Africa English

Lynch mobs, chain gangs, and popular views of black Southern criminals that defined the Jim Crow South are well known. We know less about the role of the urban North in shaping views of race and crime in American society. Chronicling the emergence of deeply embedded notions of black people as a dangerous race of criminals by explicit contrast to working-class whites and European immigrants, this fascinating book reveals the influence such ideas have had on urban development and social policies.

Angela’s life has been flipped around and turned upside down. She never expected to be pitted against her sister competing against her own flesh and blood for a man’s affection. Her relationship with her brother in law had grown increasingly inappropriate. Angela and Eric had crossed the line and created a complicated energy that left her off balance and unable to control her feelings for him. Eric was a Cincinnati bad boy who learned the hard way that neither his money nor his intellect made him exempt from the cold realities of the world that he lived in. Love could get you killed and...

Lady, a young woman with dreams bigger than the Polo Grounds Towers projects in Harlem, New York she calls home, finds herself drawn to the charismatic Drac. Their connection is undeniable, but their love story unfolds against the backdrop of a brutal criminal underworld. When Drac takes over the notorious DuPont crime family, Lady is thrust into a world of violence, power struggles, and dangerous loyalties. Drac’s leadership is challenged by his ambitious cousin, igniting a bitter rivalry that threatens to tear the family apart. When Drac is incarcerated, Lady steps out of the shadows ...

AN ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS URBAN FICTION STANDALONE FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR, JADE JONES Evelyn Fairchild ain’t your average Hollywood starlet. She’s got the fame, the money, and the looks, but she’s also got a mean streak as sharp as her stilettos. Quick to judge and even quicker to dismiss, Evelyn’s built walls around herself so high, nobody’s getting in. She feeds off the spotlight, loving the power that comes with being a star, but she’s blind to the ice in her own heart. Then along comes Sav—short for Savage—a man who’s as dangerous as his name suggests. He owns several ...

Picking up where Essence best-selling author La Jill Hunt's Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda left off, Too Close for Comfort follows Paige Michaels and her no-nonsense friends as they search for love. Paige has finally broken loose from her no-good man, and she's loving the single life - until Quincy Westbrooke shows up.

Claudia thought her world had already shattered when Darius left her. Seeking solace and healing after a breakup, she embarks on a transformative journey at Malibu's 30-Day Breakup Bootcamp, a place where hope begins. Amidst the soothing backdrop of ocean waves and serene sunsets, Claudia encounters Ayotunde, a vibrant model reeling from her own devastating betrayal. As they navigate the bootcamp together, Ayotunde’s secrets unravel, revealing heartache that mirrors Claudia’s pain. United by their shared struggles, they confront their pasts, grapple with feelings of inadequacy, and ...

Since she was acquitted of murder, Tamia Luke has been on a mission to prove she's a changed woman - especially to the love of her life, Brandon Chambers. She thinks she's succeeded - until Brandon reveals that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant, and it's his duty to marry her. With time running out, Tamia is determined to have one last rendezvous to win him back. But she's stunned when the man who blackmailed and betrayed her suddenly reappears on the scene - with an offer she can't refuse, though she knows she may regret it.

Sixteen-year-old Diamond "Ray-Ray" Jenkins has it made in the shade, until one wrong move by her parents turns their lives upside down. Their secret of taking from the wrong street King in the Trap, Damien Orlando, has now put her in peril. The death of her parents signals an end to Diamond's semi-perfect life, putting her in the hands of evil. Her only salvation is to learn the game, and to put her trust in a kid wearing a hoodie.

Aaliyah is determined to celebrate her thirtieth birthday with a boyfriend. And after a failed blind date, the local bartender, Ahmad, suggests she joins a dating app. Filled with lies, catfish, and fetishizing, the wild world of online dating makes Aaliyah think she’s in over her head. And she is. But with her two best friends and a protective bartender by her side, what could go wrong?

Once Chill finally has his biggest enemy within his grasp, he's ready to take him out. But just when he thinks revenge is within his reach, an unexpected twist messes up his plans. Meanwhile, Tish is dealt another devastating blow that pushes her away from some people while drawing her closer to others. Nick is trying to have it all romantically but ends up getting caught in the worst way by the women he wants. Dixon and Keys are still trying to make their marriage work but find themselves facing even more challenges that could tear their marriage apart. Krystal is still living through the ...

