* The Dozens (1965)
* The Trials: A Novel of the Watts Riot (1970)
* The Grass Roots: A Novel of the Black Freedom Movement (1975)
* King of Harlem (1977)
* The Man On Ice: A Novel of Prison Life (1978)
* When The Chickens Came Home To Roost: A Novel of the Black Panthers (1979)
* King Blood: A Novel of the Haitian Revolution (1982)
* The Fifth Horseman: A Novel of South Africa (1985)
* Brotherman: A Novel of the Watts Riot (1990)
* The People of The South Wind (1992)
* All In The Family (1997)
* The Preacher: A Novel of the Civil Rights Movement (2000)
* The Prophet: A Novel of the Black Power Movement (2003)
* The Emperor: A Novel of Haiti (2005)
* The Prince: A Novel of the Haitian Revolution (2010)
Non-fiction:
* Black Los Angeles (1968)
* When Harlem Was in Vogue (1984)
* The Complete Works of Marcus Garvey (1986)
* Harlem Renaissance: A Celebration (1988)
* African American History: A Journey Through Time (1991)
* The Color Line: A History of Race in the United States (1996)
* The African Diaspora: A History of the African People (1999)
* The Great Migration: A History of African Americans in the Urban North (2001)
* The Civil Rights Movement: A History (2003)
* The Black Power Movement: A History (2005)
* The Harlem Renaissance: A History (2007)
* The Haitian Revolution: A History (2010)
* The Black Panthers: A History (2012)