A literary biography describing the life, friends, and work of the American author.

A Long Way from Home is a novel by Claude McKay, a Jamaican-American writer and poet. Published in 1937, the book is set in the early 20th century and follows the experiences of its protagonist, a black man named Jean-Jacques "Jake" Delaney, as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery and cultural exploration. The novel begins with Jake leaving his native Jamaica to seek opportunities in the United States. He arrives in the bustling city of New York...

"One of the foremost Black writers and intellectuals of his era, Claude McKay (1889-1948) was a central figure in Caribbean literature, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Black radical tradition. McKay's life and writing were defined by his class consciousness and anticolonialism, shaped by his experiences growing up in colonial Jamaica as well as his early career as a writer in Harlem and then London. Dedicated to confronting both racism and capitalist...

W.E.B. Du Bois was a public intellectual, sociologist, and activist on behalf of the African American community. He profoundly shaped black political culture in the United States through his founding role in the NAACP, as well as internationally through the Pan-African movement. Du Bois's sociological and historical research on African-American communities and culture broke ground in many areas, including the history of the post-Civil War Reconstruction...

Maya Angelou's autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings was nominated for a National Book Award, yet in 1995 it topped the list of books most frequently challenged in schools and libraries. This interdisciplinary collection of documents and commentary explores the historical and social context, as well as the contemporary issues and controversies, raised by Angelou's autobiography. A rich resource for teachers and students, it will help to enhance...