Reading is More than Fundamental - Reading is Critical.

                              Biography Books                              

  

Listed below are some of the most inspiring, authentic, and uplifting African-American related biographies ever written. These books can be found on-line on the internet or in line at your local library.

    


   

Great biographies offer us the opportunity to learn from the trials and triumphs of others.

No excuses - READ.


- BlackMenRead.com suggested biography list below -

  • And the Walls Came Tumbling Down: An Autobiography by Ralph Abernathy - 1991

  • Assata: (An Autobiography) by Assata Shakur, Angela Davis, & Lennox S. Hinds - 1987

  • An Autobiography: The Story of My Life & Work - by Booker T. Washington - 1900

  • The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X - 1964 [BlackMenRead.com - CLASSIC - RECOMMENDATION]  Malcolm's autobiography is A MUST READ! This book has been a catalyst for change in the lives of countless individuals. Forget the movie, pick up the book and get the real deal directly from this towering figure yourself.                    - BlackMenRead.com

  • The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. - by Martin Luther King, Jr. & Clayborne Carson - 1998

  • The Beautiful Struggle - by Ta-Nehisi Coates - 2008 

    [BlackMenRead.com  RECOMMENDATION]

  • Born to Rebel: An Autobiography - by Benjamin E. Mays - 1971 

[BlackMenRead.com - RECOMMENDATION]   

As the mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr., this great brother was a man of prominence and a leader with integrity whose legacy still stands tall. A giant amongst mere men, you need to know the story of Benjamin E. Mays. - BlackMenRead.com

  • Cooked: From the Streets to the Stove, from Cocaine to Foie Gras by Jeff Henderson - 2007 [BlackMenRead.com - RECOMMENDATION]

     Jeff Henderson's story is as contemporary as it gets. As a youth he chose the fast life of a drug dealer and excelled at it. But soon the Feds came knocking as they always do for the young black male who chooses a life of crime. Where Jeff's story takes a turn from the mere contemporary to extraordinary is when, where, and how he pulls his life together. This is an inspiring modern story that anyone fighting to overcome obstacles and barriers will find uplifting.                 - BlackMenRead.com

  • Days of Grace (Autobiography of Arthur Ashe) - by Arthur Ashe - 1993 Note: Former Heavyweight Champion, Mike Tyson, was so impressed with Arthur Ashe and his writings, that upon being released from prison he had a tattoo of this brother placed on his left bicep with the words "Days of Grace" inscribed. -BlackMenRead.com

  • Don't Play in the Sun: One Woman's Journey through the Color Complex - Marita Golden - 2004

  • Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race & Inheritance - by Barack Obama - 2004

  • Ella Baker & The Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision - by Barbara Ransby - 2002

  • Eyes To My Soul: The Rise or Decline of a Black FBI Agent - by Tyrone Powers - 1996

    •  [BlackMenRead.com - RECOMMENDATION!]

     

  • Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream - by Lerone Bennett Jr - 2000

  • Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story - by Ben Carson & Cecil Murphey - 1990

  • Home and Exile - by Chinua Achebe - 2000

  • Inner-City Miracle - by Judge Greg Mathis - 2002

 

  • Jesse Jackson: The Man, The Movement, The Myth - by Barbars Reynolds - 1975

  • Life on the Outside; The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett - by Jennifer Gonnerman

  • Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela - by Nelson Mandela - 1994

  • Make Me Wanna Holler - by Nathan McCall - 1994

  • Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member - by Sanyika Shakur, fka Kody Scott - 1993

  • My Life in Search of Africa: The Autobiography of John Henrik Clarke - by John Henrik Clarke - 1999

 [BlackMenRead.com RECOMMENDATION]

  • Nelson Mandela: The Struggle is My Life - by Nelson Mandela - 1986  [BlackMenRead.com - RECOMMENDATION]

  • No Disrespect -  by Sistah Souljah - 1994

  • The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream - by Dr. Sampson Jenkins, Dr. George Jenkins, & Dr. Rameck Hunt - 2002

  • Parallel Time: Growing Up in Black & White - by Brent Staples - 2000

  • The Pursuit of Happyness - by Chris Gardner & Quincy Troupe - 2006 [BlackMenRead.com - RECOMMENDATION - "SKIP THE MOVIE, READ THE BOOK"] Like most movies the book tells a far greater and deeper story of Mr. Gardner's trials and triumphs.

  • Pushed Back To Strength: A Black Woman's Journey Home - by Gloria Wade-Gayles - 1993

  • The Prisoner's Wife - by Asha Bandele - 1999

  • A Question of Freedom (a memoir of learning, survival, and coming of age in prison) - R. Dwayne Betts - 2009

    • [BlackMenRead.com - RECOMMENDATION]

  • Ready For Revolution: The Life & Struggles of Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) by Stokely Carmichael & Michael Ekwueme - 2003[BlackMenRead.com - RECOMMENDATION]

  • Recollections : Viktor E. Frankl An Autobiography - translated by Joseph & Judith Fabry - 2000

  • Talking to Myself: A Memoir of My Times - by Studs Terkel - 1997

  • That Black Men Might Live: My Fight Against Prostate Cancer - by Rev. Charles Williams & Vernon A. Williams - 2003

  • Tupac: Resurrection (1971 - 1996) - by Tupac Shakur, Jacob Hoye A stunningly designed, richly photographed companion to the documentary, "Resurrection" brings unprecedented clarity and soulful intimacy to the writings and life of Tupac Shakur (100 photos). [BlackMenRead.com - RECOMMENDATION]

  • Unbowed - by Wangari Maathai - 2006 
In this inspiring memoir, Wangari Maathai, the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, recounts her life as a political activist, feminist, and environmentalist in Kenya.

  • Up From Slavery - Booker T. Washington - 1901 

  • "Why Should White Guys Have All the Fun?" How Reginald Lewis Created a Billion-Dollar Business Empire - by Reginald Lewis & Blair S. Walker - 1994 [BlackMenRead.com  RECOMMENDATION]