James Shippy has narrated 14 audiobooks on Listento.it by 17 authors, with an average listener rating of 3.5★ across 7 ratings. The most-rated is Defining Moments in Black History.
Defining Moments in Black History
Summary
With his trademark acerbic wit, incisive humor, and infectious paranoia, one of our foremost comedians and most politically engaged civil rights activists looks back at 100 key events from the complicated history of Black America. A friend of luminaries including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers, and the forebear of today's popular Black comics, including Larry Wilmore, W. Kamau Bell, Damon Young, and Trevor Noah, Dick Gregory was a provocative and incisive cultural force for more than 50 years. As an entertainer, he always kept it indisputably real about race issues in America, fearlessly lacing laughter with hard truths. As a leading activist against injustice, he marched at Selma during the Civil Rights movement, organized student rallies to protest the Vietnam War; sat in at rallies for Native American and feminist rights; fought apartheid in South Africa; and participated in hunger strikes in support of Black Lives Matter. In this collection of thoughtful, provocative essays, Gregory charts the complex and often obscured history of the African American experience. In his unapologetically candid voice, he moves from African ancestry and surviving the Middle Passage to the creation of the Jheri Curl, the enjoyment of bacon and everything pig, the headline-making shootings of Black men, and the Black Lives Matter movement. A captivating journey through time, Defining Moments in Black History explores historical movements such as The Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance, as well as cultural touchstones such as Sidney Poitier winning the Best Actor Oscar for Lilies in the Field and Billie Holiday releasing "Strange Fruit". An engaging look at Black life that offers insightful commentary on the intricate history of the African American people, Defining Moments in Black History is an essential, no-holds-bar history lesson that will provoke, enlighten, and entertain.
©2017 Dick Gregory (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
The History of Gangster Rap
Summary
The History of Gangster Rap is a deep dive into one of the most fascinating subgenres of any music category to date. Sixteen detailed chapters, organized chronologically, examine the evolution of gangster rap, its main players, and the culture that created this revolutionary music. From still-swirling conspiracy theories about the murders of Biggie and Tupac to the release of the 2015 film Straight Outta Compton, the era of gangster rap is one that fascinates music junkies and remains at the forefront of pop culture. Filled with interviews with key players such as Snoop Dogg, Ice-T, and dozens more, as well as breakout bios of notorious characters, lists, and more, The History of Gangster Rap is the be-all-end-all book that contextualizes the importance of gangster rap as a cultural phenomenon.
©2018 Abrams (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
Hood Misfits Volume 2
Summary
The Misfits are back and now they are international. Trigga, Diamond, and the crew are in London. Dame has been handled and everything should be perfect. But when a plan works too perfectly, there is bound to be some unfinished business. Secrets are exposed. Diamond has learned the game and now she must continue to embrace a life she was not meant to live while understanding the truths of her own past. Trigga thought he was going to be able to give his new family peace but when ghosts from the past appear in London, that peace starts to unravel the new gang. Can Trigga keep Diamond safe, and while doing so, can he really trust those who are around him if he doesn't really know them himself? E.N.G.A was once just a motto. Now it is a way of life. Travel through the streets of London, England, and meet some new misfits, as a battle royal begins and eventually takes them back to the streets of Atlanta for a final showdown.
©2015 Brick & Storm (P)2015 Recorded Books
Stolen Justice
Summary
A thrilling and incisive examination of the post-Reconstruction era struggle for and suppression of African-American voting rights in the United States. Following the Civil War, the Reconstruction era raised a new question to those in power in the US: Should African Americans, so many of them former slaves, be granted the right to vote? In a bitter partisan fight over the legislature and Constitution, the answer eventually became yes, though only after two constitutional amendments, two Reconstruction Acts, two Civil Rights Acts, three Enforcement Acts, the impeachment of a president, and an army of occupation. Yet, even that was not enough to ensure that African-American voices would be heard, or their lives protected. White supremacists loudly and intentionally prevented black Americans from voting - and they were willing to kill to do so. In this vivid portrait of the systematic suppression of the African-American vote, critically acclaimed author Lawrence Goldstone traces the injustices of the post-Reconstruction era through the eyes of incredible individuals, both heroic and barbaric, and examines the legal cases that made the Supreme Court a partner of white supremacists in the rise of Jim Crow. Though this is a story of America's past, Goldstone brilliantly draws direct links to today's creeping threats to suffrage in this important and, alas, timely audiobook.
