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sexiness"},{"term":"q\u0026a"},{"term":"quilting"},{"term":"race"},{"term":"radio"},{"term":"raised fists"},{"term":"rally"},{"term":"rappers"},{"term":"ratings"},{"term":"raven-symoné"},{"term":"raynette turner"},{"term":"records"},{"term":"rehab"},{"term":"remix"},{"term":"report"},{"term":"restaurants"},{"term":"rock and Roll Hall of Fame"},{"term":"rock music"},{"term":"rolling stones"},{"term":"rom-coms"},{"term":"salvator aquino"},{"term":"sammus"},{"term":"sasheer zamata"},{"term":"satellites"},{"term":"sayhername"},{"term":"school supplies"},{"term":"science"},{"term":"self portraits"},{"term":"selfies"},{"term":"senegalese twists"},{"term":"sentencing"},{"term":"sexuality"},{"term":"shaun king"},{"term":"sheroes"},{"term":"shooting"},{"term":"shootings"},{"term":"shopping"},{"term":"short stories"},{"term":"singing"},{"term":"singles"},{"term":"slavery"},{"term":"small businesses"},{"term":"software engineers"},{"term":"special needs"},{"term":"spike lee"},{"term":"spoken word"},{"term":"star wars"},{"term":"state dinner"},{"term":"stationary"},{"term":"staycation"},{"term":"stephanie dorceant"},{"term":"storytelling"},{"term":"strings"},{"term":"students"},{"term":"stunts"},{"term":"stuntwoman"},{"term":"style"},{"term":"summer reading"},{"term":"supercentenarian"},{"term":"support black business"},{"term":"swim team"},{"term":"tamron Hall"},{"term":"teachers"},{"term":"teaching"},{"term":"temple university"},{"term":"the perfect guy"},{"term":"the view"},{"term":"theatre"},{"term":"theology"},{"term":"three fifths"},{"term":"tour dates"},{"term":"track and field"},{"term":"transgender women"},{"term":"treat yoself"},{"term":"trina"},{"term":"tuli art"},{"term":"tv films"},{"term":"tv series"},{"term":"twins"},{"term":"twists"},{"term":"unconventional beauty"},{"term":"unions"},{"term":"university"},{"term":"upcoming tour"},{"term":"viagra"},{"term":"victims"},{"term":"video"},{"term":"video game"},{"term":"videos"},{"term":"viral"},{"term":"visibility"},{"term":"voting"},{"term":"water colors"},{"term":"western"},{"term":"whiskey on the rocks tour"},{"term":"white supremacy."},{"term":"womanism"},{"term":"women athletes"},{"term":"women rappers"},{"term":"wondaland"},{"term":"workplace"},{"term":"wrongful death"},{"term":"yhebe design"},{"term":"yoga"},{"term":"young women athletes"},{"term":"zadie smith"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Culture "},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"The Culture is an entertainment and culture guide for women of the African Diaspora. We cover art, design, tech, literature, and music. Presented by For Harriet\n"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5675981418905103524\/posts\/default\/-\/bell+hooks?alt=json-in-script\u0026max-results=8"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/search\/label\/bell%20hooks"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"For Harriet"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09683917312535044896"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"4"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"8"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675981418905103524.post-9063783568666868151"},"published":{"$t":"2016-05-24T10:17:00.002-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-05-24T10:20:13.254-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"alice walker"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bell hooks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Black women authors"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"literature"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Maya Angelou"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Octavia Butler"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Toni Morrison"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Zora Neale Hurston"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"10 Black Women Authors Who Have Shaped Our Souls"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-krm15tgSRO8\/V0OElibDciI\/AAAAAAAAAF0\/JU1IOerc44AFgSNdj4ZVC2L-UiZKqIAoACLcB\/s1600\/mangelou1.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-krm15tgSRO8\/V0OElibDciI\/AAAAAAAAAF0\/JU1IOerc44AFgSNdj4ZVC2L-UiZKqIAoACLcB\/s1600\/mangelou1.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eby \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sofia_maame\"\u003E@sofia_maame\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003EBlack women writers work tirelessly to share their lives in an effort to awaken others. These women infiltrated the closed worlds of literature, writing and poetry that have often failed to reflect the views and experiences of Black people. This list of ten phenomenal Black women authors is for those women who have shaped our souls by bravely telling our stories and shaking up the status quo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C!-- Large --\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cins class=\"adsbygoogle\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9450107725766363\" data-ad-slot=\"6852641998\" style=\"display: inline-block; height: 280px; width: 336px;\"\u003E\u003C\/ins\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--e3Vkkowk7U\/V0M8ToO2IuI\/AAAAAAAAAFE\/2upGAGr0zi0Fqcp_W-aQjn-8yAQNvcgDgCLcB\/s1600\/pwheatley.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/--e3Vkkowk7U\/V0M8ToO2IuI\/AAAAAAAAAFE\/2upGAGr0zi0Fqcp_W-aQjn-8yAQNvcgDgCLcB\/s1600\/pwheatley.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EPhillis Wheatley, Poet, First Published African American Author\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBorn in modern day \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Senegal\"\u003ESenegal\u003C\/a\u003E\/\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Gambia\"\u003EGambia\u003C\/a\u003E in about 1753, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/phillis-wheatley-9528784\"\u003EPhillis Wheatley\u003C\/a\u003E was enslaved by 1761. When she arrived to the Americas (Boston, Massachusetts), she was sold to Master John Wheatley as a house slave to his wife. Ignoring laws and social codes that strictly prohibited educating slaves at that time, Mrs. Wheatley taught Phillis reading, writing and arithmetic. Of all the subjects Phillis was taught, she mastered poetry, Latin and Greek. Wheatley eventually used her education to pave her own path as a poet and author.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/blogger.g?blogID=5675981418905103524\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EWheatley published her first volume of poetry, titled \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Poems-Various-Subjects-Religious-Moral\/dp\/1499220723\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;keywords=phillis%20wheatley\u0026amp;qid=1464099127\u0026amp;ref_=sr_1_3\u0026amp;sr=8-3\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=98b776e37164bf8a748cdb1889148fc4\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPoems On Various Subjects, Religious and Moral\u003C\/a\u003E, in 1773. Her writing style was reminiscent of hymns and ancient philosophical thought. Wheatley published her work with the help of abolitionists and feminists and gained broad recognition for her skillful verses. In fact, her poems were so well written that many colonists doubted the authenticity of her work until she received endorsements from\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Hancock\"\u003E John Hancock \u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/george-washington-9524786\"\u003EGeorge Washington\u003C\/a\u003E. Washington was so moved by Wheatley’s artistry, that he invited her to Washington D.C. in March of 1776, where she wrote a series of poems about his role in leading the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Continental_Army\"\u003EContinental Army\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFollowing the success of Volume 1, Wheatley spent most of her life trying to publish her second body of work. After getting married and gaining her freedom in the late 1700’s, Wheatley struggled financially and was never able to find a publisher to produce a second volume. Nevertheless, Wheatley is and will always be the first published African American author and a proud milestone in black history.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-jFAADs2SO6s\/V0M8T_NzsTI\/AAAAAAAAAFM\/FUsrYBBn8n058bDSLEyPAsAlqO3cOr2vgCKgB\/s1600\/zneale.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-jFAADs2SO6s\/V0M8T_NzsTI\/AAAAAAAAAFM\/FUsrYBBn8n058bDSLEyPAsAlqO3cOr2vgCKgB\/s1600\/zneale.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EZora Neale Hurston, Novelist, International Folklorist\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zora_Neale_Hurston\"\u003EZora Neale Hurston\u003C\/a\u003E is recorded to have been born in Alabama on January 7, 1891. However, Hurston herself recorded her birthplace as being Eatonville, Florida and was known to change her birth date from time to time. The majority of her adulthood was spent studying diverse cultures and practices of the South, the Caribbean, Latin America and everywhere in between. Hurston went on to receive her associate's degree from Howard University and another degree, on scholarship, from Barnard University, where she studied anthropology.