Illinois Authors

Cleis Press, San Francisco : ©2006.

Two smart Black women break the Tyrone code - with affection, with respect, but with no illusions. Black men as fathers, sons, teachers, lovers, rap stars, professionals, fantasy objects, and cultural constructs - a multifaceted picture of American Black men today. You know Tyrone. Smooth-talking, irresistible Tyrone - the swagger in his step, the sexy drawl, the poetry and rhythm in his essence - the militant revolutionary of the 1960s evolved into the pimp/thug of the hip-hop era. Tyrone is the Black man seen through the media lens, through stereotype, through the eyes of Black women. He's "Talk Show Tyrone," all muscle and defiance, "an archetype converted to a hit single." In Deconstructing Tyrone, the authors, journalists Natalie Y. Moore and Natalie Hopkinson, examine Black masculinity from a variety of perspectives, looking not for consensus but for insight. With chapters on Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, on the complicated relationship between women and hip-hop, on babydaddies, on gay Black men on and off the down low, on strippers and their fathers, on Black men in the office, at school, and in jail, Deconstructing Tyrone presents a multifaceted picture of American Black men now.

Cleis Press, San Francisco : ©2006.

Two smart Black women break the Tyrone code - with affection, with respect, but with no illusions. Black men as fathers, sons, teachers, lovers, rap stars, professionals, fantasy objects, and cultural constructs - a multifaceted picture of American Black men today. You know Tyrone. Smooth-talking, irresistible Tyrone - the swagger in his step, the sexy drawl, the poetry and rhythm in his essence - the militant revolutionary of the 1960s evolved into the pimp/thug of the hip-hop era. Tyrone is the Black man seen through the media lens, through stereotype, through the eyes of Black women. He's Talk Show Tyrone, all muscle and defiance, an archetype converted to a hit single. In Deconstructing Tyrone, the authors, journalists Natalie Y. Moore and Natalie Hopkinson, examine Black masculinity from a variety of perspectives, looking not for consensus but for insight. With chapters on Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, on the complicated relationship between women and hip-hop, on babydaddies, on gay Black men on and off the down low, on strippers and their fathers, on Black men in the office, at school, and in jail, Deconstructing Tyrone presents a multifaceted picture of American Black men now.

Lawrence Hill Books, Chicago, Ill. : ©2011.

This exposé investigates the evolution of the Almighty Black P Stone Nation, a motley group of poverty-stricken teens transformed into a dominant gang accused of terroristic intentions. Interwoven into the narrative is the dynamic influence of leader Jeff Fort, who -- despite his flamboyance and high visibility -- instilled a rigid structure and discipline that afforded the young men a refuge and a sense of purpose in an often hopeless community. Details of how the Nation procured government funding for gang-related projects during the War on Poverty era and fueled bonuses and job security for law enforcement, and how Fort, in particular, masterminded a deal for $2.5 million to commit acts of terrorism in the United States on behalf of Libya are also revealed. In examining whether the Black P Stone Nation was a group of criminals, brainwashed terrorists, victims of their circumstances, or champions of social change, this social history provides an exploration of how and why gangs flourish and insight into the way in which minority crime is targeted in the community, reported in the media, and prosecuted in the courts.

"Mayors Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel have touted and promoted Chicago as a "world class city." The skyscrapers kissing the clouds, the billion-dollar Millennium Park, Michelin-rated restaurants, pristine lake views, fabulous shopping, vibrant theater scene, downtown flower beds and stellar architecture tell one story. Yet, swept under the rug is the stench of segregation that compromises Chicago. The Manhattan Institute dubs Chicago as one of the most segregated big cities in the country. Though other cities - including Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Baltimore - can fight over that mantle, it's clear that segregation defines Chicago. And unlike many other major U.S. cities, no one race dominates. Chicago is divided equally into black, white, and Latino, each group clustered in their various turfs. In this intelligent and highly important narrative, Chicago-native Natalie Moore shines a light on contemporary segregation on the South Side of Chicago through reported essays, showing the life of these communities through the stories of people who live in them. The South Side shows the important impact of Chicago's historic segregation - and the ongoing policies that keep it that way"--

The author documents the various ways in which the racial segregation of Chicago's neighborhoods has come to define this Midwestern city. The author believes that institutional racism, more than the class of the city's residents, has made it difficult for African Americans to advance in life, as other groups have done historically.