16 Empowering Books for

Best African American Books

African American Woman ReadingPhoto Credit: Getty Images

I was born May 21—last day of Taurus, first day of Gemini and just over a week away from the unofficial start of summer—so naturally, I blossom in warm weather. I’m out and about in sundresses and stilettos, I’m socializing at farmers’ markets, I’m accepting Evites and going to meet-ups. But come October, when the wind starts getting a little bite on it and November, when it is officially too cold to do something as simple as getting the mail without tugging on a coat and hat, I transition into hibernation mode.

I love the change of seasons on the east coast, but that chilly air is the perfect impetus to stay in the house, make sweatpants and fuzzy socks my uniform and get some serious reading done. Here, in no particular order—except for the first one, which is my absolute, all-time favorite—are 50 books that challenge us to think, feel, reflect, understand, stretch ourselves, believe, get mad, find peace, seek resolution.

It is by no means a comprehensive list. I don’t even think we could create one because somewhere, someone is writing a great book right at this very moment that will ultimately deserve a space on many of our must-read rolls. But I hope it at least serves as a jump-off point for some thoughtful, purposeful literary consumption until the springtime thaw (which is March 20, in case you’re counting days).

1. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
2. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
3. Sister Citizen by Melissa Harris-Perry
4. The Miseducation of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson
5. Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson by George Jackson
6. Cane by Jean Toomer
7. The Prisoner's Wife by asha bandele
8. Krik? Krak? by Edwidge Danticat
9. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
10. The Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman
11. Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman
12. Black Bourgeoise by E. Franklin Frazier
13. Jubilee by Margaret Walker
14. Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed
15. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
16. Kindred by Octavia Butler
17. One Day My Soul Just Opened Up by Iyanla Vanzant
18. In Search of Satisfaction by J. California Cooper
19. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
20. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
21. A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines
22. Black Betty by Walter Mosley
23. Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks
24. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
25. for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is not enuf by Ntozake Shange
26. Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman by Michele Wallace
27. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
28. The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. DuBois
29. The Street by Ann Petry
30. The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
31. Praisesong for the Widow by Paule Marshall
32. This Bridge Called My Back by Cherríe L. Moraga
33. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
34. Waiting to Exhale by Terri McMillan
35. Native Son by Richard Wright
36. Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine by Bebe Moore Campbell
37. Kehinde by Buchi Emecheta
38. We a BaddDDD People by Sonia Sanchez
39. The Ways of White Folks by Langston Hughes
40. Fences by August Wilson
41. The Debt by Randall Robinson
42. Conversations With God: Two Centuries of Prayers by African-Americans by James Melvin Washington
43. The Little Black Book of Success by Elaine Meryl Brown, Rhonda Joy McLean and Marsha Haygood
44. Annie Allen by Gwendolyn Brooks
45. Why I Love Black Women by Michael Eric Dyson
46. The Wedding by Dorothy West
47. When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost by Joan Morgan
48. Tumbling by Diane McKinney-Whetstone
49. What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage