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDuring her time in New York City after leaving Howard in Washington D.C, Hurston immersed herself in the Harlem Renaissance, which later inspired her career in the fine arts. It all started with her winning various literature magazine contests and partnering with famous friend Langston Hughes. He and Hurston co-wrote the play \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Mule-Bone-Comedy-Negro-Life\/dp\/0061651125\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464099209\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=mule+bone\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=5dada0714ea02b60edb4205b2b78a5c6\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EMule Bone: A Comedy of Negro Life\u003C\/a\u003E, in the mid-1930s among other creative projects. After writing a diverse selection of plays including, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Zora-Neale-Hurston-Multi-Ethnic-Literatures\/dp\/0813542928\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464099277\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=zora+neale+hurston+plays\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=4f06baccebefd082a7bc60f9fc8c3482\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Great Day \u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Zora-Neale-Hurston-Multi-Ethnic-Literatures\/dp\/0813542928\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464099277\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=zora+neale+hurston+plays\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=4f06baccebefd082a7bc60f9fc8c3482\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EFrom Sun to Sun\u003C\/a\u003E, Hurston began her journey as a novelist. Her first novel \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Jonahs-Gourd-Vine-A-Novel\/dp\/0061350192\"\u003EJonah’s Gourd Vine\u003C\/a\u003E was released in 1934, before what is now known as her mastery novel, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Their-Eyes-Were-Watching-God\/dp\/0061120065\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464099516\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=their+eyes+were+watching\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=030450d04fe9b6021f715aa558873be2\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ETheir Eyes Were Watching God\u003C\/a\u003E (1937).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/blogger.g?blogID=5675981418905103524\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EHurston wrote the novel, while traveling in Haiti and studying Vodou. Traveling, collecting cultural stories and her background in anthropology, contributed to Hurston’s ability to express the black experience across nationalities in \u003Ci\u003ETheir Eyes Were Watching God\u003C\/i\u003E. She published her autobiography, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Dust-Tracks-Road-Autobiography-Perennial\/dp\/0060854081\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464099692\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=dust+tracks+on+a+road\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=413f949dbffe520cce037e034db37663\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EDust Tracks on a Road\u003C\/a\u003E, in 1942 before being falsely accused of molesting a 10-year-old boy in 1948. It’s reported Hurston’s career never fully recovered from that accusation until years after her death in 1960. Hurston died poor and alone; however, she is now acknowledged as the great anthropologist-novelist of African American literature.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-YRNQ5jiePw8\/V0M8TcuJsvI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/xlNzmdnvbeQhBkoj-3tNEFZFS4gydDlLQCKgB\/s1600\/Mangelou.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-YRNQ5jiePw8\/V0M8TcuJsvI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/xlNzmdnvbeQhBkoj-3tNEFZFS4gydDlLQCKgB\/s1600\/Mangelou.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EMaya Angelou, Poet, Award-Winning Author\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAuthor, actress, dancer, activist and poet \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Maya_Angelou\"\u003EMaya Angelou\u003C\/a\u003E was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Most famously acknowledged for her 1969 memoir, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Know-Why-Caged-Bird-Sings\/dp\/0345514408\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464099763\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=i+know+why+the+caged+bird+sings\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=b27ba52bed73b6252585c1a1ca294472\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EI Know Why The Caged Bird Sings\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;Angelou recited one of her most famous poems, “\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/On_the_Pulse_of_Morning\"\u003EOn The Pulse Of Morning\u003C\/a\u003E,\" during the 1993 inauguration for President Bill Clinton.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMuch of Angelou’s lifetime before creating her legacy was spent living with her grandmother, in Stamps, Arkansas after her parents’ divorced when she was young. During a trip to visit her mother at age 7, her mother’s boyfriend raped. She only told her brother, and a few days later, Angelou learned that her mother’s boyfriend had dropped dead. In complete shock, Maya became mute for five years.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe began speaking again at 13, and she moved to San Francisco on scholarship to attend the California Labor School for acting and dance. She dropped out of school at 15 to become San Francisco’s first African American cable car driver for a little over a year. After returning to school, she gave birth to her son, Guy. Angelou moved on from Guy’s father (her high school sweetheart) and went on to marry Greek Sailor Anastasios Angelopulos, whom she later used as inspiration behind her moniker - Maya was the nickname her brother had given her and Angelou was the shorthand version of Angelopoulos. Apparently, Miss. Angelou knew she would need an exceptional name.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C!-- Large --\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cins class=\"adsbygoogle\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9450107725766363\" data-ad-slot=\"6852641998\" style=\"display: inline-block; height: 280px; width: 336px;\"\u003E\u003C\/ins\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-RsMArHA7vEs\/V0M6zgecg9I\/AAAAAAAAAEk\/pI7n5v-HBysjBGPhVL9RYiRrm3BvHK74gCLcB\/s1600\/obutler.png\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-RsMArHA7vEs\/V0M6zgecg9I\/AAAAAAAAAEk\/pI7n5v-HBysjBGPhVL9RYiRrm3BvHK74gCLcB\/s1600\/obutler.png\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOctavia E.Butler, Author, Science Fiction Pioneer\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EAfrican American spiritualism within science fiction was hardly existent before Octavia Butler entered the realm that was previously dominated by older white men. Her first novel \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Patternmaster-Patternist-Book-Octavia-Butler-ebook\/dp\/B008HALOPA\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;keywords=pattern%20master%20octavia%20butler\u0026amp;qid=1464100078\u0026amp;ref_=sr_1_3\u0026amp;sr=8-3\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=d1ea466e01c6b90a8540392546e5a3c9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPatternmaster\u003C\/a\u003E, was published in 1976 as the first book within her four volume \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Patternist-4-Book\/dp\/B00WTILUO6\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;redirect=true\u0026amp;ref_=series_rw_dp_sw\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=819f41418ea4d5475783582d0854c6ee\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EPatternist Series.\u003C\/a\u003E Butler had managed to thrive in an industry that was previously impermeable for women and people of color. In addition to creating new space for herself and others, she approached science fiction from a more unique perspective than her white male counterparts. \u003Ci\u003EThe Patternist Series\u003C\/i\u003E and others like it were mediums Butler used to portray social issues concerning humanity and people of African descent. In this way, Butler’s novels weren’t an escape for the sole means of being an escape; instead, they urged the reader to consider every day injustices through the filter of imagination.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/blogger.g?blogID=5675981418905103524\"\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EBorn on June 22, 1947, she struggled with dyslexia as a child. Even then Butler never shrunk back on reading and writing, continuing to nourish her love for books. That love grew into a lifelong career of accomplishments and recognition uncommon to those in her genre of writing. In 1995, Butler received the Genius Grant from the MacArthur Foundation, an accomplishment that had never been done by a sci-fi writer before her. In pop-culture, Butler’s work has also been credited for inspiring greater inclusion of black women into roles on shows like \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0796366\/\"\u003E“Star Trek”\u003C\/a\u003E and “\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Star_Wars\"\u003EStar Wars\u003C\/a\u003E.” The force has certainly been with this orchestrator of #BlackGirlMagic.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-oDzH0ZVIld0\/V0M6znIzMkI\/AAAAAAAAAEo\/JzlQ5Hge3Skt9k6Ph5Xq8aHv-0QT7tXtQCKgB\/s1600\/tonim.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-oDzH0ZVIld0\/V0M6znIzMkI\/AAAAAAAAAEo\/JzlQ5Hge3Skt9k6Ph5Xq8aHv-0QT7tXtQCKgB\/s1600\/tonim.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EToni Morrison, Writer, Literature Connoisseur\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/toni-morrison-9415590\"\u003EToni Morrison \u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;didn't begin to fully comprehend\u0026nbsp;colorism and race in America until she was a teenager. In first grade, Morrison attended an integrated elementary school where she was the only one of her peers who could read. She continued to soar through middle school and high school, where she graduated with honors from Lorain High School in Lorain, Ohio. Born on February 18, 1931, Morrison grew up in a family that instilled the love of folklore, reading and music into her identity.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAs an educator, Morrison taught at her alma mater Howard University and then Princeton University. She attended Cornell University for graduate school, where she wrote a thesis on the work of \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/virginia-woolf-9536773\"\u003EVirginia Woolf\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/william-faulkner-9292252\"\u003EWilliam Faulkner\u003C\/a\u003E. Working closely with academic journals and campus magazines, Morrison became senior editor for textbook publisher, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/\"\u003ERandom House\u003C\/a\u003E, in the late 1960s. She gave her first literature gift to the world in the form of, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Bluest-Eye-Vintage-International\/dp\/0307278441\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464100683\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=the+bluest+eye\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=6234a6bd0892c8c5aaacf00fe8b8e215\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Bluest Eye\u003C\/a\u003E, published in 1970.