After writing my last 10 Books article on female authors, I sat back and realized a horrible truth: most of them are white. That can’t be right, I thought. Have I really only been reading white authors? I searched my brain for my top five books, and sure enough, four out of five authors were white. Reading is all about diving into new, strange worlds that make us think. Thus, it’s super important to have different racial perspectives. It’s critical that we diversify our reading material in order to better understand the world around us. As I started to think about all the brilliant books out there written by minorities, I got the idea for this post: 10 books by black authors to read before you graduate.
Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison
Ellison’s novel follows an unnamed black narrator as he tries to find his place as an equal human being in segregated America.
Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart tells two tales set in an Ibo village in Nigeria. Dealing with the themes of individual v.s. society, Achebe’s novel is at once heartbreaking and heart mending.
The Color Purple – Alice Walker
Walker’s novel follows the lives of two black sisters as they struggle to find their identity in an oppressive world.
Beloved – Toni Morrison
Beloved details the horrors of slavery as seen through Sethe’s eyes. Morrison’s novel is poetic and powerful, asking the reader to think deeper on every page.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou
In her autobiography, Angelou illustrates the racism, sexism, and oppression she dealt with growing up. She spins this evil into a positive ray of light, giving the reader a bit of hope and spirit.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass – Frederick Douglass
Another autobiography, Douglass discusses how he taught himself to read and write as a slave, showing readers that anything is possible for anyone.
Go Tell It on the Mountain – James Baldwin
Baldwin’s semi-autobiographical story details what it’s like to come of age as a young, religious black man.
A Small Place – Jamaica Kincaid
Kincaid’s portrait of Antigua is shocking and powerful. A Small Place chastises European powers for colonizing lands that had no desire to be overrun.
Not Without Laughter – Langston Hughes
Hughes’ debut novel follows the life of Sandy, a young black boy, as he grows up in a racially divided world.
The Cancer Journals – Audre Lorde
Lorde’s slim novel is packed with power. The Cancer Journals takes an intimate look into the emotional journey of having breast cancer as a black woman.
Let’s get reading!