African-American biographies

Tells the life story of jazz composer, bandleader, and pianist Duke Ellington, describing his childhood, his achievements, and his legacy.

Tells the life story of singer James Brown, describing his childhood, his achievements, and his legacy.

A biography of the former slave who became America's leading proponent for freedom and equality in the nineteenth century.

Explores the life and career of the renowned trumpeter and bandleader of the jazz era.

Traces the life and achievements of the black civil rights worker whose greatest accomplishment, the integration of restaurants in Washington, D.C., came when she was nearly ninety years old.

A biography of the renowned gospel singer who hoped that her art would further the cause of civil rights for African Americans.

A biography of the poet who faced racism and devoted himself to depicting the African American experience.

A biography of the famous opera singer who overcame prejudices to become the first African-American to sing a featured role with the New York Metropolitan Opera Company and who later served as a delegate to the United Nations.

A biography of the African American actor who earned a historic second Academy Award in 2002 for his portrayal of Detective Alonzo Harris in the movie "Training Day.".

A biography of the playwright who was the first black person and the youngest American to receive the New York Drama Critics' award for the best play of the year.