©2020 Scholastic Inc (P)2020 Scholastic Inc
The Free
Summary
In the beginning, Isaac West stole to give his younger sister Janelle little things: a new sweater, a scarf, just so she looked less like a charity case whose mother spent money on booze and more like the prep school girls he'd see on his way to school. But when Isaac's petty theft lands him in juvie, he's cut off from helping Janelle. Friendless in a dangerous world of gangs and violent offenders, he must watch his every step. His sentence requires him to meet regularly for group therapy, where the inmates reenact their crimes, attempting to understand what happened from the perspective of their victims. The therapy is intense. And as Isaac works through scenes with the group, he begins to recall a memory he'd long ago repressed. A memory that changed everything. And as he begins to piece together the truth about the circumstances that shaped his life - the circumstances that brought Isaac to Haverland in the first place - he must face who he was, who he is, and who he wants to be.
©2017 Lauren McLaughlin (P)2017 Recorded Books
Pass It On
Summary
Breakout NFL star Deshaun Watson, quarterback for the Houston Texans, shows listeners the lessons that have driven him to become a leader and to put others first. Houston Texans Quarterback Deshaun Watson is one of the most promising young players in the NFL, but he believes that true success lies in leading his team from a perspective of service. In this inspiring, practical book, Deshaun illustrates how the seven qualities of a servant leader can lead to a more successful life. Deshaun Watson was only 11 when his family qualified for a Habitat for Humanity house, which was furnished by from Atlanta Falcons Running Back Warrick Dunn through Dunn’s charity, Homes for the Holidays. But that early gift left a lasting impression, teaching Deshaun that generosity and service to others are important parts of true success. Now a star in his own right, and one of the most promising young players in the NFL, Deshaun reveals the lessons that have guided him throughout his life. From Deshaun’s early days in Gainesville, Georgia, where he supported his mother through cancer, to his years at Clemson University - where he graduated in three years while being nominated for the Heisman twice - to his first few seasons in the NFL, Deshaun has distinguished himself as a leader by putting others first. In Pass It On, Deshaun opens up about the seven core values that have guided him on his own journey. Generosity Empathy Self-sacrifice Service Commitment Strength Values in action Interweaving stories from his life with practical advice that every listener can apply, Deshaun demonstrates how true strength lies in putting others first. Reflection questions are available in the audiobook companion PDF download. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2020 Deshaun Waton (P)2020 Thomas Nelson
Black Detroit
Summary
The author of Baldwin's Harlem looks at the evolving culture, politics, economics, and spiritual life of Detroit - a blend of memoir, love letter, history, and clear-eyed reportage that explores the city's past, present, and future and its significance to the African American legacy and the nation's fabric. Herb Boyd moved to Detroit in 1943, as race riots were engulfing the city. Though he did not grasp their full significance at the time, this critical moment would be one of many he witnessed that would mold his political activism and exposed a city restless for change. In Black Detroit, he reflects on his life and this landmark place, in search of understanding why Detroit is a special place for black people. Boyd reveals how black Detroiters were prominent in the city's historic, groundbreaking union movement and - when given an opportunity - were among the tireless workers who made the automobile industry the center of American industry. Well-paying jobs on assembly lines allowed working-class black Detroiters to ascend to the middle class and achieve financial stability, an accomplishment not often attainable in other industries. Boyd makes clear that while many of these middle-class jobs have disappeared, decimating the population and hitting blacks hardest, Detroit survives thanks to the emergence of companies such as Shinola - which represent the strength of the Motor City and its continued importance to the country. He also brings into focus the major figures who have defined and shaped Detroit, including William Lambert, the great abolitionist; Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown; Coleman Young, the city's first black mayor; diva songstress Aretha Franklin; Malcolm X; and Ralphe Bunche, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. With a stunning eye for detail and passion for Detroit, Boyd celebrates the music, manufacturing, politics, and culture that make it an American original.
