As you may know, February is Black History Month. Something you may not know is that Black History Month was originally Negro History Week. The week was created by Carter G. Woodson and other African Americans. As decades followed, many political officials came to recognized the week and in 1976, President Gerald Ford officially made Negro History Week into Black History Month. The month was set aside in celebration of African Americans who have played a central role in the history of the United States. One way to celebrate is by purchasing and reading books by black authors. Here are five of my favorite books by black authors that still stick with me to this day.
1. Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
James Baldwin is by far my favorite author ever. I’ve read several of his books and essays, but Giovanni’s Room is the one book that keeps popping up in my mind. Giovanni’s Room is about an American man, David, who moves to Paris and starts a relationship with a man named Giovanni. Baldwin was actually living in Paris while writing this book to escape the racism and discrimination prevalent in the United States at this time. Many of the subjects addressed in the book are based on Baldwin’s own experiences. This book will bring you in with the sense of nostalgia that David experiences as he reflects on the events that lead up to his lover’s fate. It was written in a way where you can act and experience the emotions that David goes through and it can be somewhat heartbreaking to say the least.
2. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
I’ve heard of Lorde before, but I hadn’t read any of her work until I entered college. This book is a biomythography, a genre created by Lorde that combines history, biography and myth all in one. The book goes through Lorde’s childhood and life experiences, bringing up themes of lesbianism and motherhood in a new light. Among several questions and ideas Lorde contemplates to the reader, I find most interesting “is love a myth?” Read to find out.
3. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Carty-Williams is a British writer that I was introduced to this past summer. This book follows a Jamaican woman living in London named Queenie. After a break-up with her long term boyfriend, she is thrown into several situations while trying to find comfort. She is then faced with questions wondering about her actions and what she really wants in life. This book was named One of the Most Anticipated Books of 2019 by Woman’s Day, Newsday, Bustle and so many more. I find it a good insight into the world of women who are juggling many, separate cultures and trying to find their place in the world.
4. Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe
This is a book I read during high school and it opened my eyes. Achebe is a Nigerian author who writes about the life of Okonkwo, an Igbo man who lives in the clan of Umuofia. This book shows the life of this clan before and after the arrival of Europeans and Colonial life in the southeastern region of Nigeria during the late 19th century. You get a glance of how colonization actually worked and how it affected established communities in the benefit of Europeans.
All of these books juggle the idea of love, identity and culture, ideas that African Americans have to think about and juggle as well. They are all eye-openers and will give you a different perspective of the world and ideas that are already established within you.