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe Bluest Eye\u003C\/i\u003E was one of the first novels of its kind to examine the effects of eurocentric beauty culture on women of color in the United States. The novel established Morrison as a thought leader in the discussions of self- image and black womanhood within mainstream literature. Today, Morrison’s legacy is reflected in the discussion of black femininity and black body politics.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-1Ei0f6Qss6A\/V0M8TffRwGI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/HVVSdpY_1igbGTfGBdCilmhzx1ZmhglnQCKgB\/s1600\/awalker.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-1Ei0f6Qss6A\/V0M8TffRwGI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/HVVSdpY_1igbGTfGBdCilmhzx1ZmhglnQCKgB\/s1600\/awalker.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlice Walker, Writer, Social Activist\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhen Alice Walker was 8 years old, she was accidentally shot in the eye with a BB pellet while playing with her two brothers. When whitish tissue scar began to develop, she became increasingly self-conscious and withdrew from those around her. Finding solitude in reading and writing, Walker began writing poems. Her ability to vividly express her environment on paper, quickly developed and aided her in becoming valedictorian of her high school class.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile living and learning in segregated Georgia and Mississippi, Walker grew increasingly more involved with the Civil Rights Movement in between her daytime positions as a social worker and educator. Walker’s experience with the movement and the African American community, informed her first collection of published poems, Once, in 1968. By 1970, Walker released her first novel, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Third-Life-Grange-Copeland\/dp\/0156028360\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464100917\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=the+third+life+of+grange+copeland\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=45b81138ed2d2d2f4cb72fb48281d43a\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThird Life of Grange Copeland\u003C\/a\u003E, and her first children’s book, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Langston-Hughes-American-Alice-Walker\/dp\/0060215186\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464100949\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=langston+hughes%3A+american+poet\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=48a03bec954a26f15c967377f9142ed8\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ELangston Hughes: American Poet\u003C\/a\u003E, in 1973.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn 1982, Walker introduced \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Color-Purple-Alice-Walker\/dp\/0156028352\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464100978\u0026amp;sr=8-2\u0026amp;keywords=the+color+purple\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=6bf7070f33bee521f3110523b1e3f63a\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Color Purple\u003C\/a\u003E, which catapulted her into undisputed success. Critics were intrigued by Walker’s ability to share the Black woman's experience through the eyes of the main character, Celie. \u003Ci\u003EThe Color Purple\u003C\/i\u003E shed light on domestic violence within the Black family. Celie was a fictional character, but Walker’s grandparents influenced everything about her story. She was intrigued by how little she had actually known about her grandparent’s before spending months in their home. Since then, Walker continues to use writing as a means of telling the beauty and horror of truth.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-UhzOc6j53_U\/V0M8TTdQeiI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/ntJFKkzkSGwwETCkReiW51pAH61nLkq4QCKgB\/s1600\/bhooks.png\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-UhzOc6j53_U\/V0M8TTdQeiI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/ntJFKkzkSGwwETCkReiW51pAH61nLkq4QCKgB\/s1600\/bhooks.png\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Ebell hooks, Essayist, Feminist Champion\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBorn \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.blackpast.org\/aah\/hooks-bell-gloria-jean-watkins-1952\"\u003EGloria Jean Watkins in Kentucky\u003C\/a\u003E, bell hooks has dedicated her life to championing the cause of feminism through various forms of dialogue. Having published over 30 books and a number of scholarly articles on feminism, she continues to be an important voice on the subjects of, sexism, racism, black womanhood and the media’s role in the portrayal of women. \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Feminism-Everybody-Passionate-bell-hooks\/dp\/1138821624\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464101266\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=feminism+is+for+everybody\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=fae2f7d610ddd2ed9a771205f6872064\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EFeminism is for Everybody\u003C\/a\u003E introduced her to the world. Watkins used the pen name bell hooks, as a dedication to the bold, sharp-tongued nature of her grandmother, whom she truly admired.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe received her B.A. in English from \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stanford_University\"\u003EStanford University\u003C\/a\u003E in 1973 and her M.A in English from the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/University_of_Wisconsin%E2%80%93Madison\"\u003EUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison\u003C\/a\u003E in 1976. After receiving her master’s degree, hooks, returned to school for her Ph.D at the \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/University-of-California-Santa-Monica-246960915371116\/\"\u003EUniversity of California-Santa Monica\u003C\/a\u003E, where she completed her dissertation on author \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Toni_Morrison\"\u003EToni Morrison.\u003C\/a\u003E While earning her degrees, hooks was introduced to academic feminism, intersectionality, and the influences of race and class on feminist thought.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wFbfTPqIHIc\/V0M8TjqzrJI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/EMU7BgsC6FkDRDeQ6CRALPw8yzAsu0mCgCKgB\/s1600\/gnaylor.jpg\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-wFbfTPqIHIc\/V0M8TjqzrJI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/EMU7BgsC6FkDRDeQ6CRALPw8yzAsu0mCgCKgB\/s1600\/gnaylor.jpg\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGloria Naylor, Novelist, Black Woman Storyteller\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGloria Naylor was born to sharecroppers Roosevelt Naylor and Alberta McAlpin, in Robinsonville, Mississippi. The Naylors soon relocated to Harlem to escape the segregated South. Her mother, Alberta, always encouraged her to read and keep a journal. The educational reinforcement Naylor received at home aided resulted in her suceeding in school and taking advanced classes. At the time, Naylor was particularly interested in the writings of 21st century British novelists.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter senior year, she was given the opportunity to attend prestigious colleges, but chose to put her education on hold to become a missionary. Her decision was inspired by the social unrest that existed after the death of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. By 1981, Naylor earned her bachelor’s degree in English at \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brooklyn_College\"\u003EBrooklyn College \u003C\/a\u003Eof the \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.cuny.edu\/\"\u003ECity University of New York\u003C\/a\u003E before attending \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yale_University\"\u003EYale University\u003C\/a\u003E for her master’s degree in African American studies. In between those years, Naylor released her first novel, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Brewster-Penguin-Contemporary-American-Fiction\/dp\/014006690X\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;keywords=the%20women%20of%20brewster%20place\u0026amp;qid=1464101694\u0026amp;ref_=sr_1_1\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=5aa67251c8191ececc2ecb763f12029b\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Women of Brewster Place\u003C\/a\u003E, which won the 1983 \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/National_Book_Award\"\u003ENational Book Award\u003C\/a\u003E for \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_winners_of_the_National_Book_Award#Miscellaneous_1980_to_1985\"\u003EFirst Novel\u003C\/a\u003E. Oprah Winfrey and Harpo Productions later adapted the book for the 1989 film, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0098674\/\"\u003EThe Women of Brewster Place\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhile studying at Brooklyn College, Naylor immersed herself in the works of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/toni-morrison-9415590\"\u003EToni Morrison\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alice_Walker\"\u003EAlice Walker \u003C\/a\u003Eand \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zora_Neale_Hurston\"\u003EZora Neale Hurston\u003C\/a\u003E. The spirit of these authors brought about \u003Ci\u003EThe Women of Brewster Place\u003C\/i\u003E, by sparking Naylor’s interest in stories that featured strong black women protagonists. Throughout her career, Naylor has done a great deal to introduce a broad spectrum of students to narratives centered on the black woman’s experience. Naylor has used her expertise and passion for black women and their stories, having taught at universities such as, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/George_Washington_University\"\u003EGeorge Washington University\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/New_York_University\"\u003ENew York University\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Boston_University\"\u003EBoston University\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cornell_University\"\u003ECornell\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C!