial times undermined women's status and reduced their political role and patriarchal tendencies introduced by colonialism persist today, to the detriment of women. Critical of the chauvinist stereotypes established by colonial anthropology, the author stresses the importance of recognizing women's economic activities as an essential basis of their power. She is also critical of those western feminists who, when relating to African women, tend to accept the same outmoded projections. Zed, 1987 Hardback ISBN 0-86232-594-3 Buy This Book! or papaerback ISBN 0-86232-595-1 Buy This Book!

Baisden, Michael, Men Cry in the Dark. A novel. As you probably know by now, we seldom include novels for review. This is one of the exceptions. The bad boy of literature has done it again with this provocative new book that is sure to stir controversy. It is an entertaining and realistic novel about relationships, fatherhood and interracial dating from the man's perspective. And in an industry dominated by female writers, it's long overdue!  Michael has courageouly stepped outside the boundaries to prove once and for all that men do love their children, cherish their women, and yes, even cry. Legacy, 1997 Buy This Book!

Berry, Wendell, Hidden Wound, North Poiont, 1989

Boyd, Herb & Robert Allen, editors, Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America - An Anthology. Winner of the American Book Award. The purpose of this extraordinary anthology is made abundantly clear by the editors' stated intention: "to create a living mosaic of essays and stories in which Black men can view themselves, and be viewed without distortion." It books us passage to the world that Black men experience as adolescents, lovers, husbands, fathers, workers, warriors and elders. On this journey they encounter pain, confusion, anger and love while confronting the life-threatening issues of race, sex and politics. Ballantine, 1996 ISBN  0-345-38317-6 Buy This Book!

Boykin, Keith, Respecting the Soul: Daily reflections for black lesbians and gays. We're all looking for answers to life's questions. We all want to reach our goals, maintain a loving relationship, and strengthen our ties to family and community. But how do we face our doubts and fears? How do we reconcile the prejudice of others with the truth we know about ourselves? And how do we deal with the obstacles that stand in our way? The primary challenges facing black lesbians and gays are internal, not external. The deepest wounds are usually self-inflicted, leaving behind the scars of internalized racism and homophobia. With a unique insight for each day of the calendar year, this book can help change this reality by provoking, inspiring, and empowering you, sensitizing your families and friends, and sharing the wisdom and experience of hundreds of well-known people who have contributed to our collective history. This book gives you the encouragement you need to respect your own soul. Avon Books, 1999, ISBN 0-380-80021-7 Buy this book!

Brown, Ron, My Father has Left Me and I'm About to Go Off!  A guide to raising a young son. Black males are under assault from many sourcesl. Not that this news is new. Whether listening to the evening news or remembering the lost sons of family and friends, the impact of the loss of so many of our young men to jail or the grave is devastating to the African American community. With the emasculating effect on men and the disproportionate burden placed on women in the Black community, it is easy to see the problem, but where are the solutions? This book addresses the loss of black fathers in our communities. It speaks of anger, despair and isolation that is part of the lives of many black youths who live in female run households. And it tells the story of how one young boy transcended those feelings to find hope, redepmtion and new directons, finding his own soul and letting it soar. Four-G Publishers 1999 ISBN  1885066597 Buy This Book!

Byrd, Rudolph P., Beverly Guy-Sheftall, ed., Traps: African American Men on Gender and Sexuality. This is the first anthology by African American men on race, gender and sexuality. The selections on gender reveal what some may view as the unexpected commitment of African American men to feminism. Included here are critiques of the subordinate social, economic, and political position of black women. The next sections analyze the taboos and myths in which black sexuality is enmeshed. These essays also stress the importance of rejecting homophobia and the need to contest the predominance of a heterosexual paradigm. Monolithic constructions of gender and sexuality, reinforced by sexism and historically sanctioned homophobia, are the "traps" that give this book it focus and its title. Indiana University Press, iupress.indiana.edu, 2001, ISBN 0-253-21448-3 Buy This Book!

Carter, Forrest, Education of Little Tree. By reissuing this 1976 book, the University of New Mexico Press is doing exactly what Gramma advised young Little Tree. The Press is sharing one of those rare books like Huck Finn that each new generation needs to discover and which needs to be read and reread regularly. This is a fine and sustaining book, wonderfully funny and deeply poignant. Those who has read this book seem to remember when and where and how they came to know the book. Whether they saw it in the autobiography section of a chain bookself or heard it reviewed as Book of the Week on a TV show, or found it on the gift table at a tribal souvenir shop while passing through a reservation, readers passionantely remember these first meetings. And old and new readers can once more share this incredibly touching and deeply moving story which informs the heart and educates the spirit. University of New Mexico, 1991 ISBN  0-8263-0879-1 Buy This Book!

Diggs, Anita Doreen, Talking Drums:  An African-American quote collection. This book is a celebration of the spoken word. It is a continuation of the oral tradition -- a tradition that allows us to read and hear the true communications of a culture and a wisdom we now call the African-American experience. Quotations reveal the inner thoughts and aspiratoins of a people - their ambition, anger, misfortune, struggle with life, death and adversity, their joy, grief, and primarily their sense of humor. This collection was chosen to inspire, inform, comfort and entertain. It shows how African-american ideas and views have grown, and both shaped and been shaped from the eighteenth century until today. Thought-rovoking and fascinating are the subjects and the statements inside. It is a useful compendium. St. Martin's Press 1995. ISBN 0-312-11745-0 Buy This Book!

Edwards, Louis, Ten Seconds:  A novel creating a human portrait of a black male. The author deserves the highest praise for creating a human portrait of a black male as compelling and sensitive as it is rare in recent American fiction. This is a very readable first novel, ingenious and gracefully written. It is also very disturbing...Edwards is effective without overt, cliched attacks on the system; absent are strident denunciations. It is a classic intimate portrait of maleness, softspoken and secretive. A perfect "ten". Graywolf, 1991 ISBN 1-55597-150-4 Buy This Book!

