Janet Cheatham Bell

author and publishing consultant

The Time and Place That Gave Me Life
Indiana University Press, 2007


In The Time and Place That Gave Me Life, I write about growing up in Indianapolis. Except for the lack of signs that said Colored and White, it felt very much like the Deep South of the era. Racism was everywhere and I include it as a significant presence in this memoir. I am candid and, I hope, provocative as I explain how race and racism impacted and helped shape my life from my birth in 1937 until I left Indiana in 1964. This memoir is not a "downer," however. I also write about the many good times I had, and how I managed to overcome some of the obstacles I encountered. You can also learn a little about Indiana's history since I interweave local history into discussions of my education, my marriage, and conflicts with my parents.

Till Victory Is Won: Famous Black Quotations from the NAACP
Washington Square Press, 2002



I did this book as a tribute to the pivotal and historic role the NAACP played in moving this country toward living up to its expressed ideals. The title comes from the moving lyrics of the official song of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

Till Victory Is Won chronicles significant moments in African-American history through more than two hundred illuminating quotations from NAACP officers, members, and award recipients. These witnesses to the fight for freedom are organized into five major topics-- Protecting Civil Rights, Achieving Educational Excellence, Nurturing Economic Development, Reaching Youth, and Gaining Political Power.

Famous Black Quotations
Warner Books, 1995



This is the book that launched my career as a published author, and so far, it remains my best seller. For several years it was included in Warner Books' "Best of the Backlist" catalog. It includes over 300 powerful and provocative quotations that have been used on television shows--The Fresh Prince of Bel Air-- in movies--The Best Man and Bamboozled. This book led to the others in the Famous Black Quotations series (see sidebar).

These words will move your heart and move you to action. From Aesop to Maya Angelou, from Marcus Garvey to Martin Luther King, from Nat Turner to Nelson Mandela, these are the words you want for effective speaking and inspired thinking, on the subjects of love and life, resistance and responsibility, history and hope.