Biographies

General Alex Dumas is a man almost unknown today, but his son, the novelist Alexandre Dumas, used his larger-than-life feats as inspiration for The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. But, hidden behind General Dumas's swashbuckling adventures was an even more incredible secret: he was the son of a Black slave—who rose higher in the white world than any man of his race would before our own time.

Hafizah Augustus Geter recounts her experiences as the queer Nigerian-born daughter of a Muslim Nigerian woman and a Black American man from a Southern Baptist family in Jim Crow Alabama. This title follows Hafizah on a journey that tells her at every turn she's not worthy yet she manages to sidestep shame, confront disability, embrace forgiveness, and emerge proudly and unabashedly as herself.

For three decades, Ruth E. Carter has shaped the story of the Black experience on screen—from the 80s streetwear of Do the Right Thing to her Oscar-winning designs in Black Panther. Here is her story, including sketches, mood boards, and film stills.

Growing up Black and gay in America, Billy Porter was seen as different. He was sent to therapy to "fix" his effeminacy. He was endlessly bullied at school, sexually abused by his stepfather, and criticized at his church. This is his story of a boy whose talent and courage opened doors for him, and whose determination led him to become a proud icon who refuses to back down or hide.