Entine, Jon, Taboo: Why black athletes dominate sports and why we're afraid to talk about it. Award-winning journalist explores the genetic, cultural and physiological roots of black athletic superiority. Drawing on the latest scientific research, he shows why biology and ancestry are significant components of the stunning ascension of black athletes. He reveals striking differences between athletes of West African heritage and those from East Africa and shows why such differences could arise and be maintained over time. But this book is more than a book about "race science" and sports. It is also a brilliant piece of history. It tells the gripping story of blacks in sports and the circumstances that have made addressing the facts so difficult and controv ersial. Incorporating the latest scientific breakthroughs in evolution and genetic research, including the revolutionary Human Genome Project, the book spans not just the history of sport but the history of mankind. And from the Kenyan highlands, Philadelphia playgrounds, Olympic studiums, NBA arenas and research labs at Berkeley, Yale and MIT, the author finds conclusive evidence of the differences that make all the difference. jonentine.com Public Affairs, www.publicaffairsbooks.com/books/tab.html 2000, ISBN 1-58648-026-X Buy This Book!

Flint, Colin, Spaces of Hate: Geographies of discrimination and intolerance in the U.S.A. Though much has been written about hate and extreme right-wing groups in the United States, scant attention has been paid to the ways in which geography plays an active role in the formation of such groups. Hate, like all motivating forces in American society, always has a geographical component at its core - a restricted space that locks out undesirable "others." Hate groups have always idealized exclusivist spaces, from an all-white South to cities rid of gays. In its consideration of the recent history of hate groups in America, this book addresses the crucial role that place - from the home to the nation - and geographical context play in shaping hate activity. The Klan, homophobic groups, and right-wing militias are all emplaced, and all use territorial ideals to make their ideologies concrete. Routeledge, www.routledge-ny.com, 2004 ISBN 0-415-93587-3

Gardere, Jeffrey, Smart Parenting for African Americans:  Helping your kids thrive in a difficult world. Almost anyone can be a parent - but it takes knowledge, effort, and caring to be a smart parent. Black children face many challenges in today's world; in some ways it is even harder growing up black today than it was a generation ago, when optimism and expectations were higher. The author presents a hip, savvy, realistic guide for today's parents raising black children. He takes an honest look at some of the major threats to black children-academic failure, drugs, gangs, irresponsible sex, attraction to crime - and presents parents with the tools to deal with them. The author stresses parent-child communication and the important role parents play in fostering their kids' self-esteem. His sensitive but no-nonsense approach will help parents be a source of support, love and protectoin for their kids. Citadel Press 1999 ISBN 0-8065-2051-5 Buy This Book!

Gates, Henry Louis Jr., Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Man. .In these stunning portraits of prominent black American men, the author takes us behind closed doors and into the lives, minds, and experiences of some remarkable people to reveal, through stories of individual lives, much about American society and race today. As these men talk about their lives, many perspectives on race and gender emerge. For the notion of the unitary black man, Gates argues, is as imaginary as the creature that the poet Wallace Stevens conjured in his poem. These men and others speak of their lives with candor and intimacy, and what emerges from this portfolio of influential men is a strikingly varied and profound set of ideas about what it means to be a black man in America today. Paperback. Random House www.randomhouse.com 1997 Buy This Book! See 1998 for the paperback version. Buy This Book!

Gilbert, Roland & Cheo Tyehimba-Taylor, The Ghetto Solution. African American men helping African American boys to become African American men is the cycle we need to make our communities and country work for all of us. The Simba program described in this book is a powerful and important way to make it happen. Connections between caring adults and youth are essential for the healthy development of children. The author understands how to assure and nurture these relationships for the youth who are often forgotton and left behind. This story is inspirational. Everybody concerned about our future should read this book. WRS, 1993 ISBN 1-56796-021-9 Buy This Book

Gillan, Maria Mazziotti & Jennifer, Identity Lessons: Contemporary writing about learning to be American. A collection of diverse American voices on conformity and difference. A sweeping anthology that explores how American society shapes us, this book features selections by Sherman Alexie, Marie Howe, Amiri Baraka and a wide array of our finest contemporary writers. These stories and poems examine the struggle between the need to belong and the undeniable influence of each individual's cultural roots. In brilliant and moving pieces that question the common definition of "American", some of the sharpest and most original voices writing today give their ethnic perspectives on growing up in America. Penguin Book, www.penguinputnam.com 1999 ISBN 0-14-027167-8 Buy This Book!

Graham, Lawrence Otis, Proversity, Progressive diversity. While not a "men's issues" book, the answers within this book will assist every man in this country to live a healthier life in the presence of all men. Have you ever quickly judged people at face value before really getting to know them? Does that make you racist or sexist? Have you ever been startled by a biased thought that's passed through your head? You are not alone. This book offers a new approach for transforming diversity, affirmative action, and multiculturalism in the workplace from a hindrance into a powerful competitive advantage. While diversity focuses on what makes us different - be it race, age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religion - proversity does just the opposite: it looks for the things we all have in common. John Wiley & Sons 1997 ISBN 0-471-17818-7 Buy This Book!

