As part of our celebration of Black History Month this February, we will encourage everyone to discover and understand the stories of Black Americans.
In this space, we will highlight the accomplishments of Black Americans you may not know, offer suggestions for ways to become more educated about the history of the Black community, and celebrate Black culture.
Books offer a great way to do all of the things, and today we’d like to highlight a handful of books – fiction and non-fiction alike – by or about Black Americans.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
And We Are Not Saved by Derrick Bell
His Truth Is Marching On by Jon Meacham
The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron by Howard Bryant
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Well-Read Black Girl by Glory Edim, editor
Slavery by Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon
The Ledger and the Chain by Joshua D. Rothman
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson
The Gentle Giant of Dynamite Hill by Helen Shores Lee and Barbara S. Shores
Equal Housing Opportunity Lender