Celebrating Black History, Black Excellence, and Black Joy
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the freedom of the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in Texas. The newly freed Black Americans observed Juneteenth as a celebration of freedom and its fulfillment. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Jubilee Day, is marked by celebrations, family gatherings, picnics, and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation as a measure of progress against freedom.
As Juneteenth is an occasion for reflection and education, we celebrate the end of slavery in America and acknowledge the profound contributions of Black people to American history and culture. We are amplifying stories that highlight Black history, Black excellence, and Black joy, not to disregard the realities of racism and injustice but to engage with the Black experience in America in a way that is full, balanced, and truthful.
More Books to Celebrate Juneteenth:
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Click for 10 Nonfiction Kid’s Books That Celebrate Black Excellence
Two Updated and Revised Editions of Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison:
Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison; Introduction by John F. Callahan; Preface by Charles Johnson
The radiant, posthumous second novel by the visionary author of Invisible Man, featuring an introduction and a new postscript by Ralph Ellison’s literary executor, John F. Callahan, and a preface by National Book Award-winning author Charles Johnson.
“For anyone who cares about American literature and the seemingly insolvable pain of race, Juneteenth is a must-read.”—USA Today
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
Click to Read an Excerpt.
Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison; Preface by Charles Johnson
From Ralph Ellison, an American master and author of the classic novel Invisible Man, Juneteenth is a brilliantly crafted, moving, and wise novel. With a new introduction by National Book Award-winning author Charles R. Johnson.
“[A] stunning achievement . . . Juneteenth is a tour de force of untutored eloquence. Ellison sought no less than to create a Book of Blackness, a literary composition of the tradition at its most sublime and fundamental.” —Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Time
Available in Trade Paperback.
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Celebrate and #AmplifyBlackStories:
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama
In an inspiring follow-up to her critically acclaimed, #1 bestselling memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world.
“Reaffirming . . . What makes the book special is that it builds on parts of Becoming, and [Michelle] Obama serves as mentor and guide.”—The Washington Post
“Obama’s road map for uncertain times resonates in ways that other self-help books do not . . . Through her stories, experiences and thoughts, we’re finding the light with her.”—The New York Times
Available in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
Also Available in Spanish: Con luz propia
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Built from the Fire: The Epic Story of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, America’s Black Wall Street by Victor Luckerson
A multigenerational saga of a family and a community in Tulsa’s Greenwood district, known as “Black Wall Street,” that in one century survived the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, urban renewal, and gentrification
“Ambitious . . . absorbing . . . By the end of Luckerson’s outstanding book, the idea of building something new from the ashes of what has been destroyed becomes comprehensible, even hopeful.”—Marcia Chatelain, The New York Times (Editors’ Choice)
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Wildflower: A Memoir by Aurora James
This extraordinary memoir of struggle and perseverance offers new ways of envisioning economic equality for everyone—from a leading activist and fashion pioneer.
“With community and sisterhood at its center, Wildflower teaches us that against all odds, we can overcome.”—Rupi Kaur, New York Times bestselling author of milk and honey
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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In Our Shoes: On Being a Young Black Woman in Not-So “Post-Racial” America by Brianna Holt
Part memoir, part cultural critique, In Our Shoes uses pop culture and author Brianna Holt’s own lived experience to dissect the stereotypes and preconceived notions that young Black women must overcome in America today.
“Holt offers particularly potent critiques of unconscious bias in the workplace and the many flaws inherent in white feminism. A commendable, colloquial perspective on a continually fraught topic.”—Kirkus Reviews
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures by Nat’l Mus Afr Am Hist Culture; Foreword by Ed Young; Edited by Kevin M. Strait and Kinshasha Holman Conwill; Contributions by Vernon Reid
This timely and gorgeously illustrated companion book to an upcoming Smithsonian exhibition explores the power of Afrofuturism to reclaim the past and reimagine Black futures.
