All the best books about the Black Panthers. In the 1960s, the Nation of Islam and the Black Panther Party gave voice to many economically disadvantaged and politically isolated African Americans, especially outside the South

Award-Winning Author Assesses the State of Black Relationships

Anybody who's seen Quentin Tarantino's movie, "Django Unchained," knows that the incendiary adventure represents a refreshing first step in terms of questioning the enduring stereotype of African-Americans as having been docile during slavery. Though carefully cultivated by both Hollywood and the history books, nothing could be further from the truth than that very demeaning image of black folks generally accepting their lowly lot.

What's the key to becoming a millionaire for an African-American? That's the basic question posed by Dr. Dennis Kimbro to a thousand of the most affluent blacks in the United States in a study conducted over the last seven years.

Barber Franklin Whatley wondered why he had never seen a textbook for clipper haircutting. After searching the Internet, and coming up empty, he decided to write his own.

Their revealing responses range from "When I became a mother" (author Terry McMillan) to "When my appendix ruptured" (Donzaleigh Abernathy) to "When I was diagnosed with breast cancer and went on the air bald" (ABC-TV's Robin Roberts).

S. Renee Mitchell hopes to boost children's self-esteem with her new children's book "The Awakening of Sharyn: A Shy and Brown Supergyrl".

When Barack Obama first ran for President, a strategy employed by those seeking to torpedo his campaign was to portray his wife, Michelle, as the proverbial "angry black woman." The New Yorker even went so far as to put a drawing of her on the cover of the magazine wearing camouflage fatigues while sporting a huge afro and brandishing a rifle.

Self-help gurus offer different paths to enlightenment, and those in need of a little tough love, might like to listen Jim Smith, Jr. Also known as "Mr. Energy," for years Jim has led JIMPACT workshops and delivered inspirational speeches for both Fortune 500 companies and non-profit corporations.

The nation owes a debt of gratitude to Rachel L. Swarns, a reporter for the New York Times since 1995, for donning her investigative journalist cap to dig into Michelle Robinson Obama's past.