-- Large --\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cins class=\"adsbygoogle\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9450107725766363\" data-ad-slot=\"6852641998\" style=\"display: inline-block; height: 280px; width: 336px;\"\u003E\u003C\/ins\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-s2ZAcZQ0zKo\/V0M8T9zLeaI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/4oa5c4u1oUoskqbsX8JkAjffqJstE_VdQCKgB\/s1600\/rdove.png\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-s2ZAcZQ0zKo\/V0M8T9zLeaI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/4oa5c4u1oUoskqbsX8JkAjffqJstE_VdQCKgB\/s1600\/rdove.png\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003ERita Dove, Poet\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAt age 41, Rita Dove was the youngest person and first African American \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/poetry\/laureate.html\"\u003EPoet Laureate Consultant \u003C\/a\u003Eappointed by the Library of Congress in 1993. In high school she was invited to the White House as a presidential scholar and spent time on scholarship in Germany. In college, Dove graduated summa cum laude from Ohio’s Miami University in 1973. She was a Fulbright scholar. In 1987, she earned the Pulitzer Prize for poetry book,\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Thomas-Beulah-Carnegie-Mellon-Poetry\/dp\/0887480217\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464101988\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=thomas+and+beulah\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=e4d7f735699ce6549b7915d8a31c987c\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E Thomas and Beulah\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDove’s poetry has been described as layered and eloquent, in a way that celebrates black culture and American history. Former president Bill Clinton honored her with the National Humanities Medal in 1996 - two years before her poem collection,\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Bus-Rosa-Parks-Poems\/dp\/039332026X\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464102157\u0026amp;sr=8-2\u0026amp;keywords=bus+with+rosa+parks\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=a5bb42e38fde917da1c9e91fb2280d24\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E Bus With Rosa Parks\u003C\/a\u003E, was praised as the New York Times notable book of the year. Dove’s writing has been used as a means of scrutinizing African American history in the midst of transformation and setbacks, similar to distinguished historical documents about freedom in America. Thomas and Beulah is by far the most significant collection of Dove’s poems, for those very reasons.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAlongside poetry, Dove has penned notable short stories and essays including, Fifth Sunday (1985), the novel Through the Ivory Gate (1992) and The Poet’s World (1995). She was also an editor for\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bestamericanpoetry.com\/\"\u003E The Best American Poetry\u003C\/a\u003E in 2000 and 2011’s \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Penguin-Anthology-Twentieth-Century-American-Poetry\/dp\/0143121480\"\u003EPenguin Anthology of 20th Century American Poetry\u003C\/a\u003E. And as if her sphere of prominence wasn’t enough, Dove has worked as a lyricist for numerous composers. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-vtOQq-5-YL0\/V0M8TQFmgpI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/LnL7691fNW8GkCGLJa-ynTYaDWfVsF8wACKgB\/s1600\/Tmcmillen.png\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-vtOQq-5-YL0\/V0M8TQFmgpI\/AAAAAAAAAFU\/LnL7691fNW8GkCGLJa-ynTYaDWfVsF8wACKgB\/s1600\/Tmcmillen.png\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-large;\"\u003ETerry McMillan\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ETerry McMillan is well known for her portrayal of middle class African American women who are often yet romantically unfulfilled. In classics like \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Waiting-Exhale-Terry-McMillan\/dp\/045121529X\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464102366\u0026amp;sr=8-4\u0026amp;keywords=waiting+to+exhale\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=310a54d16e47a09fbafe6fe4ea83a925\"\u003EWaiting to Exhale\u003C\/a\u003E (1992) and \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/How-Stella-Got-Groove-Back\/dp\/B000INO3G6\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1464102611\u0026amp;sr=8-15\u0026amp;keywords=how+stella+got+her+groove+back\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=b29ccf386aa0470b81564fafd2ca89ef\"\u003EHow Stella Got Her Groove Back\u003C\/a\u003E (1996), Both books were successfully transferred to film, complete with star-studded casts to illustrate the passion and frustrations of the women McMillan created in her mind. \u003Ci\u003EWaiting to Exhale\u003C\/i\u003E\u0026nbsp;was directed by Forest Whitaker with a star studded cast including Loretta Divine, Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett and Lela Rochan. Bassett also starred in \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/How-Stella-Got-Groove-Back\/dp\/B001LGXDME\/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;keywords=how%20stella%20got%20her%20groove%20back\u0026amp;qid=1464102937\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;linkCode=ll1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=f277a5a34e50e78056d37bc06b330c6f\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EHow Stella Got Her Groove Back\u003C\/a\u003E, alongside Taye Diggs, in 1998. As a film buff herself, McMillan was able to write stories that especially caught the attention of black Hollywood greats.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAfter receiving her journalism degree from the, University of California-Berkeley, McMillan enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts film program at Columbia University. Her first book, \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Terry_McMillan\"\u003EMama\u003C\/a\u003E, was published in 1987. The success of Waiting to Exhale, allowed McMillan to find her niche as a writer, as well as, the audience that was most receptive to her work.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003ESofia Maame is a Publicist + Editorial Assistant | Tweet her \u003Ca href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/sofia_maame\"\u003E@sofia_maame\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E(Photos: Wikipedia)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C!-- Javascript tag: --\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C!-- begin ZEDO for channel:  ForHarriet.com ROS , publisher: ForHarriet , Ad Dimension: TOP VARIABLE (728x90, 970x250) - 1 x 1 --\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript language=\"JavaScript\"\u003Evar zflag_nid=\"795\"; var zflag_cid=\"600\"; var zflag_sid=\"386\"; var zflag_width=\"1\"; var zflag_height=\"1\"; var zflag_sz=\"24\";  \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript language=\"JavaScript\" src=\"http:\/\/d3.zedo.com\/jsc\/d3\/fo.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C!-- end ZEDO for channel:  ForHarriet.com ROS , publisher: ForHarriet , Ad Dimension: TOP VARIABLE (728x90, 970x250) - 1 x 1 --\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/feeds\/9063783568666868151\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/2016\/05\/10-black-women-authors-who-have-shaped.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5675981418905103524\/posts\/default\/9063783568666868151"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5675981418905103524\/posts\/default\/9063783568666868151"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/2016\/05\/10-black-women-authors-who-have-shaped.html","title":"10 Black Women Authors Who Have Shaped Our Souls"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Anonymous"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/blank.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-krm15tgSRO8\/V0OElibDciI\/AAAAAAAAAF0\/JU1IOerc44AFgSNdj4ZVC2L-UiZKqIAoACLcB\/s72-c\/mangelou1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675981418905103524.post-4932705610027859473"},"published":{"$t":"2016-05-09T22:24:00.000-05:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-05-10T14:35:07.263-05:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bell hooks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Beyoncé"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"bell hooks Offers Complicated Criticism on Beyoncé's 'Lemonade'"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cimg alt=\" photo bey.jpg\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/i789.photobucket.com\/albums\/yy172\/thehlmn\/bey.jpg\" width=\"100%\" \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003Ebell hooks has a bit of a history with Beyoncé. In 2014, \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.forharriet.com\/2014\/05\/on-bell-hooks-and-feminist-blind-spots.html#axzz48D7dFZ4F\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Eshe drew criticism\u003C\/a\u003E for saying that Beyoncé's image is anti-feminist and a \"terrorist\" for young women.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe noted cultural critic and scholar today published her thoughts on Beyoncé's visual album \u003Ci\u003ELemonade\u003C\/i\u003E. \u0026nbsp;The article titled \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bellhooksinstitute.com\/blog\/2016\/5\/9\/moving-beyond-pain\" target=\"_blank\"\u003E\"Moving Beyond Pain\"\u003C\/a\u003E explores what bell believes to be blind spots of the superstar's latest work.