“Filled with enlightening essays, insightful profiles, and archival materials that evoke the transformative vision linked to Afrofuturism, the book presents revealing intersections that illustrate how progressive Black visions shaped past actions, articulate present-day concerns, and offer potentially better futures.”—Julian Chambliss, curator, Beyond the Black Panther: Visions of Afrofuturism in American Comics exhibition
Available in Hardcover.
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The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom by Chrissy King
From author and wellness personality Chrissy King, an exciting, genre-redefining narrative mix of memoir, inspiration, and activities and prompts, with timely messages about social and racial justice and how the world needs to move beyond body positivity to something even more exciting and revolutionary: body liberation.
“The Body Liberation Project ultimately teaches us the practice of self-love and community love. It teaches us to hold space within our bodies for the nuance, for the possibilities, and for the joy.”—Layla F. Saad, New York Times bestselling author of Me and White Supremacy
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 Edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
A chorus of extraordinary voices tells the epic story of the four-hundred-year journey of African Americans from 1619 to the present—edited by Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist, and Keisha N. Blain, author of Set the World on Fire.
“A vital addition to [the] curriculum on race in America . . . a gateway to the solo works of all the voices in Kendi and Blain’s impressive choir.”—The Washington Post
“From journalist Hannah P. Jones on Jamestown’s first slaves to historian Annette Gordon-Reed’s portrait of Sally Hemings to the seductive cadences of poets Jericho Brown and Patricia Smith, Four Hundred Souls weaves a tapestry of unspeakable suffering and unexpected transcendence.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
Available in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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Beyond the Shores: A History of African Americans Abroad by Tamara J. Walker
An award-winning author charts the poignant global journeys of African Americans as she explores her own transatlantic family odyssey in this powerful history of living abroad while Black.
“By exploring the life of Black expats, creatives, and activists, Tamara J. Walker enhances the stories of migration to reveal how race is lived in the United States and abroad.”—Marcia Chatelain, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of South Side Girls
Available June 20th in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Son by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Stony the Road and one of our most important voices on the African American experience comes a powerful new history of the Black church as a foundation of Black life and a driving force in the larger freedom struggle in America.
“Absolutely brilliant . . . A necessary and moving work.”—Eddie S. Glaude, Jr., author of Begin Again
“Engaging . . . In Gates’s telling, the Black church shines bright even as the nation itself moves uncertainly through the gloaming, seeking justice on earth—as it is in heaven.”—New York Times Book Review
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Click to Watch the Trailer for The Black Church TV Series on PBS.
Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem: A Memoir by Daniel R. Day
By turns playful, poignant, thrilling, and inspiring, Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem is a high-stakes coming-of-age story spanning more than seventy years and set against the backdrop of an America where, as in the life of its narrator, the only constant is change.
“A fantastic and cinematic writer.”—Phoebe Robinson
“Detailed descriptions of his family’s tragic journey through poverty, the changing nature of his beloved and cursed neighborhood, and his adventures as a hustler are riveting.”—The New York Times
Available in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars by Hakeem Oluseyi
In this inspiring coming-of-age memoir, a world-renowned astrophysicist emerges from an impoverished childhood and crime-filled adolescence to ascend through the top ranks of research physics.
“You’ll encounter one extraordinary turn of events after another, as the extraordinary chess player, puzzle solver, and occasional grifter works his way from grinding poverty and deep despair to worldwide acclaim as a physicist.”—Bill Nye, CEO of The Planetary Society
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir by Kwame Onwuachi
In this inspirational memoir about the intersection of race, fame, and food, Onwuachi shares the remarkable story of his culinary coming-of-age; a powerful, heartfelt, and shockingly honest account of chasing your dreams—even when they don’t turn out as you expected.