Gutmann, Matthew, The Meanings of Macho. In this first detailed ethnography of machismo, the author disproves many stereotypes of male culture and in their place he offers a sensitive, wide-ranging, often surprising look at how Mexican men see themselves, parent their children, relate to women, drink among themselves and talk about sex in their day-to-day lives. University of California Press Wonderful Ways to Love a Teen: even when it seems impossible, Judy Ford. As any parent can attest, raising a child is a frightening, challenging, surprising and delightful experience. Yet, as children grow, the art of relating to them becomes increasingly complicated. Here we have a nuts and bolts guidebook to building and strengthening a loving bond that is ideal for busy parents. It includes 60 short essays on how to develop a healthy teen parenting style by mastering four keys to strong and successful relationships filled with love, laughter and mutual respect. They are: compassion, communication, diplomacy and conflict resolution. Conari Press, 1996 ISBN 0-520-20236-8 Buy This Book!

Harbowski, Freeman A., Kenneth Maton & Geoffrey Grief, Beating the Odds:  Raising academically successful African American males. Today, young Black men are more likely to be killed or sent to prison than to graduate from college. Yet, despite all the obstacles, some are achieving at the highest academic and professional levels. This book tells their remarkable stories and shows us what African American families have done to raise academically successful sons, sons who are among the top two percent of African American males in terms of SAT scores and grades. The result of extensive and innovative research, this book goes beyond analysis - and beyond the relentlessly negative media images - to show us precisely how young Black men can succeed despite the roadblocks of racism, the temptations of crime and drugs, and a popular culture that values being "cool" over being educated. Oxford University Press, 1998

Harper, Phillip Brian, Are We Not Men? Masculine anxiety and the problem of African-American identity. In 1995, popular anxieties about black masculinity became evident in public reactions to the conclusion of the OJ Simpson trial and the Million Man March on Washington. The nation's divided response to the OJ verdict, together with the controversy surrounding Louis Farrakhan's call to black men to come together for a "day of atonement" brought issues of race and gender to the forefront of national debate. In his timely and incisive book, the author explores issues of race and representation and shows that ideas about black masculinity have always played a troubled role both in the formation of African-American identity and in the mass media at large. What is at stake when a picture of OJ Simpson is darkened on the cover of Time magazine? Why is AIDS still seen as a white gay disease when a quarter of deaths (1981-1991) were among black males? Using examples from a variety of cultural contexts, ranging from sports and pop music to literature and television, the author investigates these questions in an effort to show the ways in which narrow definitions of black manhood have failed to acknowledge real differences within the African-American community - to grave social and political effect. An original, far-reaching and ultimately humane work of cultural criticism, the author argues convincingly that there are no innocent texts, and forces us to reexamine the culture that surrounds us. Oxford University Press, 1996 ISBN 0-19-509274-0 Buy This Book!

Hirsch, James S., Riot and Remembrance: The Tulsa race war and its legacy. On a warm night in May, 1921, thousands of whites, many deputized by the local police, swarmed through the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Oklahoma, killing scores of blacks, looting, and ultimately burning the neighborhood to the ground. In the aftermath, as many as 300 were dead and 6,000 Greenwood residents were herded into detention camps. The author focuses on the de facto apartheid that brought about the Greenwood riot and informed its eighty-year legacy, offering an unprecedented examination of how a calamity spawns bigotry and courage and how it has propelled one community's belated search for justice. The author also highlights Tulsa's emergence at the forefront of the burgeoning debate over reparations. It shows vividly, chillingly, how the culture of Jim Crow caused not only the grisly incidents of 1921, but also those of Rosewood, Selma and Watts, as well as less widely known atrocities. It also addresses the cruel irony that underlies today's battles over affirmative action and reparatoins: that justice and reconciliation are often incompatible goals. Houghton Mifflin, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com 2002. ISBN 0-618-10813-0 Buy This Book!

Hollinger, David, Postethnic America: Beyond multiculturalism. Amid the vituperative charges of racism, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia that fill the newspapers and airwaves, here is a major contribution that brings reason and historical consciouness to these divisive issues. The author, one of America's foremost intellectual historians, offers a bold proposal to heal our nation's ethnic divisions. Sympathetic with the new ethnic consciousness, he argues that the conventionl liberal toleration of all established enthnic groups no longer works because it leaves unchallenged the prevailing imbalance of power. Yet the multiculturalist alternative does nothing to stop the fragmenting of American society into competing ethnic enclaves, each concerned primarily with its own well-being. He argues instead of a new cosmopolitanism, an appreciation of multiple identities - new cross-cultural affliations based not on the biologically given but on consent, on the right to emphasize or dimish the significance of one's ethnoracial affiliation. This is a bracing reminder of America's universalist promise as a haven for all peoples. While recognizing the Eurocentric narrowness of that older universalism, he makes a stirring call for a new nationalism. He urges that a democratic nation-state like ours must help brigde the gap between our common fellowship as human beings and the great variety of ethnic and racial groups represented with the U.S. We are not the chosen people. Nor are we a mere collection of diaspora. What we can become, in his inspiring vision, is "a people among peoples" in a postethnic world, a democratic-cosmopolitan society respectful of its ethno-racial heritages but not imprisoned by them. Basic Books, 1995 ISBN 0-465-95991-0 Buy This Book!

Hutchinson, Earl Ofari, The Assassination of the Black Male Image. Black male bashing has become a growth industry in America. The media promotes the numbers: one out of four young black males is in prison, on parole or on probation; one out of three young black males drop out of school; and one out of two young black males grow up in single family households. From the extraordinary coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial to "Waiting to Exhale"-style anti-black man propaganda, America has taken black male bashing to new levels. This history of myths, half-truths and lies is traced to the European conquest of Africa. Sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious, the bias in news and sports stories from major newspapers and magazines is exposed. The hypocrisy of some African-American icons who secure lucrative book, movie and TV deals by perpetuating anti black-male stereotypes is exposed. A definite wake-up call. Simon & Schuster, www.simonsays.com 1996 ISBN 0-684-83100-7 Buy This Book!

