Dyson, Michael Eric

Pays tribute to the strength and beauty of African-American women as a whole and notes the accomplishments and winning qualities of such individuals as the author's grammar school teacher; communications mogul Linda Johnson Rice; and author Toni Morrison.

Examines the life of rap musician Tupac Shakur, explores the reasons why his music and message continue to grow five years after his death, and includes interviews with people who knew and/or admired the rapper, including his mother, Quincy Jones, Jada Pinkett Smith, and others.

The author uses the anniversary of the death of famed civil rights leader Martin Luther King to examine how King fought and died for equal rights among all people of color, and how America has changed in the four decades since his death.

Explains Martin Luther King Jr.'s political and religious views and discusses how his actions helped African-Americans achieve greater equality.

The author challenges the comments made by entertainer Bill Cosby at the 2004 NAACP dinner that poverty, high crime rate, and illiteracy among poor African Americans is a direct result of their own self-destructive behavior.

Examines the cultural rebirth and meaning of Malcolm X, from Spike Lee's film biography to hip-hop culture and today's racial and gender politics.