“Kwame Onwuachi’s story shines a light on food and culture not just in American restaurants or African American communities but around the world.”—Questlove
“Onwuachi’s memoir should be required reading, not just for future chefs, but for anyone who wants a glimpse into one man’s tale of what it’s like to be young, black and ambitious in America.” —The Washington Post
Available in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
Also Adapted for Young Readers.
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The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir by André Leon Talley
From the pages of Vogue to the runways of Paris, this “captivating” (Time) memoir by a legendary style icon captures the fashion world from the inside out, in its most glamorous and most cutthroat moments.
“The joy of reading about André Leon Talley’s journey in The Chiffon Trenches is coupled with knowing that he survived and thrived by being revered and respected by those at every level of fashion. That never goes out of style.”—Tamron Hall, award-winning journalist and host of Tamron Hall
Available in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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A Promised Land by Barack Obama
A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy.
“Barack Obama is as fine a writer as they come . . . [A Promised Land] is nearly always pleasurable to read, sentence by sentence, the prose gorgeous in places, the detail granular and vivid . . . The story will continue in the second volume, but Barack Obama has already illuminated a pivotal moment in American history, and how America changed while also remaining unchanged.”—The New York Times Book Review
Available in Hardcover, eBook, Audio, and Large Print Editions.
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The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History by David F. Walker; Illustrated by Marcus Kwame Anderson
A bold and fascinating graphic novel history of the revolutionary Black Panther Party.
Founded in Oakland, California, in 1966, the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was a radical political organization that stood in defiant contrast to the mainstream civil rights movement. This gripping illustrated history explores the impact and significance of the Panthers, from their social, educational, and healthcare programs that were designed to uplift the Black community to their battle against police brutality through citizen patrols and frequent clashes with the FBI, which targeted the Party from its outset.
Using dramatic comic book-style retellings and illustrated profiles of key figures, The Black Panther Party captures the major events, people, and actions of the party, as well as their cultural and political influence and enduring legacy.
Available in Trade Paperback and eBook Editions.
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All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles
A renowned historian traces the life of a single object handed down through three generations of Black women to craft an extraordinary testament to people who are left out of the archives.
“A history told with brilliance and tenderness and fearlessness.”—Jill Lepore, author of These Truths: A History of the United States
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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The Spirit of Music: The Lesson Continues by Victor L. Wooten
Grammy Award winner Victor Wooten’s inspiring parable of the importance of music and the threats that it faces in today’s world.
“[A] bit like Carlos Castaneda’s shamanist tales, a bit like tween fiction, a bit like websites on, say, sonic healing through principles of sacred geometry and—at its best—an enactment of epiphanies told in the ping-pong dialogue . . . It’s a book that stands happily against traditional music pedagogy and canned notions of achievement. This is to its great credit.” —The Washington Post
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib
A stirring meditation on Black performance in America from the New York Times bestselling author of Go Ahead in the Rain.
“Whether heralding unsung entertainers or reexamining legends, Hanif Abdurraqib weaves together gorgeous essays that reveal the resilience, heartbreak, and joy within Black performance. I read this book breathlessly.”—Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half
“The real devil in America is America itself, the one who stole the soul that he, through open eyes and with fearless prose, snatches back. This is searing, revelatory, filled with utter heartbreak, and unstoppable joy.”—Marlon James, author of Black Leopard, Red Wolf
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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The Black Book Edited by Middleton A. Harris, Ernest Smith, Morris Levitt and Roger Furman; Foreword by Toni Morrison
A new edition of the classic New York Times bestseller edited by Toni Morrison, offering an encyclopedic look at the black experience in America from 1619 through the 1940s with the original cover restored.
“I first read The Black Book as a young man, sneaking it out of my dad’s library. It is appropriate that it should be returned to the world of publishing as we consider Morrison’s legacy, and the many dimensions of the much-deserved monument we now seek to erect in her honor.”—Ta-Nehisi Coates
“A terrible error grew as humans spread out around the globe from our common ancestors in Southern Africa: Race became a source of division and hierarchy instead of the minor adaptation to climate it truly was. The Black Book records some of the everyday suffering and wisdom that this false hierarchy has caused. There is not a member of the human family on earth who cannot learn from it.”—Gloria Steinem
Available in Hardcover.
