The NorthParan Buzz List: Books That Make Great Gifts For Black Dads On Fathers Day

My husband Nick is a lover of the written word adores everything there is to love about newspapers, magazine articles, thoughtful, smartly written websites like the Village Voice, The Nation and The Root, and especially books. Suffice to say, I never have to think too hard about what presents to give the man for Father's Day or any other holiday; give him a biography on a famous jazz artist or political icon, a classic book by his favorite thinkers, W.E.B. DuBois and James Baldwin, or smartly-written novel by the likes of authors like Gabrielle Garcia Marquez or  and the man is happy as a clam. For sure, giving your man a book for Father's Day is much more thoughtful than a tie or tool set, and way less expensive than that Lamborghini he's been eyeing. o__O. Need some suggestions on great books that'll speak to your man like no other? No sweat, my pretties: I asked my editor friends at NorthParan.com to assemble a list of books perfect for Father's Day and, as usual, they pulled together an awesome collection of works with mass appeal. It's not too late to order one from NorthParan.com and remember: for every book you buy at NorthParan, another is given to a child who doesn't have one.

1. Tupac: Resurrection, by Jacob Hoye

A stunningly designed, richly illustrated companion to the Academy Award-nominated documentary film, “Tupac: Resurrection,” brings unprecedented clarity and soulful intimacy to the life and work of the late Tupac Shakur. In many ways the autobiography he never got to write, “Tupac: Resurrection” features the artist in his own words, letters, and poems.

2. Hurricane: The Miraculous Journey of Rubin Carter, by James Hirsch

In 1967, the black boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and a young acquaintance, John Artis, were wrongly convicted of triple murder by an all-white jury in Paterson, New Jersey. Over the next decade, Carter gradually amassed convincing evidence of his innocence and the vocal support of celebrities from Bob Dylan to Muhammad Ali. He was freed in 1976 pending a new trial, but he lost his appeal to the amazement of many and landed back in prison.

3. Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism, by James W. Loewen

No blacks allowed, especially after dark. This was the unwritten rule in a “sundown” town. In his trademark revelatory style,bestselling author James W. Loewen explores one of America’s best-kept secrets as he unearths the making of sundown townsand discloses the fact that many white neighborhoods and suburbs are the result of years of racism and segregation. Anna, Illinois;Darien, Connecticut; and Cedar Key, Florida, are just a few examples of the thousands of all-white towns established between 1890 and 1968, many of which still exist today.

4. Callus on My Soul: A Memoir, by Dick Gregory

Born into the kind of crushing poverty that can destroy the spirit, Gregory used his razor-sharp intellect to become a comic, a pillar of the civil rights movement, a nutritionist, and a voice for social activism. Provocative and controversial, he presents a gritty, no-holds-barred account of a life that continues to influence the world.

5. The Violence of Peace: America's Wars in the Age of Obama, by Stephen Carter

The bestselling author of “The Emperor of Ocean Park” decodes what President Obama’s views on war mean for America and its role in military conflict, now and going forward.

6. Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Black Athlete, by William C. Rhoden

From Jackie Robinson to Muhammad Ali and Arthur Ashe, African American athletes have been at the center of modern culture, their on-the-field heroics admired and stratospheric earnings envied. But for all their money, fame, and achievement, says New York Times columnist William C. Rhoden, black athletes still find themselves on the periphery of true power in the multibillion-dollar industry their talent built. Rhoden makes the cogent argument that black athletes’ “evolution” has merely been a journey from literal plantations where sports were introduced as diversions to quell revolutionary stirrings to today’s figurative ones, in the form of collegiate and professional sports programs.

The North Paran Book Buzzlist is a weekly feature produced by NorthParan.com that gives readers an entertaining digest of the most fascinating books that are being talked about by the black community today.
Remember: For every book you purchase at NorthParan.com, a new book will be given to a child in need!