Women’s History Month is here, and what better way to commemorate the power of women than by celebrating their voices? The BIPOC community stands for “Black, Indigenous, and people of color, ” a fairly recent term that promotes more inclusivity for the people within this community. It enables a shift away from terms like “marginalized” or “minority”, which lack a sense of humanity and carry out a sense of “lesser than.”
BIPOC women have incredible stories to tell, and you can start acknowledging, and perhaps even relating to, their experience and identity by reading their stories. The uphill battles of BIPOC women are undeniable and real, and it’s time to raise awareness of their struggles. So, in the spirit of Women’s History Month, here are 5 non-fiction books by BIPOC women that smash the system with incredible storytelling.
- Girl, Gurl, Grrrl: On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic By Kenya Hunt
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Kenya Hunt’s novel is an enriching piece of celebration of Black women being visible and publicly celebrated now more than ever. But also, it contrasts this development with the reality of everyday life, as it remains a complex and contradiction-laden experience.
Amazon, $16
- Colonize This!: Young Women of Colors on Today’s Feminism Edited By Daisy Hernandez & Bushra Rehman
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It has been decades since women of color first turned feminism upside down, revolutionizing the 1970’s feminist movement as exclusively white and bringing awareness of the concerns of women of color. In their work, Daisy Hernandez and Bushra Rehman have collected a diverse group of emerging writers who speak of their experiences that address issues that affect feminism today.
Amazon, $14
- Colored No More: Reinventing Black Womanhood in Washington, D.C. By Treva B. Lindsey
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Home to established African American institutions and communities, Washington, D.C. offered women in the 1920’s New Negro Movement a unique setting for the fight against racial and gender oppression. This fantastic non-fiction book by Treva B. Lindsey traces back to the history of African American women of the late-19th, and early-20th centuries, and the movements that have made significant progress toward making Washington, D.C. a place for equality and change.
Amazon, $26
- I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness By Austin Channing Brown
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Channing’s work is a coming-of-age tale in the shadows of racism and white supremacy. She grasps and dissects issues of prejudice and the effects of this social dilemma on an individual’s sense of self-worth. It’s a testimony of Black womanhood, activism, and resistance. It’s the words of a writer that encourages the world to celebrate Blackness.
Amazon, $14
- The Source of Self-Regard By Toni Morrison
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Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, reveals a series of reflections and remembrances of the American psyche. She talks about the cruciality of both the resistance and the progress of politics in a myriad of social dilemmas. Described every turning of a page as a “catalyst for revolution.”
Amazon, $21