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The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks: Adapted for Young People by Jeanne Theoharis; Adapted by Brandy Colbert and Jeanne Theoharis
Now adapted for readers ages 12 and up, the award-winning biography that examines Parks’s life and 60 years of radical activism and brings the civil rights movement in the North and South to life.
“A must-read for young people.”—Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy
“A nuanced exploration of a woman with a lifelong commitment to social change.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Available in Trade Paperback and eBook Editions.
Also Available for Adults: The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks.
Click to Read an Excerpt.
Celebrated Poets:
Soul Culture: Black Poets, Books, and Questions That Grew Me Up by Remica Bingham-Risher
Examines firsthand the lives of legendary Black writers who made a way out of no way to illuminate a road map for budding creators desiring to follow in their footsteps.
“This collection of essays is a remarkable ode to Black poets and poetry unlike any other. Bingham-Risher examines the writing process through some of her favorites, from Lucille Clifton to Beyonce, through a lens of joy, power, love and legacy.”—Karla J. Strand, Ms.
Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
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Plantains and Our Becoming: Poems by Melania Luisa Marte
A rousing, beautifully observed, and tender-hearted debut poetry collection about identity, culture, home, and belonging—for fans of Jasmine Mans and Fatimah Asghar.
“This collection is a full-throated war cry; both a request for anointment and the responding bendición. Marte writes like she’s got daggers between her teeth: yes, there is sharpness in every line, but her words remind us blades also cauterize, heal. Even these ancestral wounds.”—Elizabeth Acevedo, the National Book Award winning author of The Poet X
Available August 22nd in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Minor Notes, Volume 1 Edited by Joshua Bennett and Jesse McCarthy; Foreword by Tracy K. Smith
The first volume in an anthology series that amplifies the voices of unsung Black poets to paint a more robust picture of our national past, and of the Black literary imagination.
Minor Notes is an excavation initiative that recovers and curates archival materials from understudied, though supremely gifted, African American poets of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and aims to bridge scholarly interest with the growing general audience who reads, writes, and circulates poetry within that tradition.
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country by Amanda Gorman; Foreword by Orpah Winfrey
Amanda Gorman’s powerful and historic poem “The Hill We Climb,” read at President Joe Biden’s inauguration.
On January 20, 2021, Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration. Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe. Her poem “The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country” can now be cherished in this special gift edition. Including an enduring foreword by Oprah Winfrey, this keepsake celebrates the promise of America and affirms the power of poetry.
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Click for Amanda Gorman’s Poetry Writing Tips.
Click to Watch Amanda Gorman Talk About Why She Writes Poetry.
African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song Edited by Kevin Young
A literary landmark: the biggest, most ambitious anthology of Black poetry ever published, gathering 250 poets from the colonial period to the present.
“It is overwhelming to contemplate the variety and history contained in this volume. The poems gathered here have the force of event. They were written as acts of public mourning, and as secrets; they are love poems and bitter quarrels. They are prized company.” —The New York Times
“This vast anthology gathers voices both canonical and overlooked to build an implicit but unassailable case that Black poetry is central to American literature.” —New York Times Book Review
Available in Hardcover.
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Click to Watch Kevin Young in Conversation with Our Colleague Miriam Tuliao.
Finna: Poems by Nate Marshall
Sharp, lyrical poems celebrating the Black vernacular—its influence on pop culture, its necessity for familial survival, its rite in storytelling and in creating the safety found only within its intimacy.
