Robert L. Allen

The first anthology of African American literature devoted to exclusively male writings. Contains over 100 selections. The purpose of this extraordinary anthology is made abundantly clear by the editors' stated intention: "to create a living mosaic of essays and stories in which Black men can view themselves, and be viewed without distortion." In this, they have succeeded brilliantly. Brotherman contains more than one hundred and fifty selections, some never before published--from slave narratives, memoirs, social histories, novels, poems, short stories, biographies, autobiographies, position papers, and essays. Brotherman books us passage to the world that Black men experience as adolescents, lovers, husbands, fathers, workers, warriors, and elders. On this journey they encounter pain, confusion, anger, and love while confronting the life-threatening issues of race, sex, and politics--often as strangers in a strange land. The first collection of its kind, Brotherman gathers together a multitude of voices that add a new, unforgettable chapter to American cultural identity.

"C. L. Dellums and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters helped to precipitate a sea of change in labor and race relations in California and the nation. Fundamental issues of unfair employment practices, discrimination, and segregation were confronted in new ways with consequences for all Americans. For the first time in U.S. history, a black labor union played a central role in shaping labor and civil rights policy. Based on interviews and archival research, this new book tells the story of Dellums and the impact nationally of his groundbreaking work. The BSCP, the first national union of black workers, was founded in 1925. C. L. Dellums, who worked as a porter in Oakland, became the West Coast organizer and was elected vice president in 1929. He held that position until 1968, when he succeeded A. Philip Randolph as president. In 1937, the BSCP made history when it compelled one of the largest U.S. corporations —the Pullman Company— to recognize and negotiate a contract with a black workers’ union. This was unprecedented and almost inconceivable in the context of prior U.S. history. In 1941, at the beginning of World War II, the leadership of the BSCP, with the support of civil rights leaders, pushed U.S. President Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802 requiring the ending of racial discrimination in defense industries. Tens of thousands of black men and women would be hired to work alongside whites in wartime plants across the nation. C. L. Dellums was not only a labor leader. In 1948, he was chosen to be the first West Coast Regional Director of the NAACP. He also led the long struggle to get a fair employment practices law passed in California. The successful struggle contributed to the emergence of civil rights activism nationally and to equal treatment legislative initiatives in California and elsewhere."--Publisher's website.

A bodyguard, a bounty hunter, a private investigator, no one can handle the heat like the men of BOSS, Inc. Megan O'Brien is at her wit's end. Her three-year-old son has been kidnapped. No police, says the ransom demand. Fearing for her son's life, Meg has no choice but to turn to her former bodyguard, Dirk Reynolds. Dirk's never forgiven Meg for the way she left him after their brief affair. But with bounty hunter Luke Brodie on his side, Dirk knows he's got to help Meg rescue her son. The few clues they've gathered send them spiraling into a murky world of big banking and international crime. Meg may be way out of her depths, but she's seeing a side of Dirk she never suspected--one no woman could possibly resist.

During World War II, Port Chicago was a segregated naval munitions base on the outer shores of San Francisco Bay. Black seamen were required to load ammunition onto ships bound for the South Pacific under the watch of their white officers--an incredibly dangerous and physically challenging task. On July 17, 1944, an explosion rocked the base, killing 320 men--202 of whom were black ammunition loaders. In the ensuing weeks, white officers were given leave time and commended for heroic efforts, whereas 328 of the surviving black enlistees were sent to load ammunition on another ship. When they refused, fifty men were singled out and charged--and convicted--of mutiny. It was the largest mutiny trial in U.S. naval history. First published in 1989, The Port Chicago Mutiny is a thorough and riveting work of civil rights literature, and with a new preface and epilogue by the author emphasize the event's relevance today.

From the moment she glimpses her idol at the stage door, Eve Harrington moves relentlessly towards her goal: taking the place of the great actress Margo Channing. As Eve causes turmoil in the lives of those around her, only a cynical drama critic sees through her audacity and pattern of deception.

Allene Carter's father-in-law was a decorated veteran. Yet it was not until the Carter family received a call from the White House that she discovered he was a heroic force in the Rhineland campaign. President Clinton awarded the Medal of Honor to several black soldiers who served in World War II. Sergeant Edward A. Carter Jr. was among the recipients. Shocked to learn the extent of Carter's service, Allene was determined to uncover both the truth about her father-in-law's wartime record and why his official recognition was so long in coming.Here is the story not only of Sergeant Carter but also of his family's fight to restore his honor. Theirs is a journey that takes them from local veterans organizations to the office of the president and front pages of the national media. An important piece of American history, Honoring Sergeant Carter is an enduring story of determination and family love.