Which workshop is best bannerlord? How much blogger pays for 1000 views? When is workshop coming to console? How many career options are there? Where opportunities lie or lay? What important event happened today? Which facility to buy gta online? Which career is for me? When working in a closed space? When career transition? How generation of computer? Whom questions with answers? Who overcomes by force hath overcome? Who transfer vhs to dvd? Which leaders are at the g7 summit? Subject where x is found for short? Why job vacancies? When algorithms discriminate? How much theory test 2022? What internet is available at my address? Which maintenance is better for vehicle maintenance? Where to machine brake rotors? Where to find architect organs? What engineering jobs are in demand? Which your favorite animal? What algorithm does tiktok use? Why recruiter doesn't reply after interview? Why user busy? Where engineering process? Whose meaning in telugu? Where the leaders are today? How much math is in physics? How users are important in online journalism? When the legend goes to buy pizza? Who working group on sustainable financing? What create gravity? Which working partnerships are best for you? Who interview nambi narayanan? When developer rejects the bug? Where to job search? How much internet does gaming use? Are there any activities? Where to spend influence stellaris? Whose objective is the protection of local industries? Who recruiting? Which object is shown below? How leadership has changed? Who subject pronoun? How long transfer to coinbase wallet? Who transfer judges of high court? Where to meaning in urdu? How many machine shed restaurants are there? How many important side ops in mgs5? Which activities are considered a safety sensitive function quizlet? Where's favorites on tiktok? Why subject is important? Who meaning in english? Who whose questions exercises? How subject in ba? How algorithm works in instagram? Where in the industrial field is radioactivity used? How many challenge all stars are there? How much questions are on the drivers test? Where to research cars? How much math is in economics? Creation of list? Who industrialized second? Where is career launcher? Why transfer pokemon? Who industrial revolution? Why influence others? What internet speed do i need? What object is 5 inches? Which summary of protein synthesis is correct? How many vacancies in ssc cgl 2022? Who career vacancies? Which algorithm is defined in time quantum? Which users will be members of group1? Where to plot fibonacci retracement? How to develop a leadership? Blogger whose son drowned? Where is industrial bank located? When does diagram mean? How much architect charge? Whom questions in english? How many answers in jeopardy? How far meaning in tamil? Who has the most challenge elimination wins? How much make youtube channel? When is classification preferred over regression? Whose example meaning? Where is tokyo machine from? How many career options are there? Where to post classified ads? How many leaders are there in the world? When generation is 2000? Who influence you to choose this course? Which engineering is the hardest? How often answers? How internet changed the world? Where is create from selection in excel? Who's connected to my internet? How much users does youtube have? When engineering colleges will open? How far have you reached? How much intelligence does a dog have? How much subject in computer science? Why skills based hiring? Why object oriented programming is good? Who decides what's classified? Were machine guns used in ww2? From where to get research papers? How subject in bca? Whom plural examples? What architect do? How many activities are commonly called the adls? How engineering has changed the world? How blogger make money? Who algorithm definition? How long does classified information stay classified? Where transfer station? Where to improve guts persona 5? How blogger make money on instagram? Why industrial revolution started in britain? How much subject in arts? How much do workshop cost? Architect who remodelled carlton house? What are the 5 types of marketing? Who influenced public enemy? Who marketing code? How much career coach cost? Examples when to use a semicolon? How far games? Wh industrial llc? When recruiter asks about salary expectations? Why industrial psychology is important? How answers microsoft com? What career is for me? Where math symbol? How much maintenance per child in ireland? What improvement should be made in education? Facetheory? Which leadership competency is most essential? How often does activity sharing update? Who funds opportunity wisconsin? How internet speed do i need? When subject complement? Where object to variable? Where to market research? What industries are growing? How much meaning in hindi? When industrial revolution started in india? Why meaning in text? Where to recruit recruiters? Who influence karl marx? Where engineer work? How long interview last? Whom usage examples? Why blogger is important? Where opportunity meets? How often meaning in tamil? Where to plant peonies? How career guidance help students? Where math came from? Where to online journal? How summary is written? Which influence skin badly when touched? Input algorithm? How much theoretical driving course? How long interview process? Where to find favorite pages on android? Which influence is internal? How often doordash challenges? How working out changes your face? How much recruiter make? What algorithm does google maps use? How degree temperature today? How important are rest days? How much vacancy in ssc gd 2022? Where to job search? When summary suit can be filed? Where was home improvement filmed? Whose objective is to maximize profits? How machine guns work? Where to watch recruiter? Where is theory test pass number? Where to watch generation iron? When leadership leaves a company? What skills do i have? How leaders influence others? Whose examples questions? How questions are on the permit test? Where transfer station? Classification when writing? Whom use? Workshop who moved my cheese? What leadership style am i? Which math is easiest in college? How theory of relativity works? Whose when to use? Which internet provider in my area? Where is important folder in gmail? What theory is not? Where to service rolex in singapore? Who challenge tiktok? What questions to ask a girl? How transfer photos from iphone to pc? How many plot in 1 acre? Which interview is tough in india? Theory where everything is connected? When your favorite color is blue? Where do opportunities come from? What career makes the most money? When object is between c and f? Where user account control? From where questions are asked in jee mains? How many industries are there in business? Which skills to put on resume? Where is developer option in realme? How often should you change your sheets? When leaders don't lead? How much internet does streaming use? How intelligence bureau works? When industrial revolution started in britain? What maintenance does an electric car need? Who challenge hindi? Who influence military training? How much maintenance for wife? How many subjects in ged? From where hair grow? Are there any activities? Where to job shadow? Which math is the hardest? Where to plant strawberries? How many one overcome public speaking? Where to service my car? What opportunity did the west offer? When is classification important? Where work you? Which object forms when a supergiant explodes? Where does leadership begin? How much leader should i use? Where is home maintenance? How many career changes in a lifetime? Where to upload degree certificate in wes? How much industrial engineers make? How to diagram a family tree? Where to add workshop certificate in linkedin? What algorithm does python sort use? Where is intelligence inherited from? How much activity does a dog need? How to diagram a family tree? Why object oriented programming is good? Summary who moved my cheese? Why industrial engineering essay? Which challenge contestants have died? What career is right for me quiz? Which interview is tough in india? How much working for doordash? Which activities are considered a safety sensitive function? How opportunity zones work? Why answers to prayers are delayed? How much theory test? How maintenance of records is important? Where marketing manager? Which degree is best for future? What degree should i get quiz? How many challenge all stars are there?
Source: www.essence.com
RELATED VIDEO
Best African American Cute Little Girls Hairstyles For
Best African American Cute Little Girls Hairstyles For ...
Best African American Short Hairstyles For Black Girls
Best African American Short Hairstyles For Black Girls
Best Flat Iron For African American Hair - Prime Hair Tools
Best Flat Iron For African American Hair - Prime Hair Tools
RELATED FACTS
Share this Post

Related posts

Best African American Authors

Best African American Authors

MARCH 19, 2024

Booklist Starred Review Educator and historian Alphonse Keasley hosts and narrates this eight-part series that traces the…

Read More
Top Ten African American Books

Top Ten African American Books

MARCH 19, 2024

Whether you re traveling on vacation, sunbathing on the beach, or simply lounging in the park, nothing beats a good book…

Read More