Hutchinson, Earl Ofari, Black Fatherhood:  The guide to male parenting. This is a rare and positive book. It considers what African-Americans are doing right for a change. It provides advice and support for Black fathers. This very readable volume encourges active involvement of fathers with their children. The author emphasizes the many ways we can support our children's healthy development without spending a lot of money. It disputes the many excuses men have offered for non-involvement and offers a common sense approach to discipline and education. He rightly argues that men belong in the home, taking an equal role with women in homemaking and child care. Impact, 1992 ISBN 1-881032-08-6 Buy This Book!

Hwang, David, Henry, Plays

Jiobu, Robert, Ethniicity & Assimilation:  Blacks, Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, Mexicans, Vietnamese & whites. This is a study of the main ethnic groups in California and is the only study that offers a direct comparison of these various ethnic groups. The author presents the thesis that the upward mobility of an ethnic group is determined not only by its infrastructure but also by the infrastructure of the situation the group encournters. For example, the chapter on history emphasizes economics and demographics more than subcultural values and attitudes. Other chapters similarly emphasize infrastructure, covering each group's demographic composition, intermarriage rates, residential segregation, and labor force characteristics. Few analyses of census data have so self-consciously incorporated historical material in order to help elucidate statistical results and provide an integrated comparative view of ethnicity in American society. New York University, 1988 ISBN 0-88706-648-8 Buy This Book!

Kane, Julius, Ten Things Every Black Man Must do Before He Dies. "Pathways in life are often crowded with spectators and fools, but never crowded with ethics or ideals. A couple of years back, while on my quest for mental freedom, my path crossed the author's. It was evident from the first words that came out his mouth; he was a man of ideals. We regularly debated on ways to help the lost black men of our generation overcome years of mis-education and self-hate. Those exchanges of ideas were mutually beneficial to our friendship and agendas. Although our paths are winding, we've both arrived at the exact same location; the enlightenment and re-education of our brothers and sisters. In this book, he examines some major problems and details specific solutions. His findings, albeit challenging and bold, truly is a must read for all black men and women alike. His potent mixture of wit and veracity flows perfectly thoughout his work. At a time where everything around us is glossed over and made to look pretty, I most appreciated his straightforward assessments. I believe it's what black America needs now more than ever. He has inked a non-fiction page-turner and created in me a fervent reader and friend for life." Ynot Ama Shakur. Maverick Publishing, www.maverick-publishing.com, 2006, ISBN 0-9785056-1-1

Kennedy, Randall, Nigger: The strange career of a troublesome word. Nigger: it is arguably the most consequential social insult in American history, though, at the same time, a word that reminds us of "the ironies and dilemmas, tragedies and glories of the American experience." In this tour de force, distinguished Harvard Law School professor and author of the highly acclaimed Race, Crime and the Law, "put(s) a tracer on nigger," to identify how it has been used and by whom, while analyzing the controversies to which it has given rise. With unprecedented candor and insight, the author explores such questions as: How should nigger be defined? Is it, as some have declared, necessarily more hurtful than other racial epithets? Do blacks have a right to use nigger even as others do not? Should the law view nigger baiting as a provocation strong enough to reduce the culpability of a person who responds violently to it? Should a person be fired from his or her job for saying nigger? How might the destructiveness of nigger be assuaged?  To be ignorant of the meanings and effects of nigger, says the author, is to render oneself vulnerable to all manner of peril. This book brilliantly and sensitively addresses that concern. Pantheon Book, www.pantheonbooks.com, 2002. ISBN 0-375-42172-6 Buy This Book!

Kivel, Paul, Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice. There's a long traditional of white people opposing racism - and there are also hundreds of excuses we give ourselves for not getting involved. This book is designed to help white people act on convictions that racism in wrong. It talks about racism without rhetoric or attack and helps us understand the dynamics of racism in our society, institutions and daily lives, and it share stories, suggestions, advice, exercises and approaches to working together to fight racism. It will help you intervene strategically wherever racism occurs in public policy, institutional settings or interpersonal interactions. New Society, 1996 ISBN 0-86571-338-3 Buy This Book!

Lathan, E. LeMay, The Black Man's Guide to Working in a White Man's World. Pundits, academics, politicians, black leaders, religious leaders-even Presidents-have all tried to fix the destructive race prob lem facing America today. So far, all have failed. The inequality is ripping apart the fabric of society. Something must be done to turn the tide and save the very future of the black race. So says the author who offers his startlingly provocative advice on this explosive issue. He dares to say what others cannot say, and to many it will be a breath of fresh air. Just where did he find the key to unlocking the national crisis that has stumped all the experts?  On the job!  He is a black man who has bucked the odds and achieved his own piece of the American dream. Dorn in Mississippi and raised by his great-grandmother, he has worked his way through the corporate world to become a middle manager with steady employment, a loving family and a proud sense of accomplishments. He has written this guide to help his fellow blacks through the process. He provides invaluable insights on how the white man views the black man and how blacks must react accordingly. He offers hard-learned tips and advice for getting and keeping a job. He explains how he personally broke the cycle, and he shows his fellow blacks how they can take control of their lives and gain their piece of the American dream. The author asserts that only blacks can fix the black problem. He walked his talk and made it. Hopefully after reading this guide, others can too. General Publishing Group 1997 Buy This Book!

