Urban African American

Martin Jones' life was marred by violence from when he left the hospital as a newborn. As he grew older, his hatred and mistrust of authority figures only intensified, fueling his rage and inner turmoil. Martin couldn't understand why he harbored so much animosity, but with the help of his wise and nurturing Mama Jones, he was determined to find answers and make a positive impact. But as he navigates through the treacherous and unforgiving world, Martin realizes how brutal and unforgiving it truly is.

Impassioned antislavery rhetoric made antebellum Boston famous as the nation’s hub of radical abolitionism. In fact, the city was far from a beacon of equality. In No Right to an Honest Living, historian Jacqueline Jones reveals how Boston was the United States writ small—a place where the soaring rhetoric of egalitarianism was easy, but justice in the workplace was elusive. Highlighting the everyday struggles of ordinary Black workers, this book shows how injustice in the workplace prevented Boston—and the United States—from securing true equality for all.

Several years have passed, but Sylvia McMillan still can’t run and hide from the truth that continues to tear at her soul. Her love for Jonathan Taylor, her ex-friend’s husband, remains. Jonathan has moved on, though. In less than six months, he plans to watch his new bride cascade down the aisle as they join hands in holy matrimony. He’s not about to let Sylvia’s slickness derail him again - but then again, how can he resist the one woman who is willing to honor every single one of his wishes?

Upon the sudden and tragic death of his father, Tory’s marital bliss comes to a halt. His wife, Nya, and his family members try to help Tory cope with the pain of losing his father, but instead of choosing to have his arms around Nya, Tory chooses to have his lips constantly around an alcohol bottle. Tory vanishes, and Nya looks for him with the help of local law enforcement and a hired private investigator. Unfortunately, no one turns up anything.

Clay has never depended on anyone but himself. Having been to prison twice, the veteran criminal feels he has nothing left to lose. He rules his small territory of the Detroit drug scene with an iron fist, acting as the police, the judge, and the jury. Clay is without remorse. Anyone who crosses him or jeopardizes his freedom will be dealt with, and justice will be swift. Clay has always been cursed with a short-fuse temper, but this time it causes him to make a mistake that could bring him down for good.

A young military couple from Indiana is separated by a deployment and haunted by secrets. Shamar Jackson, a sergeant in the US Army, struggles to maintain a long-distance relationship, while his wife, Jelisa, fights to escape the past she never told him about. Lies and deceit stand to ruin this young couple's family, but will the truth make things better or worse? Still tied to the streets, Shamar is determined to keep his family intact by any means necessary. After returning home from war, he is now faced with the fact that the battlefield has been at home the whole time.

Terrell wasn't raised in the corrupt streets of Detroit. After being abused and left for dead by his violent, psychotic father, he was raised by his aunt and uncle in a loving home in the suburbs. But he never lost touch with his mother, whose selfish scheming sparked the fire that led to that fateful night when Terrell became disabled. Now that he's an adult, his tainted bloodline has other plans for the wheelchair-bound teenager.

Fresh from his self-imposed exile in New York, Black makes his long-awaited return, reuniting with his brothers Junie and Dee to handle the family business-moving mad weight, expanding their drug empire, and eliminating any and everything that gets in their way. Unfortunately, such wheeling and dealing always comes with a price, and for Black, Junie, and Dee, it's no different.

Korey Taylor, a.k.a. "Killa Korey" and his ace, Hammer, were sentenced to serve two decades in federal prison, but after an unexpected change in the crack cocaine sentencing laws, Korey is released. Now he's on his way home to Charlotte, North Carolina. Like Hammer, Korey is a thug with a violent nature, nothing to joke around with in the cold streets. However, while serving his time, Korey took classes that he hoped would help him become someone other than a drug dealer. Armed with a new way of thinking and a deep desire to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Korey wants to wave goodbye to the game.

