Happy Black History Month! We should be uplifting and supporting black authors all twelve months of the year, but Black History Month is a great time to dive in if you don’t know where to start! Here are some books written by Black authors of several genres that I’ve either read before or plan to read this February.
- “The Hate U Give” and “Concrete Rose” by Angie Thomas
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CW: police brutality, violence.
“The Hate U Give” was a groundbreaking novel when it was released in 2017. The book is fiction but provides excellent insight into police brutality and racial inequality. The main character, Starr, is a teenager who witnesses her unarmed best friend get shot by a police officer. As the sole witness, Starr is forced to decide whether to speak up or stay quiet. She knows it could be dangerous to use her voice, but she learns that it’s equally hard to not fight for what she believes in. The book was made into a movie in 2018.
Released just over a month ago, “Concrete Rose” is a prequel to The Hate U Give. In it, we follow Starr’s dad when he was a teenager. Taking place around seventeen years before “The Hate U Give” does, we follow Maverick Carter as he deals with being a single teenage father and coming of age in his city, Garden Heights. The book discusses more difficult topics, like teen pregnancy and gang violence. Both of these books are excellent novels that shed light on real-life issues. - “On the Come Up” by Angie Thomas
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Also by Angie Thomas, “On the Come Up” follows a teenager named Bri who dreams of being a rap star. Bri belives she would do anything to become famous and provide for her family. Soon, her dream comes true, and one of her singles goes viral online. However, Bri learns that there are parts of being famous that aren’t so glamorous–from sexist interviewers to white bloggers who refuse to let their kids listen to her music. The industry starts to turn Bri into someone she isn’t, and she is forced to decide whether to go along with it and become famous or stay true to herself.
- “Becoming” by Michelle Obama.
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This was the first book I read this month, and it did not disappoint. If you’ve ever been curious about how the former first lady got where she is today, “Becoming” is perfect for you. We follow Michelle Obama throughout her life: from when she was a toddler growing up in Chicago, to when she was a college student at Princeton, to when she met her husband and stood by his side as he entered the White House. Obama also discusses some difficult issues, like miscarriage, long-distance relationships, and being a working mother.
- “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Era of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander.
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I am currently reading The New Jim Crow, and it was recommended to me by a CU professor. Alexander explains that the notoriously racist Jim Crow laws never fully went away, and we are now seeing the exact same form of racism in the prison system. A civil rights lawyer and scholar, Alexander sheds light on America’s problem with mass incarceration, specifically of people of color. In light of the growing Black Lives Matter movement, this is an important read.
- “How to be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi.
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In my opinion, “How to be an Antiracist” should be mandatory reading for everyone. Kendi emphasizes that in today’s age, it’s not enough to simply not be racist: we must be actively anti-racist in order to achieve true equity. This book was extremely eye-opening for me and I definitely recommend it.
- “Stamped from the Beginning” by Ibram X. Kendi.
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After reading “How to be an Antiracist”, I immediately put “Stamped from the Beginning” on my TBR list as well. In this book, Kendi writes about the history of racist ideas in America. He follows five major American scholars, including Thomas Jefferson and W.E.B. Du Bois. This book emphasizes the fact that racism was not inherent, it was promoted by influential scholars. Kendi rebuts the idea that we’re in a “post-racial society” by stating that we cannot move forward until we accept and practice antiracism.
- “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou.
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I’m sure many of you have heard of Maya Angelou, the phenomenal poet, and civil rights activist. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is her true coming-of-age story where she details all of the struggles she faced as a child and teenager–from prejudice to sexual assault. Her story is truly inspiring and shows how much she overcame to grow to who she was at the end of her life. Angelou also has several other books and great poems.
- “We Should All be Feminists” by Chimamanda Adichie
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If you’ve seen Chimamanda Adichie’s TedTalk, you should definitely read We Should All be Feminists. In this book, Adichie writes a twenty-first-century definition of feminism and sheds light on the difficulties being faced by women across the world. Adichie is from Nigeria but lives in and went to school in the United States, and she compares her experiences as a woman of color in both places. Adichie has several other books, and all of them are very insightful.
- “Whiskey Words and a Shovel I” by RH Sin
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If you’re a fan of poetry, I definitely recommend these books! There are three books in this poetry series, and I had trouble putting them down. Sin covers topics from love and romance to politics and empowerment. The books are quick and easy reads, but are full of deep poems that will leave you thinking even when you’re done reading.
- “Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi.
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The premise of “Homegoing” sounds so interesting, and it’s now at the top of my TBR list. The book follows half-sisters Effia and Esi as Effia lives with her husband in his castle, while Esi is imprisoned in the castle’s dungeons, about to be sold into slavery. The book follows each sister’s story from Civil War times to the present day. Homegoing is Gyasi’s debut book, and she won several awards for it, including the “5 under 35” award from the National Book Foundation.
I hope this list inspires you to pick up a new book for Black History Month, and these are only a few of the thousands of great books written by Black authors. There are amazing books of all genres out there by black authors that are just waiting to be picked up. Happy reading!