Lester, Joan Steinau, Future of White Men: & other diversity dilemmas, Conari, 1994

Madhubuti, Haki, Blackmen: Obsolete, single, dangerous

Majors, Richard and Janet Mancini Billson, Cool Pose: The dilemas of black manhood in America. Black men learned long ago that the classic American virtures of thrift, perserverance and hard work did not give them the same tangible rewards that accrued to white men. Yet they have defined manhood in similar terms: breadwinner, provider, procreator, protector. Without the means to adequately fulfill these roles, many have become frustrated, impatient, angry, embittered and alienated. To combat these feelings of oppression, black males have adopted a "cool pose."  This ritualized expression of masculinity, involving behavior, speech and physical and emotional posturing, suggests distance, irony and superiority over outsiders, and delivers to others a clear message of strength and control. Unfortunately, this strategic style has created a chasm between black males who adopt it, and women and other men in their communities. By acting detached, calm, fearless, aloof, and tough, they shield themselves from intimate, committed and caring relationships. The authors examine the roots of "cool pose" and probe the issues surrounding a disproportionate number of black males today: why they die earlier than whites, from suicide, homicide, accidents, and stress-related illnesses; why they are more inovlved in crime; why they drop out of school and are suspended more frequently; why they have more volatile relationships with women. This book is the first book by a black psychologist to explore this issue, one of today's most puzzling and troubling social ills. Lexington, 1992 ISBN 0-669-24523-2 Buy This Book!

Marable, Manning, Black America:  Multicultural democraact in the age of Clarence Thomas & David Duke. From this pamphlet:  "...As President Bush continues to pursue a racist agenda while employing a public style and discourse of racial harmony. He openly courts black middle class leaders. He invites them to the White House for lunch. He said, OK. Thurgood Marshall, the only African-American, on the Supreme Court, is leaving the court, but I believe in racial equality. I'm going to give you another black justice. So he produces a black justice who's against women's rights of choice. It's a black justice, Clarence Thomas, who clearly is antithetical and hostile towards the civil rights agenda. This is a black justice who is opposed to affirmative action, opposed to workers' rights and trade union rights, a so-called black justice who has carried out in his personal and private and public life an attitude of contempt for women and particularly for African-American women! But that's the one Bush has given us. This is a kind of "slick" racism, as one of my students once put it. In fact, Malcolm X developed a term for it: he called it tricknology. It gives us something without giving us anything - an appearance that diverts attention away from the real and malignant social impact..." Open Magazine, 908.789.9608, 1992

Muhajir, El, Woman-Man's Best Friend: Proverbs, poems, parables, sons. "Let's get one thing clear at the outset, I am not pushing women's liberation. Women will be liberated when men are liberated. What I am pushing is the unification of the Black family, for when the Black family is united we will all be liberated: men, women and children. Naturally, the devil doesn't want the family united: he wants men fighting women and women fighting men. Listen to any soul station in Black America, listen to the Black man singing the Blues about his woman, crying, moaning and groaning - as if she were really the problem The white man is our number one problem, not our woman, she is the victim, just as we are. Whatever evil she manifests, she learned it from the white man, via public schools, christianity, televion, movies, magazines, etc. If anything, we should be singing the blues about the white man. A collection of poems, proverbs, parables, and songs written during the years 1969-1972. Al Kitan Sudan Publishing, San Franciso, 1973

Munoz, Carlos, Youth, Identity, Power:  The chicano movement. This is a study of the origins and development of Chicano radicalism in American. Written by a leader of the Chicano Student Movement of the 1960s who also played a role in the creation of the wider Chicano Power Movement, this is the first full-length work to appear on the subject. It fills an important gap in the history of political protest in the U.S. The author places the Chicano movement in the wider context of the political development of Mexicans and their descendants in the US, tracing the emergence of Chicano student activists in the 1930s and their initial challenge to the dominant racial and class ideologies of the time. The author then documents the rise and fall of the Chicano Power Movement, situating the student protests of the sixties with in the changing political scene of the time, and assessing the movement's contribution to the cultural development of the Chicano population as a whole. He concludes with an account of Chicano politics in the 1980s. Verso, 1989 ISBN 0-86091-913-7 Buy This Book!

Oliver, William, The Violent Social World of Black Men. This book offers penetrating new insights into one of our society's greatest problems - the high incidence of violence among African American men. In this book, criminologist William Oliver discusses the causes and effects of black-on-black violence and provides an insider's perspective behind the myriad of circumstances that lead to violent confrontations. Jossey-Bass, www.josseybass.com 1998 ISBN 0-7879-4305-3 Buy This Book!

Orenstein, Gloria Feman, Multi-cultural Celebrations, Pomegranate, 1993

Paschal, Angelia M, Voices of African-American Teen Fathers. This book is an insightful look at adolescent pregnancy and parenthood through the eyes of fathers aged 14 to 19. This unique book features candid interviews with thirty teens who talk about "doing what I got to do" - handling their responsibilities as best they can given their perceptions, limitations, and life experiences. Teens talk about how and why they became fathers, how they handle being a parent, their perceptions of fatherhood, the relationships they have with their parents and the mothers of their children, and how they deal with the everyday struggles, demands, and concerns they face. Haworth Press, www.haworthpress.com, 2006, ISBN 0-7890-2738-0

Perchinske, Malene, Commitment: Fatherhood in Black America. This is a beautiful book that flys in face of popular thought that black fathers aren't committed. Despite however this perception of the absent father is upheld, many black fathers provide the support, both economically and emotionally, needed to sustain their families. This book captures images of this less often recognized parent in fifty photographs and poignant quotations from the fathers and children it celebrates. Photographer Carole Patterson has spent several years crossing the continent to interview and photograph responsible black fathers. Anthony Barboza has also contributed imagery. These portraits - young fathers, older fathers, a great-grandfather, fathers of different levels of the economic ladder - provide valuable insight into American culture. And, because of their humanitarian scope, they deliver an important message to everyone, especially young people, about parenthood and the obligations and responsibilities attached to it. University of Missouri Press 1998 ISBN 0-8262-1157-7 Buy This Book!