In this original and trenchant work, Christina Sharpe interrogates literary, visual, cinematic, and quotidian representations of Black life that comprise what she calls the "orthography of the wake". Activating multiple registers of "wake" - the path behind a ship, keeping watch with the dead, coming to consciousness - Sharpe illustrates how Black lives are swept up and animated by the afterlives of slavery, and she delineates what survives despite such insistent violence and negation.

A few girls from around the way are trying to find their way through life. Some friends are more real than others, so you have to watch the company you keep. Twenty-one-year-old Gianna Draymond has already endured a lot of heartache and pain. Bettering herself is her ultimate goal. Who would have thought she'd find love in Detroit’s most honorable Drug lord when dating wasn't even on her mind? This particular guy showed her that men with character still existed. He was just what she needed. He was tall, funny, caring, handsome with a cute smile and a lot of swag and drip. He indeed was ...

Alexandra Fuller tells the idiosyncratic story of her life growing up white in rural Rhodesia as it was becoming Zimbabwe. The daughter of hardworking, yet strikingly unconventional English-bred immigrants, Alexandra arrives in Africa at the tender age of two. She moves through life with a hardy resilience, even as a bloody war approaches. Narrator Lisette Lecat reads this remarkable memoir of a family clinging to a harsh landscape and the dying tenets of colonialism.

In the heart of Harborhaven, a city with a dark underbelly, Mega, a former professional kidnapper, strives for redemption. When Livia, a strong-willed teacher, enters Mega's life, their connection becomes a beacon of hope. Join them on their journey of healing, trust, and growth, as they confront their turbulent pasts and strive for a brighter future. Along the way, they discover the power of forgiveness, love, and second chances. As secrets unravel and decisions are made, “THUG” explores the complexities of romance, the pursuit of redemption, and the transformative power of love in the...

Trudy Bell needs to do something to spice up her life and hopes that her new job with the Bon Voyage Travel Agency will do the trick. But envy for her boss' glamorous lifestyle turns into a downward spiral that could end up costing her more than just her job.

Working a minimum-wage job and raising a son has never been harder for Jayla. Each day she feels more and more beat down by life's trials and tribulations. Watching her ailing mother waste away after a serious stroke, makes things even tougher for her. The love she has for her man Keenan is what gets her through these troubled times. Together, they plan on getting out of the projects in Harlem. But unfortunately, that journey won't be an easy one. A traumatic event at her workplace shatters her fragile mental state. She doesn't ever want to go back there. There's got to be a better way to ...

The fast-paced, hood drama continues in Heart of a Thug 2. The walls are closing in on Markell. He doesn't know who to trust. Or which direction to turn. But he's certain about one thing: He's got to make things right for Kayla and her baby girl. Assistant District Attorney Amber Barton will do everything in her power to bring down Markell, even if it means breaking the law. Kayla and her daughter are innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of a battle that has nothing to do with them. But it's too late. They're already in too deep. Assistant D.A. Barton threatens to take Kayla’s ...

Few men can say they have known Africa as Capstick has known itleading safaris through lion country; tracking man-eating leopards along tangled jungle paths; running for cover as fear-maddened elephants stampede in all directions. And of the few who have known this dangerous way of life, fewer still can recount their adventures with the flair of this former professional hunter-turned-writer.

In this gripping tale of street love, drugs, lies, and murder, many will not make it out alive, some will find love in a hopeless place, while others get caught in the crossfire. Dive into the life of women who deserve more and find out what it's like to date the plug next door.

What causes a perfectly rational, mature woman to lose herself in a perfectly irrational, immature relationship? For Cynthia Thomas, a single, thirty-something woman, it could be insecurity. It could be loneliness. It could be something deeper. Like a woman who has waded so far into the ocean she's lost sight of the shore, Cynthia fears she's gone too far with Victor. She fears she's wasted too many of her good years. She's no closer to becoming a wife and a mother, and as she approaches her 40th birthday, her regrets threaten to destroy her. Good for them. But when will things be good for ...