February is Black History Month, a time dedicated to celebrating Black achievements, culture and identity. One way we can all participate is by learning stories written by and told about Black people. Here are four of my favorite literary recommendations.
- The Vanishing Half
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Brit Bennett’s novel follows two twin sisters who escape from the Jim Crow South and live totally different lives; while the lighter twin grows to become a White-passing woman, her sister raises a family true to her Black identity. The work unravels the nuanced truth behind topics like colorism and examines the way they create hierarchies within those of the same race. This is a great read for those who are looking for a more advanced deconstruction of what it means to be Black and how people’s perception can wholly alter one’s life. If that sounds interesting to you, hurry to read it before HBO’s limited series adaptation comes out!
- A Raisin in the Sun
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This historically significant play is a household name to many, so don’t be surprised if it seems familiar to you. Lorraine Hansberry’s work was not only the first Broadway play authored by a Black woman, but also the first with a Black director. The story centers around a Black family living in poverty on the south side of Chicago and begins after the death of Walter and Beneatha’s father. The play centers around the family’s difficult financial and housing decisions as well as choices to assimilate versus embrace their own culture. For those of you hesitant about delving into the genres of plays–don’t be! There’s a reason it won four Tony Awards and has been called one of the best plays ever written by many publications, including The Independent.
- Sonny’s Blues
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The first time I read James Baldwin’s story, I cried three times (the story was not even 90 pages in my edition, so that’s saying something). The narrative is first-person singular and starts from the perspective of a man reading about a heroin bust that causes the arrest of a man named Sonny. The story unravels the narrator’s past with Sonny and their rocky relationship with each other, drugs, and their passions. If you are itching for a story about brotherly love or music has a highly important place in your life or, heck, if you really just wanna feel something after hours of mindlessly scrolling through TikTok, this story will definitely do the trick for you.
- The Hate U Give
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Alright, this powerful story needs no introduction… but I’ll give it one anyway. Angie Thomas’ tale follows Starr, a girl who lives in a gang-controlled, predominantly Black neighborhood but attends a predominantly White private school. Her dual identity fractures after the murder of her best friend, Khalil, by a police officer, and she must choose whether she speaks up for her Black bretheren, or remains hidden in the safety of her White school’s pristine walls. This is a must-read for those seeking out a story delving into police brutality or just starting on a path of antiracism.
This is not by any means an exhaustive list, but rather examples of works that can further your understanding of the Black experience. Of course, reading Black literature is merely an elementary step to dismantling injustice; however, engaging with their stories is how we must strive to empathize (the key word is strive to, as non-Black folk cannot truly comprehend what it means to be Black).
Knowledge is just the first step to fighting injustice. If issues in the books resonate with you, do something about it, because the narratives of racism, colorism and more are not chained to the fiction genre, but reflections of the real world. Just because people don’t post black squares anymore doesn’t mean you should forget that Black Lives Matter.