My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me
by Maya Angelou
J 704.042
An eight-year-old Ndebele girl named Thandi describes her pet chicken, painting special designs on her house, dressing up for school, and her mischievous brother, in a book that celebrates the joys and challenges of growing up in South Africa.

York's Adventures with Lewis and Clark: an African-American's Part in the Great Expedition
by Rhoda Blumberg
J 917.8042 BLU
Did you know that an African-American man participated in Lewis and Clark's famous expedition? Working alongside free men, Clark's slave York played an important role in the journey's success. This award-winning book gives a gripping and insightful account of York's significant contribution to this landmark historical event

Satchel Paige
by Lesa Cline-Ransome
J 796.357 PAIGE, S.
Lesa Cline-Rasome’s spirited folksy narrative and James Ransome’s boldly colored, exciting paintings capture the challenges, rewards and, most of all, the unique brand of showmanship in the life of the tall, lean legend named Satchel Paige. 

A Free Black Girl Before the Civil War: the Diary of Charlotte Forten, 1854
by Charlotte L. Forten
J 974.45 FOR

The diary of a sixteen-year-old free African American who lived in Massachusetts in 1854 records her schooling, participation in the antislavery movement, and concern for an arrested fugitive slave.  Includes sidebars, activities, and a timeline related to this era. 

Talkin' About Bessie: the Story of Aviator Bessie Coleman
by Nikki Grimes
J B COLEMAN, B.

Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman was always being told what she could and couldn’t do. Growing up in a time when segregation was a way of life, it was not easy to survive. Bessie didn’t let that stop her.  Although she was only eleven when the Wright brothers took their historic flight, she vowed to become the first African-American female pilot. Her sturdy faith and determination helped her overcome obstacles of poverty, racism, and gender discrimination. 

The People Could Fly : the Picture Book
by Virginia Hamilton
J 398.209 USA HAM

In this retelling of a folktale, a group of slaves, unable to bear their sadness and starvation any longer, calls upon the African magic that allows them to fly away.

Jazz: My Music, My People
by Morgan Monceaux
J 781.65092 MON

From Buddy Bolden, the romantic, legendary trumpet player who formed the first jazz band, to Louis Armstrong to Duke Ellington to Billie Holiday to Thelonious Monk, here are the creators of a uniquely American music, brilliantly revealed through the artistry of Louisiana-born painter Morgan Monceaux.

Blues Journey
by Walter Dean Myers
J 811.54 MYE
A blues poem offers the history of the African American Experience.

Harlem : a Poem
by Walter Dean Myers
J 811.54 MYE

Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and James Baldwin have sung their songs about Harlem.  Now Walter Dean Myers joins their chorus in calling to life the deep, rich, and hope-filled history of this community, this crucible of American culture. 

Duke Ellington : the Piano Prince and His Orchestra
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
J 781.6509 ELLINGTON, D.

This book offers a brief recounting of the career of Duke Ellington, jazz musician and composer, who created music that was beyond category.

Ella Fitzgerald, the Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa
by Andrea Davis Pinkney
J 782.4216 FITZGERALD, E.

Acclaimed author Andrea Davis Pinkney tells Ella’s inspiring story in the voice of Scat Cat Monroe, a feline fan whose imagined narrative sings with the infectious rhythms of scat. 

Promises to Keep : How Jackie Robinson Changed America
by Sharon Robinson
J 796.357 ROBINSON, J.

Sharon Robinson shares memories of her famous father in this loving biography of the man who made history by breaking the color barrier in baseball—and taught his children that the only measure of life is the impact you have on others’ lives. 

Jesse Owens : Fastest Man Alive
by Carole Boston Weatherford
J 796.4209 OWENS, J.

Jesse Owen grew up during an age when segregation laws forced him to eat at separate restaurants and stay at different hotels. But Jesse never let it slow him down while setting world records and winning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.  

Moses : When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom
by Carole Boston Weatherford
J B TUBMAN, H.

This book describes Tubman's spiritual journey as she hears the voice of God guiding her north to freedom on that very first trip to escape the brutal practice of forced servitude. Tubman would make nineteen subsequent trips back south, never being caught, but none as profound as this first one.