Hospitals haven’t always been a welcomed place for Blacks, and in the 1950s, going to the hospital was a last resort for many. For Henrietta Lacks, this was definitely the case, as a young married mother of five; she had what would later be discovered as a rapidly advancing cervical cancer. Live cells of her tumor were removed from her body and today survive in laboratories around the world, resulting in a multi-billion dollar industry. This story and its forgotten family are captured by Rebecca Skloot, asking the questions of who, when, where, how and why.

CS Rating: Library Essential

Our circumstances, our history and our realities makes us unique in every facet of our lives. As pointed out in Terry William’s “Black Pain”, rarely do Black people deal with depression and mental health issues in the manner of mainstream America. In addition, we are reluctant to seek help because we feel many professionals will not understand our plight. These are valid concerns that Jonathan Metzl details in “The Protest Psychosis”, thoroughly examining the history of treatment received by patients and the impact racism and class play in those suffering from schizophrenia.

CS Rating: Life Changing

The fact that more Black men are incarcerated than enrolled in college is a startling and frightening reality. With all the “advances” achieved in the African American community, we cannot escape the issues surrounding young Black men, and the challenges they must face. Michelle Alexander tackles the systematic breakdown of education, denied unemployment, and legal ramifications that keep young men automatically bound to a system designed for failure. Ms. Alexander provides a through understanding of mass incarceration beyond what we could have ever imagined.

CS Rating: Inside Track