When jazz journalist Virginia Farrell interviews reclusive singer Betty Brown, Betty shows Virginia priceless tapes from the legendary 1957 Thelonious Monk–John Coltrane gig at the Five Spot. Betty asks Virginia to get the tapes to their rightful owners, and Virginia promises to help. When Betty is found dead, Virginia decides to investigate. In the spirit of Nancy Drew, Virginia enlists her six-foot blonde roommate Socks to scrutinize the various suspects: Joe Pascoe, the semi-lecherous photographer who saw Betty Brown the day she died; Bassinger Ffowlkes, Virginia’s mildly sociopathic editor; and Mortimer Bartescue, a journalist with a John Coltrane obsession. Also on the case is Detective Robert Smith from the Hoboken Police Department, together with his partner, self-proclaimed ladies’ man Tony Oliveto. Detective Smith becomes distracted by an unsolved murder that might be related to Betty Brown’s death, as well as an undeniable attraction to Virginia. A jazz mystery with a dash of romance, Dashiki brings the reader inside the fascinating world of jazz: the musicians, the journalists, the photographers, the scholars, and the fanatics.

The Peacock Revolution in menswear of the 1960s came as a profound shock to much of America. Men's long hair and vividly colored, sexualized clothes challenged long established traditions of masculine identity. Peacock Revolution is an in-depth study of how radical changes in men's clothing reflected, and contributed to, the changing ideas of American manhood initiated by a 'youthquake' of rebellious baby boomers coming of age in an era of social revolutions. Featuring a detailed examination of the diverse socio-cultural and socio-political movements of the era, the book examines how those dissents and advocacies influenced the youthquake generation's choices in dress and ideas of masculinity. Daniel Delis Hill provides a thorough chronicle of the peacock fashions of the time, beginning with the mod looks of the British Invasion in the early 1960s, through the counterculture street styles and the mass-market trends they inspired, and concluding with the dress-for-success menswear revivals of the 1970s Me-Decade.

The clothes we wear tell stories about us—and are often imbued with cultural meanings specific to our ethnic heritage. This concise A-to-Z encyclopedia explores 150 different and distinct items of ethnic dress, their history, and their cultural significance within the United States. The clothing artifacts documented here have been or are now regularly worn by Americans as everyday clothing, fashion, ethnic or religious identifiers, or style statements. They embody the cultural history of the United States and its peoples, from Native Americans, white Anglo colonists, and forcibly relocated black slaves to the influx of immigrants from around the world. Entries consider how dress items may serve as symbolic linkages to home country and family or worn as visible forms of opposition to dominant cultural norms. Taken together, they offer insight into the ethnic-based core ideologies, myths, and cultural codes that have played a role in the formation and continued story of the United States.

A Long Way from Crenshaw explores the vicissitudes of life, as well as human resiliency and triumph. Author and U.S. Army chaplain James Darren Key highlights forty lessons and stories from his journey, which at times has given him incredible joy and, on other occasions, unavoidable pain and anguish. Key speaks candidly about growing up black in California in the 1970s and 1980s. By delving into his own weaknesses and fears, he empowers you to: • recognize failures and successes along your journey; • approach race and diversity with sensitivity and courage; • heal from an unhealthy relationship before you start a new one; • face trials and controversy with unshakable faith. Written in a conversational style, Key’s story is easily accessible to people from all walks of life. His message is universal, timely and inspirational. Join the author as he shares compelling stories and lessons learned at home, and abroad.

This evocative study greatly enhances our understanding of the Nation of Islam, the Black Panther Party, and the impact these groups had on Black Power era notions of self-love and collective identity.

Protest has always been a catalyst for change. It is the cornerstone of America's own birth. Did not the first immigrants help America take its first steps upon the road to greatness when they long ago protested against the oppression of their native government and established new edicts promoting the ideals of freedom and opportunity? Since the first African slave was forced to board a ship bound for this continent, protest has been a major motif in the African American experience. It was a critical weapon during the raging violence against blacks following the end of Reconstruction, the Jim Crow years, and against the grisly conditions in the ghettoes in the North. Throughout history protest has been used to combat economic and political oppression, racism, discrimination, and exclusion from mainstream America. Icons of African American Protest reveals the extraordinary strength, courage, and sacrifice displayed by individuals for the cause of freedom and civil rights. The 24 leaders showcased here cover a broad spectrum of descriptors-vibrant, tame, intense, aggressive, and diffident-and their politics ran the gamut from conservative to ultra-radical. Nevertheless, whatever techniques, modes, or tactics employed-such as Thurgood Marshall's legal fights in the court room, Dr. King's reliance on nonviolent civil disobedience and direct action, and Huey P. Newton's advocacy for armed self-defense-they were all, in their time, radicals who strove to eradicate racism and the climate of exclusion. This two-volume reference provides both students and general readers in-depth coverage of contemporary voices of protest, supplemented by sidebars on major turning points, freedom songs, and important symbols, such as the clenched fist of the Black Power Movement. Also included are a timeline of key events, historical documents, a glossary, and a thorough bibliography of print and electronic resources to encourage further research.