Containing over 1,000 quotations by noted African Americans and black African men and women, from Spike Lee to Terry McMillan, from Colin Powell to Shaquille O'Neal, from Nelson Mandela to U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove, this selection of contemporary quotations is inspirational, spiritual, and uplifting. Reading the words of these men and women provides young African Americans with many inspiring role models, as those quoted remind readers that hard work and perserverance can lead to successand that one individual Man make a difference. While it addresses lingering racism in America, it celebrates the incredible accomplishments of African Americans and black Africans from all walks of life. Devoted exclusively to quotations from the 1990s, this book is organized alphabetically by author, with each quotation numbered sequentially, the work is also indexed by author, keyword, first line, and subject to provide multiple access to the quotations.

People, especially young people, from all fields of endeavor are featured: athletes, scientists, playwrights and novelists, artists, musicians, dancers, actors and directors, social activists, educators, journalists, elected political officials, physicians, and many more; nearly half of the quotations are by women. Each entry is prefaced by a brief description of the person, along with their birth date. Each quote is followed by the source from which it was taken. Almost all of these quotations have never been anthologized before. A selection of more than 40 photos of authors is included. Because of its currency and selection of individuals quoted, this work will appeal to young people and the general public and will provide ample choice of quotations for speeches, student papers, and general browsing.