Black History Month: Influential Black Authors

As we celebrate Black History Month, it is important that the voices and opinions of the community are heard. In this article, we’ll be exploring different stories told by Black Authors around the world. The article will provide the book description and author backstories.

A Promised Land - Barack Obama

Short Description:

In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity, to leader of the free

world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

About Barack Obama:

Barack Hussein Obama II was the first African-American president of the United States. He was also a former lawyer and now a New York Times Bestselling Author. Obama was known for his contributions in the fight for legalizing same-sex marriage in the US.

Letters To A Young Athlete - Chris Bosh

Short Description:

Reflecting on all he learned from a long list of basketball legends, from LeBron and Kobe to Pat Riley and Coach K, he saw that his important lessons weren’t about basketball so much as the innergame of success—right attitude, right commitment and right flow within a team. Now he shares that journey, giving us a fascinating view from the inside of what greatness feels like and what it takes, formulated as a series of letters to younger people coming up and to all wisdom seekers. A timeless gift for anyone in pursuit of excellence, Letters to a Young Athlete offers a proven path for taming your inner voice and making it your ally, through the challenges of failure and the challenges of success alike.

About Chris Bosh:

Christopher Wesson Bosh was a 11-time NBA All-Star, two-time

NBA Champion and Olympic gold medalist. Now retired, he is an

NBA Hall of Famer, NBA ambassador and published author!

You Got Anything Stronger? - Gabrielle Union

Short Description:

A lot has changed in four years—I became a mom and I’m raising two amazing girls. My husband retired. My career has expanded so that I have the opportunity to lift up other voices that need to

be heard. But the world has also shown us that we have a lot we still have to fight for—as women, as black women, as mothers, as aging women, as human beings, as friends. In You Got Anything

Stronger?, I show you how this ever-changing life presents challenges, even as it gives me moments of pure joy. I take you on a girl’s night at Chateau Marmont, and I also talk to Isis, my character from Bring It On. For the first time, I truly open up about

my surrogacy journey and the birth of Kaavia James Union Wade. And I take on racist institutions and practices in the entertainment

industry, asking for equality and real accountability.You Got Anything Stronger? is me at my most vulnerable. I have recently

found true strength in that vulnerability, and I want to share that

power with you here, through this book.

About Gabrielle Union:

Gabrielle Monique Union is an actress and published author of

many books. She is best known for her appearances in the film

Bring It On (2000) and Breaking in (2018). Union also was

appointed by President Obama to participate in the U.S. National

Advisory Committee for Violence Against Women.

Becoming - Michelle Obama

Short Description:

In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare.

About Michelle Obama:

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama was the first African-

American First Lady of the United States. She was also a former

attorney and now a New York Times Best Selling Author! Obama

was also known as an advocate for women and girls’ rights

globally.

Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised: A Memoir of Survival and

Hope - Carmelo Anthony

Short Description:

For a long time, Carmelo Anthony’s world wasn’t any larger than the view of the hoopers and hustlers he watched from the side window of his family’s first-floor project apartment in Red Hook, Brooklyn. He couldn’t dream any bigger than emulating his older

brothers and cousin, much less going on to become a basketball champion on the world stage. Carmelo’s story is one of strength and determination; of dribbling past players bigger and tougher than him, while also weaving around vial caps and needles strewn across the court; where dealers and junkies lined one side of the asphalt and kids playing jacks and Double Dutch lined the other; where rims had no nets, and you better not call a foul—a place

Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised.

About Carmelo Anthony:

Carmelo Kyam Anthony is an NBA player for the Los Angeles

Lakers. He is also a 10-time NBA All-Star and a three-time

Olympic Champion. Anthony is also known for his generous

donations towards national disaster relief organizations and

promoting youth in sports. Anthony donated and raised $4.2

million dollars to build a basketball facility at Syracuse University.

More Myself: A Journey - Alicia Keys

Short Description:

As one of the most celebrated musicians in the world, Alicia Keys has enraptured the globe with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from

the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache-over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized her early career, the loss of privacy surrounding her romantic relationships, and the oppressive expectations of female perfection. In More Myself, Alicia shares her quest for truth-about herself, her past, and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating her worth. With the raw honesty that epitomizes Alicia''s artistry, More Myself is at once a riveting account and a clarion call to readers: to define themselves in a world that rarely encourages a true and unique

identity.

About Alicia Keys:

Alicia Augello Cook Keys is a famous singer, songwriter and

actress. Along with 15 Grammy Awards, Keys is known for her hit

songs “You Don’t Know My Name” and “If I Ain’t Got You.” Keys

is known for her for HIV/AIDs activism with her connections to the

Keep A Child Alive organization. She even documented her

experience in the documentary - Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland.

TOUFAH: The Woman Who Inspired An African #MeToo

Movement - Toufah Jallow

Short Description:

An incandescent and inspiring memoir from a courageous young woman who, after she was forced to flee to Canada from her home in The Gambia, became the first woman to publicly call the country’s dictator to account for sexual assault—launching an unprecedented protest movement in West Africa.

About Toufah Jallow:

Toufah Jallow is an activist, author and sexual assault survivor. Jallow had survived the assault of West Africa’s brutal dictators, and has been explicitly voiced their story for the world to hear.

Jallow, a queer refugee and humans rights activist, hasdocumented and contributed to the #MeToo movement. The contributions also includes The Toufah Foundation supporting sexual violence victims.

Unprotected: A Memoir - Billy Porter

Short Description:

Billy Porter’s Unprotected is the life story of a singular artist and survivor, in his own words. It is the story of a boy whose talent and courage opened doors for him, but only a crack. It is the story of a teenager discovering himself, learning his voice and his craft amidst deep trauma. And it is the story of a young man whose unbreakable determination led him through countless hard times to where he is now; a proud icon who refuses to back down or hide. Porter is a multitalented, multifaceted treasure at the top of his game, and Unprotected is a resonant, inspirational story of

trauma and healing, shot through with his singular voice.

About Billy Porter:

Billy Porter is an actor, Broadway singer and author. Porter is a

well known activist for BLM, LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDs movements.

His book, Unprotected, reveals Porter’s personal hardships of the

topics above.