Rewriting the black American family

In literature, the African-American family has changed and morphed over the years. From the churchgoing family of James Baldwin’s “Go Tell It On The Mountain” to the rural female-led household of Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” to the inner city of Sapphire’s “Push.” But now, the black American family is being rewritten all over again in a totally new way. We take a look at three upcoming books about family written by black men.

Essence magazine’s book editor Patrik Henry Bass walks us through these new ways of looking at the African-American family.

Recommended reading:

* “A Game of Character: A Family Journey from Chicago’s Southside to the Ivy League and Beyond” by Michelle Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson
* “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates” by Wes Moore
* “Losing My Cool: How a Father’s Love and 15,000 Books Beat Hip-Hop Culture” by Thomas Chatterton Williams