Zaria Taylor weathers the storms, accepting the bad times as temporary whenever Renard cheats. Deep down inside, Zaria prays the years invested into their relationship will be enough to keep their foundation sturdy. "Do or die" and "till death do us part" are her mottos, though her wedding ring finger is still bare. She makes the mistake of believing him every time he says he will do better, he is sorry, and his heart only belongs to her.

Mike Brown, South Side’s resident crackhead, made a deal with the devil. He sold his soul, and now he’s got nowhere to go but down - and he’s determined to take a few others down with him, including two prostitutes and a disillusioned police detective.

Love continues to fail Nia and with the arrival of her daughter she doesn’t have the time or energy to pour into her failing relationship with East. Money is no longer the only thing on her mind; her daughter is. Nia realizes that family is above everything else and so she steps back from the demands of being a boss and running her own company. Torn between pride and his past, East uses the poor excuse of “not being enough” for his beloved Nia as the reason why he’s not around.

The Porters are a family of young goons who have mastered every aspect of the game. From robbery to drugs to extortion, there is nothing that the infamous band of siblings hasn’t been involved in. They devise a plan to escape to Mexico and retire at the height of their career - but then the feds come in. With the authorities hot on their heels, the Porters take listeners on a wild ride as they make their way to Mexico to avoid the death penalty.

Dixyn Greene has it all. She is a hustler's wife and the mother of a beautiful girl and owns a townhouse and a nice car - she's living the life. But when the feds arrest her man, Dixyn's whole world begins to crumble. Things quickly go from bad to worse, and, as the bills begin to mount, her ability to maintain her lavish lifestyle is put to the test. She becomes strapped for cash, and her good intentions lead to bad decisions. Enter Brian Winters, B-Dub, her one saving grace - or so she initially believes.

For more than a century, the city of Atlanta has been associated with Black achievement in education, business, politics, media, and music, earning it the nickname "the Black Mecca." Atlanta's long tradition of Black education dates back to Reconstruction, and produced an elite that flourished in spite of Jim Crow, rose to leadership during the civil rights movement, and then took power in the 1970s by building a coalition between White progressives, business interests, and Black Atlantans. But Atlanta's political leadership has consistently mishandled the Black poor.

Follow the highs and lows of Cha, Goldie, and Red, who come together for fun, laughs, and sometimes treachery in Long Beach, California. For these three ladies, survival was always about getting over by using lies, deceit, and sex. But when a plan goes dangerously wrong, Cha and Goldie take a step back out of the life.

Charles and Mary Bivens have been married for more than 20 years, but after one miscarriage and two children, they are starting to question their union. Their eldest child is out of the house, their youngest is entering his senior year in high school, and the onset of the empty nest is starting to sink in for the both of them. Mary, feeling the tension, has decided to start getting massages to find release. Recognizing that her husband may have a need for the same, she suggests that he try it too.

Stepping outside of his relationship with his current woman seems impossible to Trent, but that all changes when the girl who had a childhood crush on him comes back into the picture looking totally different than he remembered. How does the smoothest, smartest, and prettiest of the Carter boys deal with this, especially now that he finally has Jade in his life? Still not quite understanding his quiet and dark demeanor, Noelle can't help the attraction she feels for her mysterious neighbor, Shiloh Carter. Could it be the romantic and affectionate side he shows her when no one else is around?

After five years of grieving over her childhood sweetheart, Frankie Five-Fingers is ready to get back to business. Shedding her caged-bird persona, she has a new man and a new plan: snatch everything that isn't nailed down! Along with Cowboy and his crew of bandits, they wreak havoc on the streets of New York, robbing everything from businesses to ballers. If it had value, they were coming for it.

Best friends Sophie, Diamond, and Angel find themselves with their backs against the wall and owing an extremely dangerous man. Short on funds, limited options, and a severe debt hanging over their heads forces the trio to take "getting to the bag" to a new level. While dripping mad sex appeal laced with money schemes, these ruthless vixens hatch a bulletproof plan, and before long—Jack Girlz is born.