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C!-- Large --\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cins class=\"adsbygoogle\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9450107725766363\" data-ad-slot=\"6852641998\" style=\"display: inline-block; height: 280px; width: 336px;\"\u003E\u003C\/ins\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript\u003E(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/center\u003Ehook reminds us not to forget that the work is a product for mass consumption, \"this is the business of capitalist money making at its best.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut she offers the short film praise for the depth of its representation of Black women.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003EIt is the broad scope of Lemonade’s visual landscape that makes it so distinctive—the construction of a powerfully symbolic black female sisterhood that resists invisibility, that refuses to be silent. This in and of itself is no small feat—it shifts the gaze of white mainstream culture. It challenges us all to look anew, to radically revision how we see the black female body.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUltimately, hooks does not believe that Beyoncé explores adequately the path to healing but embraces stereotypical tropes about Black woman and violence that are counterintiutive to the cause.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EOne of \u003Ci\u003ELemonade's \u003C\/i\u003Emost memorable scenes finds Beyoncé skiping down a street singing \"Hold Up\" while wielding a baseball bat. The violence, hooks says, doesn't get us to liberation.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003EContrary to misguided notions of gender equality, women do not and will not seize power and create self-love and self-esteem through violent acts.\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd she underscores that without the wholeness of men, patriarchal domination will continue. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\"tr_bq\"\u003ENo matter how hard women in relationships with patriarchal men work for change, forgive, and reconcile, men must do the work of inner and outer transformation if emotional violence against black females is to end. We see no hint of this in Lemonade. \u003C\/blockquote\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBe sure to read the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.bellhooksinstitute.com\/blog\/2016\/5\/9\/moving-beyond-pain\"\u003Eentire essay\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C!-- Javascript tag: --\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C!-- begin ZEDO for channel:  ForHarriet.com ROS , publisher: ForHarriet , Ad Dimension: TOP VARIABLE (728x90, 970x250) - 1 x 1 --\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript language=\"JavaScript\"\u003Evar zflag_nid=\"795\"; var zflag_cid=\"600\"; var zflag_sid=\"386\"; var zflag_width=\"1\"; var zflag_height=\"1\"; var zflag_sz=\"24\";  \u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cscript language=\"JavaScript\" src=\"http:\/\/d3.zedo.com\/jsc\/d3\/fo.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C!-- end ZEDO for channel:  ForHarriet.com ROS , publisher: ForHarriet , Ad Dimension: TOP VARIABLE (728x90, 970x250) - 1 x 1 --\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/feeds\/4932705610027859473\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/2016\/05\/bell-hooks-offers-complicated-criticism.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5675981418905103524\/posts\/default\/4932705610027859473"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5675981418905103524\/posts\/default\/4932705610027859473"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/2016\/05\/bell-hooks-offers-complicated-criticism.html","title":"bell hooks Offers Complicated Criticism on Beyoncé's 'Lemonade'"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"For Harriet"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09683917312535044896"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675981418905103524.post-2909149915698731816"},"published":{"$t":"2016-01-21T10:30:00.000-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2016-01-21T11:10:28.352-06:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"alice walker"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bell hooks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Black women writers"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Chimamanda Negozi Adichie"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Zora Neale Hurston"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"12 Lesser Known Must Reads from Our Favorite Black Women Writers"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cimg src=\"http:\/\/imageshack.com\/a\/img908\/4631\/KyeNfh.jpg\" width=\"100%\" \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMost of us become most acquainted with the authors who change our lives through one seminal work. We read and reread it until the spine breaks and the pages wear. But our favorite writers are so much more than the works that garner the most acclaim. Get to know them fully by reading their books that receive less fan-fare. Here are some of our favorite gems from our favorite authors.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EChimamanda Ngozi Adichie\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0307455912\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0307455912\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=OOZW43U2TUXLLYIO\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003EThe Thing Around Your Neck\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0307455912\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0307455912\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0307455912\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=OOZW43U2TUXLLYIO\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0307455912\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0307455912\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-VPGUyD4Mifk\/VqD-TyrMATI\/AAAAAAAAA-0\/8-OtncABIHE\/s1600\/Adichie_chimamanda_download_2.JPG\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-VPGUyD4Mifk\/VqD-TyrMATI\/AAAAAAAAA-0\/8-OtncABIHE\/s200\/Adichie_chimamanda_download_2.JPG\" width=\"135\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/center\u003EChimamanda Ngozi Adichie burst onto the literary scene with her remarkable debut novel, Purple Hibiscus, which critics hailed as “one of the best novels to come out of Africa in years” (Baltimore Sun), with “prose as lush as the Nigerian landscape that it powerfully evokes” (The Boston Globe); The Washington Post called her “the twenty-first-century daughter of Chinua Achebe.” Her award-winning Half of a Yellow Sun became an instant classic upon its publication three years later, once again putting her tremendous gifts—graceful storytelling, knowing compassion, and fierce insight into her characters’ hearts—on display. Now, in her most intimate and seamlessly crafted work to date, Adichie turns her penetrating eye on not only Nigeria but America, in twelve dazzling stories that explore the ties that bind men and women, parents and children, Africa and the United States.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn “A Private Experience,” a medical student hides from a violent riot with a poor Muslim woman whose dignity and faith force her to confront the realities and fears she’s been pushing away. In “Tomorrow is Too Far,” a woman unlocks the devastating secret that surrounds her brother’s death. The young mother at the center of “Imitation” finds her comfortable life in Philadelphia threatened when she learns that her husband has moved his mistress into their Lagos home. And the title story depicts the choking loneliness of a Nigerian girl who moves to an America that turns out to be nothing like the country she expected; though falling in love brings her desires nearly within reach, a death in her homeland forces her to reexamine them.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESearing and profound, suffused with beauty, sorrow, and longing, these stories map, with Adichie’s signature emotional wisdom, the collision of two cultures and the deeply human struggle to reconcile them. The Thing Around Your Neck is a resounding confirmation of the prodigious literary powers of one of our most essential writers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EOctavia Butler\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0446696161\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0446696161\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=NGOX7KO7JVP7YUUJ\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003EFledgling\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0446696161\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0446696161\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0446696161\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=NGOX7KO7JVP7YUUJ\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0446696161\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0446696161\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-E9g4Tl8vs4k\/VqD-6n1WeJI\/AAAAAAAAA-8\/_3bnD_ZujOM\/s1600\/29535.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-E9g4Tl8vs4k\/VqD-6n1WeJI\/AAAAAAAAA-8\/_3bnD_ZujOM\/s200\/29535.jpg\" width=\"160\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EOctavia E. Butler is one of the finest voices in fiction--period. . . . A master storyteller, Butler casts an unflinching eye on racism, sexism, poverty, and ignorance and lets the reader see the terror and beauty of human nature.-\"The Washington Post Book World \"Readers familiar with . . . \"Parable of the Sower and \"Bloodchild will recall that [Butler] never asks easy questions or settles for easy answers.