Although we should appreciate Black voices regardless of the time of year, Black History Month especially underscores the importance of honoring the community and expanding awareness of its triumphs and tribulations. Literature is a staple means for engaging with the thoughts and ideas of another person, and the authors of these seven astonishing novels certainly have some crucial things to say:
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
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This instant #1 New York Times Bestseller spans from the 1950s to the 1990s, entwining generations of a family and its movement from the Deep South to California. The story follows once inseparable Black twin sisters (who pass as white), chronicling their divergence. One marries a white man who thinks her the same, the other with her Black daughter in their distant southern hometown. Yet, though distanced, their fates remain together.Â
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
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Written in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, this multi-award-winning YA novel (also adapted into a movie) underscores a young girl’s fight for justice following the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer.Â
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
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An enduring staple in American literature and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Beloved follows a family of formerly enslaved people following the Civil War. The protagonist, Sethe, is haunted by the ghost of her unnamed baby.Â
- Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
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This is one for the science fiction fans (and it’s being adapted into a series on FX). An essential novel in Black American literature and the first science fiction by a Black woman, Kindred is an amalgamation of a slave memoir, fantasy and historical fiction. It’s the time-travel trope purposefully reimagined. Â
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
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The iconic memoir by literary legend Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is beloved and acclaimed internationally. It is a coming-of-age story that embodies how an affinity for literature can combat racism and trauma.Â
- Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin
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Set and published before the Civil Rights Movement, this semi-autobiographical novel by James Baldwin chronicles a Harlem teen’s struggle to formulate his identity. The book explores the protagonist’s spiritual, sexual and moral struggles, emphasizing his relationship with his family and church.
- Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
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First published the year the Civil War began, this autobiography by former Harriet Jacobs delineates her life as a mother and fugitive enslaved person. It follows her escape from her abusive master, exposing the hypocrisy and violence the master-slave relationship cultivates. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a rare, first-person narrative of endurance and the struggle for freedom.Â
Whether you’re into science fiction, memoir, or coming-of-age, you can find a talented Black voice to represent the genre. To diversify your bookshelf is to diversify your perspective and expand your awareness. Any of the options on this list are a great place to start.Â