Showing results by narrator "Peter Jay Fernandez" in All Categories

"Brother, you have often declared that you would not end your days in slavery. I see no possible way in which you can escape with us; and now, brother, you are on a steamboat where there is some chance for you to escape to a land of liberty. I beseech you not to let us hinder you. If we cannot get our liberty, we do not wish to be the means of keeping you from a land of freedom."

With a foreword by Dred Scott's great-grandson, Shelia P. Moses' stunning story chronicles Dred Scott's experiences as a slave, as a plaintiff in one of the most important legal cases in American history, and, at last, as a free man. Dred Scott's story is one of tremendous courage and fierce determination. His is a life that should be known by, and should inspire, all Americans.

You may never have heard of him, but you've probably heard of the many people civil rights activist Bayard Rustin influenced. He was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and refused to move to the back of the bus many years before Rosa Parks did. The son of a freed slave, Bayard Rustin grew up during the peak of the Jim Crow laws, which segregated Blacks and Whites.

The Silver Fleece, cotton, could be the answer to Zora and Bles' prayers in overcoming poverty. While attending Miss Smith's School in rural Alabama, they lovingly nurture their crop. But, the white aristocracy is determined to control the price of cotton and monopolize the market. Can two young lovers prevail despite the daunting obstacles laid before them?

A blazingly intelligent first book of essays from the award-winning author of Open City and Every Day Is for the Thief NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Time The Guardian Harper's Bazaar San Francisco Chronicle The Atlantic Financial Times Kirkus Finalist for...

A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year. Joe's decision to leave home is prompted by despair over his Mother's blindness to his younger brother's talents and his older brother's drug addiction...

Jeffty Kittredge is a small-time Hollywood con in deep debt to a shark with a need to collect. If he can just come up with a plan - or maybe even only a partner - Jefty is sure he’ll be on his way to salvation. What he comes up with instead is... Mona. The best-selling author of Everybody Smokes in Hell leads you to a place where desire has a body count, trust can take you down from point-blank range, and love is the biggest racket in town.

First printed in 1948, High John the Conqueror, John W. Wilson’s only published book, was considered a breakthrough novel for its attention to racism, sexual politics, and agribusiness. It has since become a classic depiction of the arduous life and work of African American cotton farmers in Southeast Texas during the 1940s.

Sent to prison, Tyrone Stokes left his wife to raise their son, Marcus, alone. Now Tyrone is free, but 17-year-old Marcus is on Louisiana's death row for the murder of a young white girl. Convinced of his son's innocence, Tyrone will sacrifice everything to keep Marcus alive. Cry Me a River offers the distinctive blend of emotional power, vivid imagery, and rich characters that has brought its author national acclaim.

Both 11-year-old Summer and her older brother Roscoe have a "silent thunder" roaring through their souls. Summer yearns to learn letters, so she can read. Roscoe wants to join the Union forces and fight in the Civil War. But they are slaves in Virginia, and their wishes are forbidden. Their friend Thea says that silent thunder is something slaves have to keep private, but Summer and Roscoe can't resist their feelings.

William Wells Brown's Clotel (1853), the first novel written by an African American, was published in London while Brown was still legally regarded as property within the borders of the United States. The novel was inspired by the story of Thomas Jefferson's purported sexual relationship with his slave Sally Hemings. Brown fictionalizes the stories of Jefferson's mistress, daughters, and granddaughters, all of whom are slaves in order to demythologize the dominant U.S. cultural narrative celebrating Jefferson's America as a nation of freedom and equality for all.

The Great Decision tells the riveting story of Marshall and of the landmark court case, Marbury v. Madison, through which he empowered the Supreme Court and transformed the idea of the separation of powers into a working blueprint for our modern state.

A girl walks home from school. She's tall for her age. She's wearing her winter coat. Her headphones are in. She's hurrying. She never makes it home. In the aftermath, while law enforcement tries to justify the response, one fact remains: A police officer has shot and killed an unarmed 13-year-old girl. The community is thrown into upheaval, leading to unrest, a growing movement to protest the senseless taking of black lives, and the arrival of white supremacist counter-demonstrators. 

Cross. Now streaming on Prime Video. When the home of Alex Cross's oldest friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, the destruction leads him to believe that he's chasing a horrible new breed of killer. As Alex and his girlfriend, Brianna Stone, become...

NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY DWIGHT GARNER, THE NEW YORK TIMES NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY San Francisco Chronicle | NPR | The Root | The Telegraph | The Globe and Mail NATIONAL BESTSELLER FINALIST, PHILLIS WHEATLEY BOOK AWARD TEJU COLE WAS NAMED...