\"-Gerald Jonas in \"The New York Times \"Fledgling, Octavia Butler's first new novel in seven years, is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly unhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: She is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted-and still wants-to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself. \"Fledgling is a captivating novel that tests the limits of \"otherness\" and questions what it means to be truly human. Octavia E. Butler is the author of 11 novels, including \"Kindred, \"Dawn, and \"Parable of the Sower. Recipient of a MacArthur Foundation \"genius\" grant, the Nebula Award, the Hugo Award, and numerous other literary awards, she has been acclaimed for her lean prose, strong protagonists, and social observations that range from the distant past to the far future.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EEdwidge Danticat\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0545423031\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0545423031\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=BFANBU3G7FLRBITD\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003EUntwine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0545423031\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0545423031\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0545423031\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=BFANBU3G7FLRBITD\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0545423031\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0545423031\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-pnTq5dy-sV0\/VqD_PiK0M2I\/AAAAAAAAA_E\/49aSGb_E45A\/s1600\/2011EdwigeDanticat2.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-pnTq5dy-sV0\/VqD_PiK0M2I\/AAAAAAAAA_E\/49aSGb_E45A\/s200\/2011EdwigeDanticat2.jpg\" width=\"150\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/center\u003EA haunting and mesmerizing story about sisterhood, family, love, and loss by literary luminary Edwidge Danticat.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGiselle Boyer and her identical twin, Isabelle, are as close as sisters can be, even as their family seems to be unraveling. Then the Boyers have a tragic encounter that will shatter everyone's world forever.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGiselle wakes up in the hospital, injured and unable to speak or move. Trapped in the prison of her own body, Giselle must revisit her past in order to understand how the people closest to her -- her friends, her parents, and above all, Isabelle, her twin -- have shaped and defined her. Will she allow her love for her family and friends to lead her to recovery? Or will she remain lost in a spiral of longing and regret?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUntwine is a spellbinding tale, lyrical and filled with love, mystery, humor, and heartbreak. Award-winning author Edwidge Danticat brings her extraordinary talent to this graceful and unflinching examination of the bonds of friendship, romance, family, the horrors of loss, and the strength we must discover in ourselves when all seems hopeless.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAngela Davis\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0872865800\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0872865800\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=BHTPLANJYJCFG5QH\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003EThe Meaning of Freedom: And Other Difficult Dialogues \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0872865800\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0872865800\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0872865800\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=BHTPLANJYJCFG5QH\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0872865800\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0872865800\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-wPNirWc9Kec\/VqD_uDLc8OI\/AAAAAAAAA_M\/7dvgq0Gif9E\/s1600\/aydavis.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-wPNirWc9Kec\/VqD_uDLc8OI\/AAAAAAAAA_M\/7dvgq0Gif9E\/s200\/aydavis.jpg\" width=\"152\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EWhat is the meaning of freedom? Angela Y. Davis' life and work have been dedicated to examining this fundamental question and to ending all forms of oppression that deny people their political, cultural, and sexual freedom. In this collection of twelve searing, previously unpublished speeches, Davis confronts the interconnected issues of power, race, gender, class, incarceration, conservatism, and the ongoing need for social change in the United States. With her characteristic brilliance, historical insight, and penetrating analysis, Davis addresses examples of institutional injustice and explores the radical notion of freedom as a collective striving for real democracy—not a thing granted by the state, law, proclamation, or policy, but a participatory social process, rooted in difficult dialogues, that demands new ways of thinking and being. \"It is not too much,\" writes Robin D.G. Kelly in the introduction, \"to call her one of the world's leading philosophers of freedom.\" The Meaning of Freedom articulates a bold vision of the society we need to build and the path to get there. This is her only book of speeches and her first full-length book since Are Prisons Obsolete? (2003).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ELorraine Hansberry\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0451531787\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0451531787\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=FPAPVJSTZMCSXFMT\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003ETo Be Young, Gifted and Black\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0451531787\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0451531787\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0451531787\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=FPAPVJSTZMCSXFMT\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0451531787\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0451531787\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-p___pFfXw_I\/VqD_7djlbJI\/AAAAAAAAA_U\/dmE8fpwAKJs\/s1600\/Lorraine_Hansberry.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-p___pFfXw_I\/VqD_7djlbJI\/AAAAAAAAA_U\/dmE8fpwAKJs\/s200\/Lorraine_Hansberry.jpg\" width=\"170\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThis is the story of a young woman born in Chicago who came to New York, won fame with her play, A Raisin in the Sun--and went on to new heights of artistry before her tragic death. In turns angry, loving, bitter, laughing, and defiantly proud, the story, voice, and message are all Lorraine Hansberry's own, coming together in one of the major works of the black experience in mid-century America.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003Ebell hooks\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0060959495\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0060959495\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=5ITE3RCZUDHU53KZ\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003ESalvation: Black People and Love\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0060959495\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0060959495\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0060959495\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=5ITE3RCZUDHU53KZ\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0060959495\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0060959495\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-oCKodochL0I\/VqEAUoZIpwI\/AAAAAAAAA_c\/c0WvsvqgHso\/s1600\/uewb_05_img0351.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-oCKodochL0I\/VqEAUoZIpwI\/AAAAAAAAA_c\/c0WvsvqgHso\/s200\/uewb_05_img0351.jpg\" width=\"164\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAcclaimed visionary and intellectual bell hooks began her exploration of the meaning of love in American culture with the bestselling All About Love: New Visions. Here she continues her love song to the nation in the groundbreaking and soul-stirring Salvation: Black People and Love.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhether talking about the legacy of slavery, relationships and marriage in Black life, the prose and poetry of our most revered artists and leaders, the liberation movements of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, or hip-hop and gangsta rap culture, hooks lets us know what love's got to do with it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESalvation is work that helps us heal -- and shows us how to create beloved American communities.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EZora Neale Hurston\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0060854081\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0060854081\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=UQJVHEGBDE6GVYVT\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003EDust Tracks on a Road: An Autobiography \u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0060854081\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0060854081\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0060854081\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=6JH2W2SESE2C3CRP\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0060854081\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0060854081\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nHCDnS0Pzqs\/VqEA9CaZT0I\/AAAAAAAAA_k\/RFBQmfE4wWQ\/s1600\/zorayouth.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-nHCDnS0Pzqs\/VqEA9CaZT0I\/AAAAAAAAA_k\/RFBQmfE4wWQ\/s200\/zorayouth.jpg\" width=\"159\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EDust Tracks on a Road is the bold, poignant, and funny autobiography of novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, one of American literature’s most compelling and influential authors. Hurston’s powerful novels of the South—including Jonah’s Gourd Vine and, most famously, Their Eyes Were Watching God—continue to enthrall readers with their lyrical grace, sharp detail, and captivating emotionality. First published in 1942, Dust Tracks on a Road is Hurston’s personal story, told in her own words. The Perennial Modern Classics Deluxe edition includes an all-new forward by Maya Angelou, an extended biography by Valerie Boyd, and a special P.S. section featuring the contemporary reviews that greeted the book’s original publication.