“Simply outstanding poetry.”—Roxane Gay, author of Hunger and Bad Feminist
“Written in a streetwise vernacular, these pieces about what it means to be a Black man in America feel the beat of rap and the burden of history. His search for the ‘Nate Marshall origin story’ illuminates life in this country in a strikingly original way.”—The Washington Post
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans
From spoken word poet Jasmine Mans comes an unforgettable poetry collection about race, feminism, and queer identity.
“Nothing short of sublime, and the territory [Mans’] explores . . . couldn’t be more necessary.”—Vogue
Available in Trade Paperback, eBook, and Audio Editions
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Click to Watch Jasmine Mans Perform Her Poetry for Librarians.
Celebrate with Food:
Trap Kitchen: The Art of Street Cocktails by Malachai Jenkins and Roberto Smith; Foreword by Roddy Ricch
The Trap Kitchen franchise turns toward mixology with a comprehensive and creative guide to street cocktails, as this legendary culinary duo puts their spin on time-honored drinks on the go.
This book takes the time-honored culture of street cocktails and brings a Trap Kitchen twist, using favored libations and regional vernacular to create a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s more than just a drink guide for mobile mixology. It’s sending a strong nod to a social, urban, and regional tradition of making new mixes for the casual cocktail fan while keeping the innovation of Trap Kitchen alive with every sip.
Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
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In Pursuit of Flavor: The Beloved Classic Cookbook from the Acclaimed Author of The Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis; Foreword by Mashama Bailey
The classic cookbook from “the first lady of Southern cooking” (NPR), featuring a new foreword by Mashama Bailey, star of Netflix documentary series Chef’s Table.
“Timeless . . . [this] beautiful new edition includes charming illustrations and a foreword by Savannah chef Mashama Bailey, who helms The Grey.” —Southern Living
“Lewis’s food is both subtle and elegant, made with the confidence and grace that arose from over a half-century in the kitchen . . . Even 30 years later, Edna Lewis . . . teaches us that ‘good food simply and lovingly prepared’ will never go out of style, while reminding us that the passionate pursuit of flavor can make for one hell of a life.” —The New York Times Book Review
Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
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Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day is a Good Day: A Cookbook by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie
In the first cookbook by a Black pitmaster, James Beard Award–winning chef Rodney Scott celebrates an incredible culinary legacy through his life story, family traditions, and unmatched dedication to his craft.
“BBQ is such an important part of African American history, and no one is better at BBQ than Rodney.”—Marcus Samuelsson, chef and restaurateur
“Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ takes its readers into the heart, mind, and soul of a barbecue artisan who is at the top of his craft . . . His recipes for side dishes, desserts, and beverages definitely remind you that, yes, every day will be a good day when you use this cookbook.”—Adrian Miller, James Beard Award winner
Available in Hardcover, eBook, and Audio Editions.
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Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora: A Cookbook Edited by Bryant Terry
A beautiful, rich, and groundbreaking book exploring Black foodways within America and around the world, curated by food activist and author of Vegetable Kingdom Bryant Terry.
“Black Food is a cookbook, and a delight to use as such (think Peach Hand Pies, Okra and Shrimp Purloo, and Jerk Chicken Ramen), but more important, it’s a testament to diverse cultures around the world and their foodways that includes literature about resources, agriculture, cooking and community. Food activist and writer Terry (‘Vegetable Kingdom’) adds generous dollops of joy, too.”—The Washington Post
Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
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Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook by Toni Tipton-Martin
With more than 100 recipes, from classics such as Seafood Gumbo, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Pecan Pie with Bourbon to lesser-known but even more decadent dishes like Spoon Bread and Baked Ham Glazed with Champagne, Jubilee presents techniques, ingredients, and dishes that show the roots of African American cooking—deeply beautiful, culturally diverse, fit for celebration.
“A comprehensive account of African American recipes and foodways. From the kitchens run by enslaved people to the family tables of freemen to the careers of entrepreneurs and chefs, Jubilee covers the breadth of a true American cuisine.”—The Washington Post
Available in Hardcover and eBook Editions.
Click to Read an Excerpt.
