Black History Month shouldn’t have to exist. Black history is world history, and Black history is American history. We should be surrounding ourselves with Black voices year round, not just in February.
However, Black History Month is also a helpful wake-up call. It’s a reminder to be intentional about centering Black stories and Black voices.
Personally, many of my all-time favorite books are stories of Black excellence, Black joy, Black love, and Black liberation. As a white reader, I’m so thankful for Black authors who have created some of the best literature I’ve ever read.
If you’re looking to prioritize Black voices this February, here are five books I recommend!
(These reviews are paraphrased from my Instagram, @hannahreviewseverything.)
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1. Stamped by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds
An entertaining, engaging book about the history of racism, intended for young adults??? Exactly what we ALL need. This book is written in a voice that’s so funny and fast-paced that a hyperactive 13-year-old could probably finish it in a week. (That’s the magic of Jason Reynolds.) There’s NO EXCUSE for us adults not to read it.
I’m not gonna lie, I bought the “grown up version” of this book (Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi) a while ago and I’ve been intimidated by how long and dense it is. This “kids version” is EXACTLY what I needed to ease into it and gain a basic understanding of some super important background knowledge.
This book spans from the 1400s to the Obama era, and it taught me SO MUCH about how various events and figures in US history contributed to the legacy of racism.
It really helped me grasp the narrative arc of racism in the US. Like, which events triggered which other events, how they all interacted, where they fit in with one another. I took a few college courses on this topic, but those courses tended to focus on a really specialized time period, so this book helped me understand how they fit into American history as a whole.
I understand US history so much better after reading this book. In addition to having a more thorough understanding of the pervasive legacy of institutionalized racism, I feel so much more equipped and empowered to contextualize current events.
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2. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
This award-winning historical fiction novel lives up to the hype. It’s chock full with beautiful prose, living, breathing, complex characters who drive the plot, and social commentary that opens up worlds to the reader. It’s thoughtful and incredibly thematically rich.
Brit Bennett is by FAR one of the most talented writers of our generation. Her plots are so intricate, her characters are so real, and her writing???? Unparalleled. Simply beautiful.
This is one of those rare books that is thought-provoking, critically-acclaimed literature, and ALSO a readable, entertaining story for people who aren’t literary snobs. It’s very character-driven, so it might not be fast-paced enough for readers who want a plot-driven story with a clear beginning, middle, and end, but I for one was completely absorbed by the characters.
I honestly don’t really have the words for this one, but it’s by far one of my favorite books of 2020, probably of all time.
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3. When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
When No One Is Watching is a thriller about race and gentrification with romance, suspense, and super poignant social commentary. I’ve never seen Get Out, but it’s a similar concept.
As a white person who’s living in a historically POC neighborhood, I need to educate myself more on what gentrification is and how my presence in this neighborhood affects people’s lives. Being able to educate myself by reading an entertaining and suspenseful novel is SUCH a privilege.
This book starts off a little slow and doesn’t really feel like a thriller until maybe the last third, but it’s still a good/interesting novel before it becomes thrilling. (Like most thrillers, expect the dialogue/narration to be a little cheesy at times.) The ending is just completely wild and insane. I think the concept for this book is SO cool and while it wasn’t the most thrilling thriller I’ve read, I still think it’s worth the read for the educational aspect and the steamy romance!
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4. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
This is an emotional, heartbreaking, beautiful, raw, real masterpiece of a novel. It made me feel things I did not know I could feel. I cried real tears so many times, and sometimes I didn’t even want to pick it up because I wasn’t emotionally stable enough.
It isn’t a “sad book” though, it’s just a real book. It was so real. It’s a contemporary novel about (as the title implies) an American marriage, and the injustice in life, the complexities of relationships, and the messiness of humans. It’s not a “tearjerker”, it’s a complex and messy novel that doesn’t shy away from the realities of human relationships.
(Oh, also let’s talk about the writing. Beautiful. Breathtaking.)
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5. Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid
If you love contemporary novels as much as I do, you HAVE to read this one. It’s so fun and funny!
The characters and the dialogue are incredibly nuanced, accurate, & well-developed. It was honestly unbelievable how accurate the dialogue was — like I truly feel like I know these people.
This book tackles really complex cultural dynamics that are difficult to speak about in real life. It’s an overall light, super entertaining read, but it speaks gives voice to some nuanced racial issues. Overall HIGHLY recommend, such an amazing novel. (I hate spoilers so the only summary I’ll give is it’s about the complicated relationship between a young woman & the mom she babysits for.)
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Of course, the canon of fantastic literature by Black authors is limitless, so don’t let your TBR list of Black voices end here. Remember to center Black voices not just in February, but in March, April, and beyond!
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This post was previously published on Equality Includes You.
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