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAudre Lorde\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1879960737\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=1879960737\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=3PMQ7RPYAZ45Q7NZ\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003EThe Cancer Journals\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=1879960737\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1879960737\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=1879960737\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=3PMQ7RPYAZ45Q7NZ\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=1879960737\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=1879960737\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-4lV9eUtSBXg\/VqEBkxHZRPI\/AAAAAAAAA_w\/s2ET-bfsd-s\/s1600\/306_alorde.gif\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-4lV9eUtSBXg\/VqEBkxHZRPI\/AAAAAAAAA_w\/s2ET-bfsd-s\/s200\/306_alorde.gif\" width=\"197\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EMoving between journal entry, memoir, and exposition, Audre Lorde fuses the personal and political as she reflects on her experience coping with breast cancer and a radical mastectomy. Includes photos and tributes to Lorde written after her death in 1992.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EToni Morrison\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1400078474\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=1400078474\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=TLRCJLD6TWRFPJDT\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003ELove: A Novel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=1400078474\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1400078474\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=1400078474\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=TLRCJLD6TWRFPJDT\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=1400078474\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=1400078474\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-u43T6qCUeZQ\/VqEB6HIFcbI\/AAAAAAAAA_8\/sIXaHjl8C3I\/s1600\/tonimorrison.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-u43T6qCUeZQ\/VqEB6HIFcbI\/AAAAAAAAA_8\/sIXaHjl8C3I\/s200\/tonimorrison.jpg\" width=\"200\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EIn life, Bill Cosey enjoyed the affections of many women, who would do almost anything to gain his favor. In death his hold on them may be even stronger. Wife, daughter, granddaughter, employee, mistress: As Morrison’s protagonists stake their furious claim on Cosey’s memory and estate, using everything from intrigue to outright violence, she creates a work that is shrewd, funny, erotic, and heartwrenching.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EGloria Naylor\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0679721819\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0679721819\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=YHE3PJZTZ2ASGSSP\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003EMama Day\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0679721819\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0679721819\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0679721819\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=YHE3PJZTZ2ASGSSP\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0679721819\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0679721819\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-PoauLO1Lshw\/VqECVSBLF0I\/AAAAAAAABAA\/TD6ygsfDv5w\/s1600\/Gloria_Naylor_by_David_Shankbone.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"185\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-PoauLO1Lshw\/VqECVSBLF0I\/AAAAAAAABAA\/TD6ygsfDv5w\/s200\/Gloria_Naylor_by_David_Shankbone.jpg\" width=\"200\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EOn the island of Willow Springs, off the Georgia coast, the powers of healer Mama Day are tested by her great niece, Cocoa, a stubbornly emancipated woman endangered by the island's darker forces. A powerful generational saga at once tender and suspenseful, overflowing with magic and common sense.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003ENtozake Shange\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0312541244\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0312541244\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=2T2S75ASMH3Y22D5\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003ESassafrass, Cypress \u0026amp; Indigo: A Novel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0312541244\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0312541244\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0312541244\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=2T2S75ASMH3Y22D5\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0312541244\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0312541244\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-nXKSpdNNQ5U\/VqECjLCKmoI\/AAAAAAAABAI\/2igrBuL6LP0\/s1600\/Ntozake_Shange%252C_Reid_Lecture%252C_Women_Issues_Luncheon%252C_Women%2527s_Center%252C_November_1978_Crisco_edit.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/-nXKSpdNNQ5U\/VqECjLCKmoI\/AAAAAAAABAI\/2igrBuL6LP0\/s200\/Ntozake_Shange%252C_Reid_Lecture%252C_Women_Issues_Luncheon%252C_Women%2527s_Center%252C_November_1978_Crisco_edit.jpg\" width=\"156\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ENtozake Shange's beloved Sassafrass, Cypress \u0026amp; Indigo is the story of three sisters and their mother from Charleston, South Carolina. Sassafrass, the oldest, is a poet and a weaver like her mother before her. Having gone north to college, she is now living with other artists in Los Angeles and trying to weave a life out of her work, her man, her memories and dreams. Cypress, the dancer, leaves home to find new ways of moving in the world. Indigo, the youngest, is still a child of Charleston-\"too much of the south in her\"-who lives in poetry and has the supreme gift of seeing the obvious magic of the world. Shange's rich and wondrous story of womanhood, art, and passionately-lived lives is written \"with such exquisite care and beauty that anybody can relate to her message\" (The New York Times).\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: large;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003EAlice Walker\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0156028344\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0156028344\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=MII2SW3J2AOMBYM2\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003EMeridian\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0156028344\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0156028344\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0156028344\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=MII2SW3J2AOMBYM2\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;ASIN=0156028344\u0026amp;Format=_SL250_\u0026amp;ID=AsinImage\u0026amp;MarketPlace=US\u0026amp;ServiceVersion=20070822\u0026amp;WS=1\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cimg alt=\"\" border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=forhar-20\u0026amp;l=as2\u0026amp;o=1\u0026amp;a=0156028344\" height=\"1\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" width=\"1\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"separator\" style=\"clear: both; text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-fqLRyBJi2s4\/VqEC5sooORI\/AAAAAAAABAQ\/HnGBjnnY860\/s1600\/alice-walker-1-sized.jpg\" imageanchor=\"1\" style=\"clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" height=\"200\" src=\"http:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-fqLRyBJi2s4\/VqEC5sooORI\/AAAAAAAABAQ\/HnGBjnnY860\/s200\/alice-walker-1-sized.jpg\" width=\"142\" \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EMeridian Hill is a young woman at an Atlanta college attempting to find her place in the revolution for racial and social equality. She discovers the limits beyond which she will not go for the cause, but despite her decision not to follow the path of some of her peers, she makes significant sacrifices in order to further her beliefs. Working in a campaign to register African American voters, Meridian cares broadly and deeply for the people she visits, and, while her coworkers quit and move to comfortable homes, she continues to work in the deep South despite a paralyzing illness. Meridian's nonviolent methods, though seemingly less radical than the methods of others, prove to be an effective means of furthering her beliefs.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHeader Photo: Shutterstock\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/feeds\/2909149915698731816\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/2016\/01\/12-lesser-known-must-reads-from-our.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5675981418905103524\/posts\/default\/2909149915698731816"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5675981418905103524\/posts\/default\/2909149915698731816"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/2016\/01\/12-lesser-known-must-reads-from-our.html","title":"12 Lesser Known Must Reads from Our Favorite Black Women Writers"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"For Harriet"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/09683917312535044896"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/-VPGUyD4Mifk\/VqD-TyrMATI\/AAAAAAAAA-0\/8-OtncABIHE\/s72-c\/Adichie_chimamanda_download_2.