©2017 Herb Boyd (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
All Blood Runs Red
Summary
The incredible story of the first African-American military pilot, who went on to become a Paris nightclub impresario, a spy in the French Resistance and an American civil rights pioneer Eugene Bullard lived one of the most fascinating lives of the 20th century. The son of a former slave and an indigenous Creek woman, Bullard fled home at the age of 11 to escape the racial hostility of his Georgia community. When his journey led him to Europe, he garnered worldwide fame as a boxer, and later as the first African-American fighter pilot in history. After the war, Bullard returned to Paris a celebrated hero. But little did he know that the dramatic, globe-spanning arc of his life had just begun. All Blood Runs Red is the inspiring untold story of an American hero, a thought-provoking chronicle of the 20th century, and a portrait of a man who came from nothing and by his own courage, determination, gumption, intelligence, and luck forged a legendary life.
©2019 Phil Keith and Tom Calvin (P)2019 Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
Across the Way
Summary
Neighborhood tensions reach a breaking point in the finale of New York Times best-selling author Mary Monroe's captivating series that sweeps listeners back to 1930's Alabama and into the lives of two neighboring couples whose deceitful friendships and imperfect marriages are just the beginning of their troubles... In this captivating Depression-era set novel by New York Times best-selling author Mary Monroe, two couples find their grudges endangering more than their Alabama small town's deceptive peace... When good-time couple Milton and Yvonne Hamilton moved one house over from the respectable-but-restless Odell and Joyce Watson, it was a fast friendship of shared secrets - and secret jealousies and betrayals. Their alliance was bound to crash and burn, but the Hamiltons won't quite let the flame die out, even after scandalous accusations get them arrested... Odell would do anything to be free of his bootlegging, blackmailing, money extorting neighbors and recover the peaceful - and financially prosperous - life he and Joyce once had. But Milton and Yvonne seem to always bounce back from bad luck, and this time they've returned angrier, and greedier, than ever. Determined to get what Odell "owes" them, the Hamiltons have a big surprise for Joyce too, one that shows how far they will go to get revenge... Now pushed past his breaking point, Odell is sure he's got a foolproof plan to end the scheming once and for all. But it soon spirals into lies, shattering violence, and permanent damage that will roil their tranquil community, and alter his and Joyce's world forever...
©2020 Mary Monroe (P)2020 Recorded Books
Requiem Moon
Summary
Salo must journey into the heart of darkness to find his way back home in the next epic book of C. T. Rwizi’s debut series. Salo’s queen has finally accepted his desire to be a mystic despite taboos concerning men’s use of magic. But her acceptance is not support; it is strategy. Under a disguise of the queen’s making, Salo enters Jungle City as a pilgrim to the Red Temple, only to find a magical barrier barring his entrance. Left at the mercy of the warring political factions that run the city, Salo faces a series of obstacles wrought by an unseen hand, knowing he cannot return home without completing his pilgrimage. But Isa, King of the Saire clan, has her own plans for Salo. She needs his help to extract the Covenant Diamond from the Red Temple’s inner sanctum--an artifact with the power to end her tribe’s divisions, prevent a genocide, and even save herself from her fate. His new task in hand, Salo navigates a cursed maze of invisible authority--and when he encounters shocking revelations about the power residing in the depths of the undercity, he must wield his magic to finally bring the truth about his world’s history to light.
©2021 by C. T. Rwizi. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.
The Man Who Came Uptown
Summary
In best-selling and Emmy-nominated writer George Pelecanos' "[T]aut and suspenseful" new novel, an ex-offender must choose between the man who got him out and the woman who showed him another path. (Booklist, starred review) Michael Hudson spends the long days in prison devouring books given to him by the prison's librarian, a young woman named Anna who develops a soft spot for her best student. Anna keeps passing Michael books until one day he disappears, suddenly released after a private detective manipulated a witness in Michael's trial. Outside, Michael encounters a Washington, DC, that has changed a lot during his time locked up. Once-shady storefronts are now trendy beer gardens and flower shops. But what hasn't changed is the hard choice between the temptation of crime and doing what's right. Trying to balance his new job, his love of reading, and the debt he owes to the man who got him released, Michael struggles to figure out his place in this new world before he loses control. Smart and fast-paced, The Man Who Came Uptown brings Washington, DC, to life in a high-stakes story of tough choices.
