Washoe County Library System

"Sitting in the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture is a rough cotton bag, called "Ashley's Sack," embroidered with just a handful of words that evoke a sweeping family story of loss and of love passed down through generations. In 1850s South Carolina, just before nine-year-old Ashley was sold, her mother, Rose, gave her a sack filled with just a few things as a token of her love. Decades later, Ashley's granddaughter,...

Gives all the reasons why Michelle Obama is an inspiring role model, describing how she is committed to working hard, staying healthy, getting an education, and having fun.

Biography of a little slave girl whipped for eating an apple, who later grew up to become a famous "conductor" for the underground railroad.

The program director of #BeyondPrisons shares how her abuse-marked childhood complicated her pursuit of healthy relationships before falling in love with then-inmate Shaka Senghor, the author of the memoir, "Writing My Wrongs."

Profiles the African American abolitionist from her childhood as a slave, through her freedom and change of name later in life, to her adult career as a speaker against slavery and supporter of women's rights.

Describes Tubman's spiritual journey as she hears the voice of God guiding her north to freedom on that very first trip to escape the brutal practice of forced servitude. Tubman would make nineteen subsequent trips back south, never being caught, but none as profound as this first one.

The wife of NBA Champion and All-Star J.R. Smith shares the story of giving birth to one of the youngest premature babies to survive, shining a spotlight on the dangers Black women face during pregnancy and paying tribute to black women's resilience.

"A mother's account of her experience as the only Black child in school serves as an empowering message to her daughter"--