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5675981418905103524.post-1533635299209190777"},"published":{"$t":"2014-12-16T09:05:00.002-06:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2014-12-17T13:13:18.355-06:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"activism"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Audre Lorde"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bell hooks"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"June Jordan"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"literature"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"reading lists"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"To Activate and Assess: 5 Must-Read Books by Brilliant Black Women"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"http:\/\/i1290.photobucket.com\/albums\/b536\/forharriet\/For%20Harriet\/The%20Culture\/melissa_harris_perry_zps8f02c32b.jpg\" width=\"640\" \/\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cb\u003Eby Tracey Michae’l \u003C\/b\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn the midst of the many protests and burgeoning movements happening across the country, responses to the grave injustices committed against people of color—particularly police brutality against Black people—stands immense, sometimes unimaginable pain. The pains of mothers and fathers who have lost their sons and daughters. The heartache of a community who week after week has to endure the emotional and psychological trauma caused by grand juries who imply that, in fact, Black lives don’t matter and those police officers who take Black lives because of whatever racist stereotypes they hold do not have to be, and should not have to be, held accountable for their actions. The restlessness and exhaustion of all of us who are holding on desperately to our sliver of hope and seeking some glimmer of light at the end of a many generations-long battle to be truly seen; to be valued.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca name='more'\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ccenter\u003E\u003Cscript async=\"\" src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"\u003E\u003C\/script\u003E \u003C!-- For Harriet Sidebar #1 --\u003E \u003Cins class=\"adsbygoogle\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-9450107725766363\" data-ad-slot=\"4674111539\" style=\"display: inline-block; height: 250px; width: 300px;\"\u003E\u003C\/ins\u003E \u003Cscript\u003E(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \u003C\/script\u003E\u003C\/center\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EIn Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, the grandmother of main character Janie Starks says that Black women are the mules of the world. Besides the obvious reference to our subjugation, I’d like to think she also meant that because of our great strength and our even greater capacity to love, we carry the burdens of our brothers and the weight of the world’s wickedness on our backs. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBut, oh, how the load gets heavy sometimes. Where do we go to release? Who do we talk to in order to reconcile the \"-isms\" of our day? \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMy favorite place to regroup is in a book. In fact, there is actually a very long list of Black women activists and writers who have written about social change, liberation and activism over the years. With their words that sear our minds and hearts, they help us all heal our hearts for more loving, reignite our minds for the work ahead. They help us to reimagine that this world can be a better place for ourselves, our families, and our children.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHere are five “reclaim your sanity” classics you must read:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1580911862\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=1580911862\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=ZEVUITP6MWLFFHDL\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ESister Outsider by Audre Lorde\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-uqoWS3XVwCM%2FVI9G0fgXbbI%2FAAAAAAAAAqc%2FE7gAXRTI3ig%2Fs1600%2Fsoaudre.jpeg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EIn this charged collection of essays and speeches, Lorde takes on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and classism, while she propounds social difference as a vehicle for action and change. Her prose is incisive, unflinching, and lyrical, reflecting struggle but ultimately offering messages of hope. These landmark writings are, in Lorde's own words, a call to “never close our eyes to the terror, to the chaos which is Black which is creative which is female which is dark which is rejected which is messy which is…”\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0872865800\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0872865800\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=N3T75JJXD6MTSFZH\" target=\"_blank\"\u003EThe Meaning of Freedom: And Other Difficult Dialogues by Angela Davis\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-P-daOWnxJRY%2FVI9HEQWWFjI%2FAAAAAAAAAqk%2F97uX_gIsFHU%2Fs1600%2Fmfangela.jpeg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EAngela Y. Davis' life and work have been dedicated to examining this fundamental question and to ending all forms of oppression that deny people their political, cultural, and sexual freedom. In this collection of twelve searing, previously unpublished speeches, Davis confronts the interconnected issues of power, race, gender, class, incarceration, conservatism, and the ongoing need for social change in the United States. With her characteristic brilliance, historical insight, and penetrating analysis, Davis addresses examples of institutional injustice and explores the radical notion of freedom as a collective striving for real democracy. She states freedom is not a thing granted by state, law, proclamation, or policy—but rather, it is a participatory social process, rooted in difficult dialogues, that demands new ways of thinking and being.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0805050272\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0805050272\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=RSJC5JNP4RGM2SWL\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Ekilling rage: Ending Racism by bell hooks\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-vAT8rz38E3U%2FVI9HSlfk1eI%2FAAAAAAAAAqs%2FVaCBvSAAfIc%2Fs1600%2Fkrbell.jpeg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThese twenty-three essays are written from a black feminist perspective, and they tackle the bitter difficulties of racism by envisioning a world without it. They address a spectrum of topics having to do with race and racism in the United States: psychological trauma among African Americans; friendship between black women and white women; anti-Semitism and racism; and internalized racism in movies and the media. And in the title essay, hooks writes about the “killing rage”—the fierce anger of black people stung by repeated instances of everyday racism—finding in that rage a healing source of love and strength and a catalyst for positive change.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0465036937\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0465036937\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=AGKIVPGEXNQ2PADX\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ESome of Us Did Not Die by June Jordan\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-EnghcMTLqq0%2FVI9HhoV5xjI%2FAAAAAAAAAq0%2FNwdePTMwbn0%2Fs1600%2Fsomejune.jpeg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003ESome of Us Did Not Die brings together a rich sampling of the late poet June Jordan’s prose writings. The essays in this collection, which include her last writings and span the length of her extraordinary career, reveal Jordan as an incisive analyst of the personal and public costs of remaining committed to the practice of democracy. Willing to venture into the most painful contradictions of American culture and politics, Jordan comes back with lyrical honesty, wit, and wide-ranging intelligence in these accounts of her reckoning with life as a teacher, poet, activist, and citizen.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0300188188\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;camp=1789\u0026amp;creative=390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN=0300188188\u0026amp;linkCode=as2\u0026amp;tag=forhar-20\u0026amp;linkId=LYGOKAODAQ4T6X7D\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ESister Citizen by Melissa Harris-Perry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cimg border=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com\/gadgets\/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-ZjMgolhfyYg%2FVI9HvMyhrxI%2FAAAAAAAAAq8%2F6k-2krp3-W4%2Fs1600%2Fscmelissa.jpeg\u0026amp;container=blogger\u0026amp;gadget=a\u0026amp;rewriteMime=image%2F*\" \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003EThis groundbreaking book brings to light derogatory stereotypes that shape the experiences of African American women, then assesses the emotional and political costs of the struggle to counteract such negative assumptions. It offers the insights and critiques we have come to love and expect from Melissa Harris-Perry, while being relevant to where we are right in American society and cultural imagination.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESo as we all try to take a moment to breathe between our grief and our activism, allow the words of these five fellow sister-warriors motivate and inspire you. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EWhat books by Black women writers, thinkers, and activists would you include on this list?\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-small;\"\u003EImage credits: Amazon\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: x-small;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E \u003Ci\u003ETracey Michae’l is a regular contributor for For Harriet.\u003C\/i\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/feeds\/1533635299209190777\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/2014\/12\/to-activate-and-assess-5-must-read.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5675981418905103524\/posts\/default\/1533635299209190777"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/5675981418905103524\/posts\/default\/1533635299209190777"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http:\/\/theculture.forharriet.com\/2014\/12\/to-activate-and-assess-5-must-read.html","title":"To Activate and Assess: 5 Must-Read Books by Brilliant Black Women"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Unknown"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"16","height":"16","src":"https:\/\/img1.blogblog.com\/img\/b16-rounded.gif"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});