©2018 Spartan Productions, Inc. (P)2018 Hachette Audio
One House Over
Summary
New York Times best-selling author Mary Monroe returns to the 1930s era of her acclaimed novel The Upper Room with a dazzling portrait of two very different couples whose friendship and fast times are no match for shattering betrayal. A solid marriage, a thriving business, and the esteem of their close-knit Alabama community - Joyce and Odell Watson have every reason to count their blessings. Their marriage has given well-off Joyce a chance at the family she's always wanted - and granted Odell a once-in-a-lifetime shot to escape grinding poverty. But all that respectability and status comes at a cost. Just once, Joyce and Odell want to break loose and taste life's wild side, without consequences. When their new neighbors turn out to be high-steppin' bootleggers Milton and Yvonne Hamilton, the Watsons plunge headlong into good times and fast living. For Joyce, Yvonne is someone she can show off to - and look down on. And Odell won't introduce crude, unsophisticated Milton to his friends - but is happy to let Milton ply him with free booze and good times. Milton hates being slighted and disrespected, and he's determined to do something about it. When Milton inadvertently discovers Odell's scandalous double life with a long-term mistress, he decides this is the perfect chance to wreck the Watsons' perfect world.
©2018 Mary Monroe (P)2018 Recorded Books
Dick Gregory's Political Primer
Summary
A unique and timeless guide to American government and its electoral process - as relevant today as when it was first published in 1972 - from the voice of Black consciousness, cultural icon Dick Gregory, the incomparable satirist, human rights and environmental activist, health advocate, social justice champion, and author of the NAACP Image Award-winning Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies and the classic best seller Nigger: An Autobiography. For most of his life, Richard Claxton “Dick” Gregory worked to educate Americans about the issues - and the forces of power - shaping their lives. A brilliant and informed student of the American experiment, he viewed and understood politics with an acuity few possess. Nearly 50 years ago, on the eve of Richard M. Nixon’s reelection, he wrote a classic guide to the American political system for ordinary folks. Today, when American democracy is threatened, his primer is more necessary than ever before. In Dick Gregory’s Political Primer, Gregory presents a series of lessons accompanied by review questions to educate and empower every citizen. He provides amusing, concise, and clear information and commentary on the nature of political parties, the three branches of government and how they operate, how the campaign process works and the costs, and more. Gregory offers imaginative comparisons such as the Hueys - Long, the populist Louisiana governor and Newton, the cofounder of the Black Panthers - and numerological parallels between Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. He also includes a trenchant glossary that offers insights into some of the major players, terms, and institutions integral to our democracy and government. An essential guide to American history unlike any other, Dick Gregory’s Political Primer joins the ranks of classics such as Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, and is essential listening for every American. PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©1972 Richard Claxton Gregory (P)2020 Audible, Inc.
Phantom Wheel
Summary
The digital apocalypse has arrived, and the future is here in this addictive technological thriller full of twists and turns. Perfect for fans of Nerve! Being recruited by the CIA to join a top-secret intelligence program should be the opportunity of a lifetime. For Issa, it's a shot at creating a new and better life for herself and her siblings. For clever con artist Harper, it's a chance to bury the secrets of her troubled past and make sure those secrets stay buried. But for Owen - honor student, star quarterback, and computer-hacking genius - it sounds like a trap. He's right. Owen discovers that instead of auditioning for the CIA, they've all been tricked by a multibillion-dollar tech company into creating the ultimate computer virus. It's called Phantom Wheel, and it's capable of hacking anyone on Earth, anywhere, at any time. And thanks to six teenagers, it's virtually unstoppable. Horrified by what they've done, the hackers must team up to stop the virus before the world descends into chaos. But working together is easier said than done, especially as the lines start to blur between teammate, friend, and more than friend. Because how do you learn to trust someone when you've spent your entire life exploiting that same trust in others?
©2018 Tracy Deebs (P)2018 Hachette Audio