Riley, Dorothy Winbush, The Complete Kwanzaa:  Celebrating our cultural harvest, Harper Collins, 1995

Robbins, Anthony, & Joseph McClendon, Unlimited Power: A Black Choice. An expansion on the original Unlimited Power, to address the specific differences of African Americans in search of knowledge, courage, success and a better quality of life. It helps people overcome any societal/personal roadblocks and cultural conditioning that might keep them from enjoying the life of their dreams. Step-by-step, they show how to reprogram the mind in minutes to eliminate fears and phobias, fuel the body with renewed health and energy, dramatically improve relationships, and become a persuasive communicator. Readers learn the seven lies of success, how to duplicate the success of others, the five keys to wealth and happiness, how to determine one's values, how to resolve internal conflicts that are the source of self sabotage and other destructive behaviors. Simon & Schuster.  www.SimonSays.com 1997 Hardbound ISBN 0-684-82436-1 Buy This Book! Paperback. Buy This Tape!

Rogers, J.A., 100 Amazing Facts About the Negro:  With complete proof, Helga M. Rogers, 1995

Rogers, J.A., World’s Great Men of Color, Volume II. This second volume continues the groundbreaking account of the great Black personalities of world history and beautifully finishes what he started in the first volume. Like the first, this volume is a convenient reference; equipped with a comprehensive introduction, it treats all aspects of recorded Black history. This book is vital reading for everyone who wants a fuller and broader understanding of the great personalities who have helped shape our world. Touchstone www.SimonSays.com 1996 ISBN 0-684-81582-6 Buy This Book!

Sanchez, Trinidad, Jr. Poems by Son. The "coming of age" of the Chicano people is a complex subject that will be written about for years to come. Theirs has been a history of oppression which has affected many generations, dating back to the Spanish Conquest of Mexico and the birth of the Mestizo. Their parents have shared with them accounts of the prejudics that they have endured and their parents have shared the same with them, and on and on. It is understandable that this weighing history should have a significant influence on the thinking of sensitive writers and artists of Mexican American descent. The vestiges of outright racial discrimination remain and abound in their present society, as does the actual practice. The contemporary writer whose focus is the Mexican American experience has this history to deal with, as much as the dynamic present and the unveiling future. The author is one such writer who feels compelled to communicate the social experience of his people. His adult life has been greatly influenced by the Chicano Movement of the sixties and seventies. His poetry reflects the anguish and pain, as well as the vitality and spirit of a generation of Mexican Americans who managed to break through that stereotype image of the docile, complacent, uneducated Mexicano.Pecan Grove Press, 1996. ISBN 1-877603-41-4 Buy This Book!

Sanders, Herman A., Daddy, We Need You NOW!  A primer on African-American male socialization. There is a saying that goes something like, "Any man can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a daddy." The increasing problem facing the black community is that there are a lot of "fathers" that are not fulfilling their role as "daddy". Positive black male role models, in the black community, are becoming as scarce as the black male himself. Too many black children are being forced to grow up without the benefit of a strong black male in their lives. Of course this hurts all children, but it is especially harmful to black boys growing up without the proper "road map" that will lead them into manhood. We agree that parents are the first teachers in their children's life. So the question comes to mind that if daddy is missing, what are his children learning from him? Among other things, this book provides empirical evidence that the presence of a supportive and employed father in the home during the formative years contributes greatly to the emotional stability, positive self-concept and academic success of the children. University Press of America, 1996 ISBN Cloth 0-7618-0379-3 Buy This Book!; Paper 0-7618-0380-7 Buy This Book!

Simons, George, Working Together:  Succeeding in a multicultural organization. Working with people who look, believe or act differently from you, may be difficult or uncomfortable. You don't know what to say, or what to expect, or simply find yourself inhibited, self-conscious, or even fearful when those from other cultures are around you. Certain people may not react when you speak to them, or perform in the way you expect. What moves you doesn't seem to motivate them in the same way. Maybe you sincerely believe that you do your best to treat everyone equally and fairly, but others inform you that you are insensitive, unfair, or prejudiced. Perhaps some have even accused you of discriminating against them. This book provides you wth an opportunity to do something about understanding other cultures. The future will bring more diversity, not less. Public and private leaders all over the world face the challenge of uniting different individuals and groups to reach common goals. The best leaders learn to draw unique contributions from each group. The future of your world depends on it. This book will help you to understand and respect people of other cultures and be understood and respected by them. Its three main sections will show you how to interact with different kinds of people. So, pick up your pencil - this is both a "read" and a "do" book - and get started. Crisp, 1994 ISBN 0-931961-85-8 Buy This Book!

Simonson, Rick, Multicultural Literacy:  Opening the American Mind. The issue of cultural literacy has been the subject of intense debate in the past few years. Several bestselling books about the deficiencies of our educational system as well as changes in basic curriculum at more than one major university have contributed to the fervor of this debate. Fueling the national controversy is the question of what body of knowledge constitutes cultural literacy. While many argue for a return to a "back to basics" curriculum, equally energetic voices call for a revised curriculum, one which embrances both traditional western classics and the classics of non-European cultures, among them African, Asian and Latin American. This volume brings together thirteen essays which suggest the range of knowledge truly literate individuals need to posses to enlarge our perspecitive to include a variety of voices and heritages which contribute to the vibrant culture of the US  Also included is a beginning list of names, places, dates and concepts which are part and parcel of a multicultural fabric. Graywolf, 1988 ISBN 1-55597-114-8 Buy This Book!

