Check out and delivery of New & Noteworthy titles is available to legislative staff in Capitol and District offices. To arrange check out and delivery of any of these items, you can submit an online request through the New & Noteworthy page on our website, contact the library at 512-463-1252, or use our PDF request form.
In honor of Black History Month, we are highlighting books by or about African Americans from our collection.
1. In This Land of Plenty: Mickey Leland and Africa in American Politics
By Benjamin Talton
Explores the life and career of Congressman and former Texas Representative George Thomas "Mickey" Leland. Notes the beginning of Leland's political career in the Texas Legislature and his advocacy for what he called the "People's Bills," before he went on to succeed Congresswoman Barbara Jordan in the U.S. House of Representatives. Focuses on Leland's leadership in bringing an African American perspective to U.S. politics, including his influence on developing foreign policy toward Africa, promoting humanitarianism, and eradicating world hunger.
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019, 281 pages
328.73 T149L 2019
2. A Black Women's History of the United States
By Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross
Profiles Black women and their roles in shaping American culture, society, and politics since the 1600s, including histories of enslaved women, freedwomen, religious leaders, artists, politicians, educators, and activists. Highlights the stories of women within the context of broader historical events, such as exploration and contact in the New World, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and the civil rights and Black Power movements.
Beacon Press, 2020, 298 pages
305.48 B459B 2020
3. Black Software: The Internet & Racial Justice, from the AfroNet to Black Lives Matter
By Charlton D. McIlwain
Chronicles African Americans' relationship with computing technology and the Internet. Examines not only how computing technology has been used to contain, profile, and detain Black Americans for decades, but how Black activists used and are using these computing tools and the Internet to build community and engage in a racial justice activism that has been proclaimed by many as the new civil rights movement.
Oxford University Press, 2020, 296 pages
302.23089 M188B 2020
4. African Americans in Central Texas History: From Slavery to Civil Rights
By Bruce A. Glasrud and Deborah M. Liles, editors
Presents a collection of essays documenting the experiences of African Americans in Central Texas from the time of slavery through the civil rights marches of the 1960s. Addresses Black Texans' struggle for freedom and racial equality along with the threats, violence, and systemic denials of justice they encountered. Details the life stories of selected enslaved people, soldiers, cattlemen, professionals, politicians, and activists.
Texas A&M University Press, 2019, 316 pages
323.1196 G463AM 2019
5. Fault Lines: Portraits of East Austin
By John Langmore, photographer, with Wilhelmina Delco, Michael King, and Johnny Limón
Presents a collection of photographs from 2006 to 2011 documenting East Austin through personal and family portraits, community activities, and cultural landmarks. Illustrates the dramatic changes in demographics, housing, and neighborhoods in East Austin, and fragmentation of African American and Latino families due to gentrification and rising housing costs. Includes an essay by former Representative Wilhelmina Delco, reflecting on the history and importance of the African American community in East Austin.
Maverick Books, 2019, 171 pages
976.431 L267F 2019
6. Illusions of Emancipation: The Pursuit of Freedom and Equality in the Twilight of Slavery
By Joseph P. Reidy
Asserts that emancipation was not a single event but rather a complex journey that fundamentally altered ideas about time, space, and home, for all of the peoples of the United States. Describes how the Civil War and Reconstruction generations viewed the drastic changes involved in dismantling slavery, emphasizing the testimonies of formerly enslaved people.
University of North Carolina Press, 2019, 506 pages
305.896 R27IL 2019
7. Black Texans: A History of African Americans in Texas, 1528-1995
By Alwyn Barr
Provides an overview of the African American experience in Texas, spanning from the 1528 appearance of the Spanish shipwreck slave, Estevan, through slavery, Reconstruction, and significant gains made in the twentieth century. Discusses each period in terms of political, economic, social, and legal status as well as explaining the violence that occurred at various times. Recommends extensive sources for deeper study.
University of Oklahoma Press, 1996, 294 pages
325.26 B27 1996
