EDFD 2020

The inspiring, true coming-of-age story of a ferociously determined young man who, armed only with his intellect and his willpower, fights his way out of despair.
In 1993, Cedric Jennings was a bright and ferociously determined honor student at Ballou, a high school in one of Washington D.C.’s most dangerous neighborhoods, where the dropout rate was well into double digits and just 80 students out of more than 1,350 boasted an average...

Presents accounts of how mainly anonymous Americans have defied the official racial ideology and points out how guardians of the past have written that side of our history out of the record.

The author and poet recalls the anguish of her childhood in Arkansas and her adolescence in northern slums. "Here is a book as joyous and painful, as mysterious and memorable, as childhood itself. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings captures the longing of lonely children, the brute insult of bigotry, and the wonder of words that can make the world right. Maya Angelou's debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother...

When Tony Dungy led the Indianapolis Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI--and made history as the first African American coach to win the big game--millions of people, amazed by the success of his quiet, authoritative leadership style, wondered: how does he get it done? Dungy reveals the secrets to his success--principles, practices, and priorities that have kept him on track despite overwhelming personal and professional obstacles, including firings,...

The Black leader discusses his political philosophy and reveals details of his life, shedding light on the ideas that enabled him to gain the allegiance of a still growing percentage of the Black population. "In this searing classic autobiography, originally published in 1965, Malcolm X, the Muslim leader, firebrand, and Black empowerment activist, tells the extraordinary story of his life and the growth of the Human Rights movement. His fascinating...

Chris Gardner shares the story of his life, focusing on the time he spent as a homeless single father, trying to care for his young son while at the same time building a career as a stockbroker, and discusses some of the many people who helped him on the road to his enormous success.

With an emphasis on her early years, covers the life of the South African woman who married a prominent fighter for racial equality in South Africa and later became a leader in her own right.

When she was a girl, Lisa See spent summers in the cool, dark recesses of her family's antiques store in Los Angeles Chinatown. There, her grandmother and great-aunt told her intriguing, colorful stories about their family's past—stories of missionaries, concubines, long wars, glamorous nightclubs, and the determined struggle to triumph over racist laws and discrimination. They spoke of how Lisa's great-great-grandfather emigrated from his Chinese

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A personal memoir by a well-known fashion designer discusses her daughter's serious learning difficulties and how her marriage, professional career, and family life were changed as a result of her efforts to help her child.

J.R. Moehringer grew up listening for a voice: the sound of his missing father, a disc jockey who disappeared before J.R. spoke his first words. As a boy, he would press his ear to a radio, straining to hear the keys to his own identity. His mother was his world, his anchor, but he needed something else, something he couldn't name. So he turned to the bar on the corner, a grand old New York saloon that was a sanctuary for all types of men--cops and...