Singletary, Mike, Daddy's Home at Last:  What it takes for dads to put families first. Dads looking homeward, not outward. Dads exercising leadership, fostering teamwork, and establishing rules and boundaries. Dads daring to be open, vulnerable and communicative, taking time to listen to their children and pray with them. Dads striving to create within their families a legacy of love. The author, the former Chicago Bears All-Pro middle linebacker, invites you to join the ranks of America's emerging new fatherhood. Discover the dramatic impact you can make on your family when you embrace fatherhood based on service, not selfishness. Fatherhood that defines success not in material terms but in spiritual terms. This book brings you rich wisdom, encouraging insights, challenging observations, and helpful advice. Strong, touching and full of faith, it's for every father and husband who wants to build a secure, closely knit family. Zondervan, 1998

Staples, Robert, Black Families at the Crossroads:  Challenges & prospects. Virtually every measurable aspect of the quality of life for Black Americans is declining. Poverty, crime, drug addiction, disease and educational problems continue to plaque a growing segment of the Black population. An enriched understanding of the Black family - an institution seen as both the cause and victim of many of these probmes - is an essential step toward stemming the decline of the quality of life in Black America. This book offers a comprehensive examination of the diverse and complex issues surrounding the Black family unit as it has evolved from preslavery to contemporary society. The authors draw on more than fifty years of combined experience studying the Black American family to offer insights into the specific characteristics and needs of this institution. This book looks at the historical development of the Afro-American family, its changing structures, and the roles of its family members. It describes how external forces such as economics, racism, culture and politics have affected the dynamics of family relations. Examining all the dimensions of family life, they go beyond statistics to explain the reasons behind dating and sexual norms, patterns of marital interaction, the prevalance of the female-headed household, and characteristics of family life among the aged. Based on the authors' extensive research, this book explores how children fare in households with only a single parent; how economic success correlates to marital happiness; how youths are socialized into dating roles in Black culture; and how income, education and occupational levels differ between Black men and women. Jossey-Base, www.josseybase.com 1993 ISBN 1-55542-486-4 Buy This Book!

Staples, Robert, Black Masculinity: The black male's role in American society. This is the first comprehensive study by a sociologist of the role of Afro-American men in the US. In this dynamic collection of essays, the author brings to bear his own experiential perspective as a black male along with the objective analysis of a social scientist. For the first time, black manhood is examined in his many dimensions. Beginning with the role of men in Africa, he discusses the ways in which the experience of slavery altered that role; and he reveals the powerful social forces that continue to shape the black man's role in an urban American environment. He also analyzes the issues of crime and violence among black men, and the political and economic factors that generate such behavior. Using insights gained from more than 20 years of studying black sex roles, black women's roles and rights, the book then investigates the black male's relationships with women, and his attitudes towards jealousy, sexuality, dating, homosexuality and white women. He offers a passionate yet balanced analysis of black masculinity past and present, the predictions for the future of America's most maligned group. Black Scholar Press, 1985 Hardcover: ISBN 0-933296-07-X Buy This Book! Paper Back ISBN 0-933296-06-1 Buy This Book!

Steele, Shelby, Content of Our Character:  A new vision of race in America. Why, after twenty-five years of legal change and ebbing prejudice, are blacks worse off today?  In this controversial collection of esssays, the award-winning author claims that blacks are more oppressed by doubt than by racism, and that a generation after the Watts riots and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it's time for blacks to look beyond their victimization and rely on their efforts to gain access to the American mainstream. In brilliant, moving prose, he illuminates the origins of the conflict in race relations today - the increase in anger, mistrust, and even violence between blacks and whites. With candid and persuasive arguments, he shows us how both black and white Americans have become trapped into seeing color before character, and how social policies designed to lessen racial differences have instead made them greater. This is neither "liberal" or "conservative," but an honest, courageous look at America's most enduring and wrenching social dilemma. Harper Perennial, 1990 ISBN 0-06-097415-X Buy This Book!

Steptoe, Javaka illustrator, In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall:  African Amercians Celebrating Fathers. This is a tribute to the influence that Black fathers have on their sons, daughters, and grandchildren. In this intergenerational collection of poetry by new and established African American writers - who range in age from their 20's to their 50's - fatherhood is celebrated with honor, humor and grace. Bringing each poem to life is the spirited artwork of Javaka Steptoe, in his picture book debut. The son of the late acclaimed children's book artist, John Steptoe, Javaka employs an inventive range of media to explore the special bond between father and child. This book delivers a profound message to people everywhere that family is a precious gift, and that fathers are among our most affecting heroes. Lee & Low, www.leeandlow.com 1997

Takaki, Ronald, Strangers from a Different Shore:  A history of Asian Americans

Terry, Rod, Brother's Keeper:  Words of inspiration for African-American men, Peter Pauper Press, 1996

Toussaint, Pamela, Great Books for African-American Children. This book brings you a compendium of more than 250 books that celebrate the African-American experience. This comprehensive guide for children of all ages - from preschoolers to young adults - features: A list of some of the best books avialable, including out-of-print books. In-depth reviews of each book - including information about awards received. The main moral value of each book plus thoughtful, exploratory questions to ask your child. An index that lists each book by title, author, and moral value. A list of reading resources parents can use to find websites, magazines, videos, and bookstores specializing in African-American subjects...and more. Including a complete appendix and entries about poetry collections and speeches, this book is an invaluable resource for parents and children. Plume Book www.penguinputnam.com 1999 ISBN 0-452-28044-3 Buy This Book!

