African American Culture African American Flags African American Quilt African American Quilts African American Quilting African American Art African American Art African American Clip Art African American Art Love African American Arts African American Art Gallery African American Black Art African American Artists African American Artists African American Painting African American Print African American Calendars African American Museum Dallas African American Books African American History Books African American Christmas African American Doll African American Dolls African American Book Store African American Novels African American Author African American Authors African American Poets African American Poems African American Poetry African American Vernacular English African American History African American History African American Hair Care Products African American Museum Famous African Americans African American Inventors African American Products African American Items African American Invitations African American Stationery Buy African American African American Events African American Tours African American Travel African American Group Travel African American Cruises African American Websites African American Community African American Chat Rooms African American Teen Chat African American Girls African American Women African American Men African American Man African American Speaker African American Speakers African American Models African American Babies African American Baby Names African American Gifts African American Barbie Doll African American Figurine African American Figurines African American Styles African American TV African American DVD African American DVDs African American T Shirts African American Hair African American Hair Styles African American Hairstyles Short African American Hairstyles African American Hair Braiding Styles African American Prom Hairstyles African American Wedding Hairstyles African American Wedding Music African American Wedding Accessories African American Wig African American Shampoo African American Health African American Health African American Marketing African American Research African American Scholarship African American Scholarships African American Grants African American Wedding African American Wedding Programs African American Wedding Cake Toppers African American Cake Toppers

African American Books

Many African American authors, and the millions of readers of every race who enjoy their works, can be grateful that African American books are readily available today, thanks to publishing houses now willing to take on the works of these fascinating, often spell-binding, writers.  Unfortunately, the recent past tells a story of struggle in the publishing industry for writers of color.

African American authors have been writing books of every nature since the early 1800s but they haven’t always been successful in finding a publisher willing to print African American books.  Publishing is a highly speculative business and, for many years, it was believed that African American books just couldn’t command a market large enough to make publishing these books a lucrative endeavor.

This reluctance of the firmly established publishing giants led a significant number of African Americans to open their own publishing houses which, of course, featured only African American books.  Over time, some of the African American-owned publishing houses thrived while others lasted only a short while, publishing few, if any, books.

During this time, the African American books that did get published were often done so to convey a message of social or cultural importance without regard to the hope for profits from sales.  It was this heartfelt belief in printing words of truth and power over capital gains that kept these publishing houses in operation.

Fortunately, one of the many racial breakthroughs of the Civil Rights Movement was a proliferation of works by African American authors, poets, and screenwriters who produced works embraced and acclaimed by readers of all races.  The firms publishing African American books enjoyed a surge of business and profits.

In time, the publishing industry itself began to change.  The firmly established giants of the industry started buying up smaller publishing companies that were known for producing successful books of specific genres.  In order to maintain the markets established by these niche publishers, the big-name publishers often retained the names of the smaller ones albeit under their own labels and logos.

Today, African American books are published freely and often win prestigious awards, garnering high acclaim and substantial profits for their very deserving and talented authors.

African Culture Native American Culture Free Quilt Patterns
Quilting Question of the Week Quilt of the Month program
African Art
Fante of Ghana - Asafo Flags | Textiles & Symbols | Zulu Beadwork		 African American Art
Art & Contemporary | Historical | Traditional
Asian Culture
Chinese | Hmong | Indian | Japanese | Korean | Tibetan | Afghanistan		 Native American Culture
Hawaiians | Kuna of Panama (molas) | Mainland Tribes
Latin Culture / South American Culture Haitian Culture Aboriginal Culture
Australia / New Zealand
Baby Quilt | Antique Quilts | Art Quilting | Airplane Quilt | Antique Quilt | Cat Quilt | Fabric for Quilting | How to Quilt | Jean Quilt | Quilt Sets | Antique Quilts | Applique Machine Embroidery Designs | Chenille Quilt | Crazy Quilt | Crib Quilt | Denim Quilt | Feather Quilt | Free Applique Patterns | Horse Quilt | King Size Quilt | Online Quilt | Paper Piercing | Patchwork Quilt Patterns | Punch Needle | Quilt Art | Quilt Book | Quilt Fabric | Quilt Fabrics | Quilt Hangers | Quilting Fabric | Quilting Machine | Quilting Patterns | Quilting Quilt | Quilt Kits | Quilt Labels | Quilt Machine | Quilt Pattern | Quilt Patterns | Quilt Rack | Quilt Racks | Quilting Books | Paper Piecing Patterns | Quilting Tips and Techniques | Hand Quilting | Machine Quilting | Rotary Cutting | Quilt Bindings | Wedding Dress Quilts