During today’s challenging times of the health pandemic and the recent mass protests and demonstrations against this country’s long history of police brutality and institutional racism, there have been an outpouring of emotions, from anger to grief, all galvanizing calls for political change. In keeping with its mission, the staff at CBL began compiling a reading list of titles that we and our colleagues turn to for fortitude, inspiration, and uplift.
Honor Black voices, experiences, and stories all year long, and especially during Black History Month. As we celebrate Black History Month and beyond, let these remarkable books by Black authors inspire, challenge, and enlighten us. Their voices and stories demonstrate the diverse and significant Black experience. They inspire us to listen, learn, and grow together.
Our Black Books Matter reading list features an authentic and unapologetically Black perspective. From memoirs to novels, each of these works offers a unique perspective, compelling storytelling, and profound insights.
Since 2002, the mission of Center for Black Literature has been-and continues still-to expand, broaden, and enrich the public’s knowledge and aesthetic appreciation of the value of Black literature.
PLEASE NOTE: The Center’s listing only scratches the surface of an ever-growing literary landscape of Black writers; thus, we invite recommendations from our colleagues, friends, and supporters.Here is a curated list of some of the best African American novels:
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The Impact of Literature on Society
Classic Novels
- The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois: Introduction by John Edgar Wideman.
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass
- Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
- Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
W.E.B. Du Bois's *The Souls of Black Folk* is a foundational text in African American literature, exploring themes of double consciousness and racial identity. Booker T. Washington's *Up from Slavery* offers a contrasting perspective on racial progress through education and industry.
These narratives provide crucial insights into the historical context of race in America.
Contemporary Novels
- Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
- The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin
- The Known World by Edward P. Jones
- A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines
- Gathering of Waters by Bernice L. McFadden
Octavia E. Butler's *Kindred* blends science fiction with historical fiction to explore the complexities of slavery. Edward P. Jones' *The Known World* offers a sweeping narrative of a Black slave owner in the antebellum South.
Non-Fiction and Essays
- The Meaning of Freedom: And Other Difficult Dialogues by Angela Y. Davis and Robin D. G. Kelley
- Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
- Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
- Ain’t I a Woman?: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks
- Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
- How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
- We Are Worth Fighting For: A History of the Howard University Student Protest of 1989 by Joshua M. Myers
- Meditations and Ascensions: Black Writers on Writing edited by Brenda M. Marie Osbey
- She Took Justice: The Black Woman, Law, and Power - 1619 to 1969 by Gloria J. Browne-Marshall
Eddie S. Glaude Jr., the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University, and an honoree of CBL’s 16th National Black Writers Conference, stated: “I think all great literature helps us understand what happens between the two momentous breaths we have. You have two momentous breaths, the first one and the last one. What happens in between? Literature as a reflection of society is a forceful tool.
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These non-fiction works provide critical analyses of race, identity, and social justice in America.
Other Notable Works
- SOS-Calling All Black People: A Black Arts Movement Reader by John H. Bracey Jr., Sonia Sanchez, and James Smethurst
- Be a Father to Your Child: Real Talk from Black Men on Family, Love, and Fatherhood, edited by April R. Silver
- Does Your House Have Lions?: The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown by Sterling A. Brown
- Life on Mars: Poems by Tracy K. Smith
- Woke: A Young Poets Call to Justice by Mahogany L. Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo, and Olivia Gatwood
- Deshawn Days by Tony Medina, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
These works encompass poetry, young adult literature, and cultural studies, offering diverse perspectives on the Black experience.
Library of America guides readers in finding and exploring the exceptional writing that reflects the nation’s history and culture. A champion of America’s great writers and timeless works.
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