Urrea, Luis Alberto, The Devil's Highway. In May 2001, a group of men attempted to cross the border into the desert of southern Arizona, through the deadliest region of the continent, a place called the Devil's Highway. Fathers and sons, brothers and strangers, entered a desert so harsh and desolate that even the Border Patrol is afraid to travel through it. For hundreds of years, men have tried to conquer this land, and for hundreds of years the desert has stolen their souls and swallowed their blood. Along the Devil's Highway, days are so hot that dead bodies naturally mummify almost immediately. And that May, twenty-six men went in. Twelve came back out. These men would not give up. This is a story of astonishing courage and strength, of an epic battle against circumstance. These twenty-six men would look the Devil in the eyes - and some of them would not blink. Little, Brown and Company, 2004, ISBN 0-316-74671-1

Vanzant, Iyanla, The Spirit of a Man: A Vision of Transformation for Black Men and the Women Who Love Them. Long known as the country's leading authority on spirituality and empowerment for Black women, Iyanla Vanzant now offers a message of faith, self-knowledge and courage for Black men in the struggles, crises and victories they face in today's society. Teaching Black men to recognize and tap the energy of their own spirits, Vanzant uses a brilliant and transforming blend of ancient African spirituality, practical self-help advice, and contemporary faith to help Black men - and the women who love them - nurture the strength and power that are their birthright. HarperCollins www.harpercollins.com 1996 ISBN 0-06-251239-0 Buy This Book!

Wade-Gayles, Gloria, Father Songs:  Testimonies by African-American sons and daughters,. Loving, enraged, wounded, heroic. These are our fathers, our black fathers. In startlingly beautiful prose, poetry and fiction some of our most gifted writers, including John Edgar Wideman, Malcolm X, Audre Lorde, Toi Derricotte, Ntozake Shange, Charles Braxton, Manning Marable, Mary Helen Washington and Dolores Kendricks, pay tribute to the complex relationship between sons, daughters and the first and most important man in their lives. Some search for their fathers in painful memories that haunt them from childhood through adolescence into their own parenthood; others celebrate their fathers' lives and the gifts their fathers gave them and their own children. Despite the enormous range of experiences, each writer affirms the central role this relationship has played in their lives. This book offers forgiveness for past mistakes and an invitation to new beginnings. A much-needed book, it promises to bring black men and women together as fathers, daughters, and sons - as family. Beacon Press, 1997

Watts, Roderick, Jagers, J, ed, Manhood Development in Urban African-American Communities. One of the first books to unite practice, research and theory in addressing manhood development, this book aids in the construction of more holistic and progressive notions of African-American manhood. Proceeding from a psychological perspective, this text explores the issues of culture and race and how they impact the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral characteristics of African-American boys and men. You will see how the development of self-esteem and self-image are specifically affected by issues of gender, race, culture, religion, and oppression. The understanding of culture, gender and oppression you’ll gain will enable you to promote the positive development of young men. Haworth Press www.haworth.com 1997 Hardback See paperback below. Buy This Book!

Watts, Roderick & Robert Jagers, ed. Manhood Development in Urban African-American Communities. One of the first books to unite practice, research and theory in addressing manhood development, this book aids in the construction of more holistic and progressive notions of African-American manhood. Proceeding from a psychological perspective, this text explores the issues of culture and race and how they impact the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral characteristics of African-American boys and men. You will see how the development of self-esteem and self-image are specifically affected by issues of gender, race, culture, religion, and oppression. The understanding of culture, gender and oppression you’ll gain will enable you to promote the positive development of young men. Haworth Press www.haworth.com 1998 Paperback ISBN 0-7890-0505-0 Buy This Book!

Wideman, John Edgar, Fatheralong:  The Meditation on Fathers and Sons, Race and Society, Pantheon, 1994

Wilkinson, Doris & Ronald Taylor, eds, The Black Male in America

Williams, Gregalan, Boys to Men:  Maps for the Journey. In today's crazy world, it's sometimes hard to find the time, and the words, to talk honestly with our children about what they're thinking - much less to remember what we thought when we were their age. This is a moving and honest account of how one man made it to manhood. In its reminiscences you will find yourself, and your son. These stories will spark memories of stories of your own, stories you can use to open a dialogue with your growing son. His critical message cuts across race and class to guide a son and strengthen the courage of his parents. An important resource in the struggle to save our sons, this will help prepare the men of tomorrow for the road they must travel today. Main Street Books www.bdd.com 1998 ISBN 0-385-48688X Buy This Book!

Wright, Marguerite, I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla: Raising healthy black and biracial childen in a race-conscious world. This thought-provoking book draws on the author's research into the ways children view race at different stages of development. This guide for parents and teachers of black children offers clear compelling, well-grounded advice on self-esteem, shatters common myths about race, and reveals practical ways adults can instill children with positive racial identities. Jossey-Bass www.josseybass.com 1998 Buy This Book!

Zogby, James J., What Ethnic Americans Really Think: The Zogby Culture Polls. These "Cultural Polls" reveal findings of separate surveys of six major American ethnic groups: Latino Americans, Italian Americans, African Americans, Jewish Americans, Arab Americans and Asian Pacific Americans. The surveys analyize family background and lifestyle characteristics for each ethnic group, along with an analysis on areas of commonality and differences on major policy issues. This study does for current observers of the American reality what Moynihan and Glazer did in the 60's in Beyond the Melting Pot and what Andrew Greeley did in the 70's in Ethnicity: A preliminary reconnaissance and Why Can't They Be Like US? The Zogby brothers combine the excellence of the foremost polling and data gathering organization in the world with the insights of seasoned practitioners of ethnic coalition politics. This is a book that will reshape the new politics of renewed confidence in values that are foundational of representative government. The classroom, the courthouse, the political campaign and the political pundits will welcome this path breaking compilation of information. These data will strip nonsensical veneer from public discourse that has manipulated culture and values and soured democratic trust. The author's provide the required focus on honest attention to diversity and the search for common ground in human aspirations for well-being and respect as well as fairness which has been and remains the American promise of liberty and justice for all. Zogby International, 2001 ISBN 0-9712255-0-8 Buy this Book!

*    *    *
There are no elements so diverse that they cannot be joined in the heart of a man. - Jean Giraudoux



Contact Us | Disclaimer | Privacy Statement
Menstuff® Directory
Menstuff® is a registered trademark of Gordon Clay
©1996-2023, Gordon Clay