Shimmy Shimmy Shimmy Like My Sister Kate

Giovanni, Nikki (1996). Shimmy shimmy shimmy like my sister Kate:  Looking at the Harlem Rennaissance through poems. New York:  Henry Holt and Company.

ISBN: 0805034943

Summary:  Award-winning, contemporary African-American poet, teacher, and activist Nikki Giovanni has compiled and commented on a collection of 20th-century poems largely from the Harlem Renaissance to celebrate and affirm being a black American. Selections include well-known poems, such as Paul Laurence Dunbar's "Sympathy" ("I know why the caged bird sings!" and Langston Hughes' "Harlem" ("What happens to a dream deferred?") as well as poems from less prolific authors, such as Waring Cuney and Lance Jeffers.

Additional comments:  Nikki Giovanni reflects on each poem's meaning and historical context. She also comments on each poet's life and legacy.  This anthology is full of anger at the persecution blacks have faced and continue to face, full of hope for the future, and full of love, pride, and strength for what's been overcome.   

 

Babylon Boyz by Jess Mowry

Mowry, Jess (1997, 1999). Babylon Boyz. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks. 

Summary:  The Babylon Boyz are three best friends in Oakland, California, who are outcasts at high school:  Pook for being gay, Dante for a weak heart in need of an operation, and Wyatt for his obesity.  The boys, who mostly get back without adults, befriend Radji, a homeless kid, and Jinx, who is in rehab for crack.  When they stumble upon a suitcase full of cocaine near the docks, they are divided about what to do.  On one hand, if they sell it, the large sum of money would provide them with choices and opportunities, such as Dante's greatly needed and expensive heart surgery, medical school for Pook, and ultimately a way out of "Babylon" where they feel trapped.  On the other hand, they could flush the coke down the toilet and spare the community from the drug that is destroying them.

Additional comments: A vivid and emotionally gripping portrayal of life for young, intelligent men of color who are marginalized and limited by poverty and racism.  Without parents, they lean on each other for support and love.  The male characters are at times hard-edged and others vulnerable and sensitive and despite arguments, always loyal to each other in the end.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, Walter Dean (1999). Monster. New York: Scholastic Inc.  

Summary:  Steve Harmon is 16-year-old black high school student on trial for being the lookout in the robbery of a drug store in Harlem, New York during which the owner was shot and killed.  To bring comfort to the deep terror he faces both in the courtroom and in the detention center, Steve narrates his experience in the form of a screen play.

Additional comments:  An intense story presented in a unique and dramatic style. Readers will anxiously flip the pages to see if justice is served in the end.  Raises many questions about racism in the justice system, what is honesty, and reconciling self-identity and the judgment by others.  

The Color Purple (DVD)

Spielberg, Steven (1985). The Color Purple [Motion picture]. United States: Amblin Entertainment.

Summary:  Set in Georgia at the turn of the 20th century, The Color Purple follows the life of Celie, a 14-year-old black girl at the start of the film.  After bearing two children by her daddy only to have them pried from her arms at birth, Celie's life only gets harder when she is forced to marry and serve an abusive, mean-spirited older widower and his many rotten children.  But, her heart and spirit die when her new husband tries to rape Celie's beloved younger sister, who fights him off, and is physically removed from the house forever.  Celie then succumbs to a despondent life of servitude and speechlessness until she allows herself to be loved by Shug Avery, a spirited, head-strong performer and lover of Celie's husband.    

Additional comments:  Exposes the mistreatment and confinement of women, particularly women of color, who were kept down with no choices and basically no options for independence.  Celie is treated as property, who should be seen, not heard, and must serve "the Mister's" every need and endure beatings wordlessly. A long movie that is bound to bring you to tears at multiple points of the film.  This Steven Spielberg classic features an all-star cast, including Whoopie Goldberg, Danny Glover, and Oprah Winfrey.  

Based on the Pulitzer prize winning novel by Alice Walker.