Black History Month | KTLA

Book illustrator Nicole Tadgell helps to bring words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s grandchild to life

Donna Terrell — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:24:10 +0000

ATLANTA – Award-winning illustrator Nicole Tadgell brings words in a book to life through images she creates by hand.

"Ever since I was a little kid and could hold a crayon is how I started loving art," she recalled.

Tadgell has created the artwork for more than 30 children's books.

"I really immerse myself as much as possible into the author's words and the world that the child is experiencing,” she explained.

Tadgell's most recent work is “We Dream A World,” a children's book written by Yolanda Renee King, the only grandchild of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Corretta Scott King.

"When you open the book, you're going to see, really, just images that are so beautiful," King said.

This 15-year-old social justice advocate calls the book a letter to her celebrated grandparents and a call to action. The sense of inspiration rang true for the book’s illustrator.

"After I read the manuscript, it is really what inspired me,” Tadgell said. “Her words are very moving, very poetic, very inspirational."

Tadgell used watercolors to create whimsical characters, scenes and portraits, realizing this picture book captures Dr. King's legacy and his dream through his granddaughter's eyes.

"A lot of her words are very visionary, and I knew what she was about is inclusiveness and empowerment, and I wanted to pull images of children being themselves, playing and envisioning what their future can be," Tadgell explained.

The book is just the latest way King is trying to impact the world. A teen now, she has given speeches to large crowds since she was 9. Her passion and determination showed when she spoke at an MLK event at Clemson University a year ago.

“Like my grandparents and my parents, I believe that we must do more to create a culture of non-violence in America," she told the crowd.

Tadgell hopes “We Dream A World” will help spread that message and more.

"It gives me great hope and inspiration to see young, strong people like Yolanda rising up and taking the mantel and pulling young people into the future," she said.

Yolanda Renee King, only granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., following in family footsteps with activism, new book

Donna Terrell — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 00:23:08 +0000

ATLANTA – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired millions of people around the world, and now his only granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King, aims to pick up where he left off with a message of hope for a new generation.

The 15-year-old has released a new picture book titled “We Dream A World” that is a tribute to her celebrated grandparents.

"I am ready to keep my eyes on the prize that you set out before us with the power of your vision,” the teen read. “Yes, Grandma Coretta. Yes, Granddaddy Martin, I am ready.”

The book was released right before what would have been Dr. King’s 95th birthday. Yolanda said that she was inspired, like her grandparents before her, to reach out to those who will be building the future.

"I think that for a very long time, you've needed a message to the world of what type of world we can have,” she explained. “And I think that if you look at movements, it's led by young people."

The socially engaged 15-year-old has been sharing her message to large crowds for years, including one not long ago at the March on Washington with her mom and dad, Marting Luther King III. When asked if she enjoys speaking in front of large crowds, Yolanda was quick to say she has always been a talker.

"It's so funny that you ask, because actually, if you ask my parents, I've always loved talking. I've always had something to say," she said.

Yolanda is saying it with passion and conviction. Speaking last year at an MLK program at Clemson University, she took on tough issues like violence and homelessness, echoing the speeches made by her grandfather.

"I think I've always had a concern about these issues, and I've always heard his speeches playing around the house," she said.

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 24: Yolanda Renee King and Jaclyn Corin speak onstage at March For Our Lives on March 24, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for March For Our Lives)
WASHINGTON, D.C., USA - AUGUST 28: Arndrea Waters King, Yolanda Renee King, Martin Luther King III, Rev. Al Sharpton and thousands march during the âMarch On For Voting Rightsâ demonstration to heighten awareness about voter suppression in many parts of the country, on August, 28, 2021 in Washington D.C., USA. Since January, 48 states have introduced bills, many of which have become law according to the rally organization website, which are designed to suppress voter turnout by â banning ballot drop boxes, mail-in voting, reducing early voting days and hours as well as criminalizing the distribution of water to voters in long linesâ (Photo by John Lamparski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Arndrea Waters King (R) and Martin Luther King III listen to their daughter Yolanda Renee King speak following the Peace Walk in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Washington, DC on January 17, 2022. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - JANUARY 17: Martin Luther King III, the eldest son of the late civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., his wife Arndrea Waters King and daughter Yolanda Renee King take part in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Walk on the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge on Monday. (Astrid Riecken/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s son, Martin Luther King III, his wife Arndrea Waters King and their daughter Yolanda Renee King visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. First observed 34 years ago, Martin Luther King day is a national holiday that marks the birthday of the civil rights icon and is a way to remember all that he accomplished. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

In listening to those speeches, Yoland said she feels her grandfather left messages for work that still needs to be done.

"He left us behind homework,” she explained. “And I feel like we've been procrastinating on that homework."

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 15: Arndrea Waters helps her daughter Yolanda Renee King sit on a statue to her grandfather after a wreath laying ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial on the National Mall January 15, 2012 in Washington, DC. Martin Luther King III and others joined to lay a wreath at the memorial to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to honor the 83rd birthday of the American Civil Rights leader who was assassinated in 1968. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, D.C., USA - AUGUST 28: Arndrea Waters King, Yolanda Renee King, Martin Luther King III pose as thousands march during the âMarch On For Voting Rightsâ demonstration to heighten awareness about voter suppression in many parts of the country, on August, 28, 2021 in Washington D.C., USA. Since January, 48 states have introduced bills, many of which have become law according to the rally organization website, which are designed to suppress voter turnout by â banning ballot drop boxes, mail-in voting, reducing early voting days and hours as well as criminalizing the distribution of water to voters in long linesâ (Photo by John Lamparski/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 28: Rev. Al Sharpton, Yolanda Renee King, Arndrea Waters King and Martin Luther King, III begin their march from from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial August 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. Today marks the 57th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 17: Arndrea Waters King (R) and Martin Luther King III listen to their daughter Yolanda Renee King speak during a rally ahead of the Peace Walk in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 17, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brian Stukes/Getty Images)

Arndrea Waters King, Yolanda's mother, supports her daughter's efforts. She said Yolanda was asked recently if she intends to pattern herself after her renowned granddad.

"And she quickly said, ‘Yes I do, because those footsteps are important, but I want to make my own footsteps,’" Waters King recalled. "She described herself as having an itch, you know, that you just have to scratch."

Though Yolanda has never met her grandparents, she says their spirit is always with her. And while she blazes her own trail of social activism, she takes with her Dr. King's legacy, his name and his dream.

WATCH: “A Granddaughter’s Dream,” a tribute to Dr. King and his wife Coretta Scott King

Geoff Petrulis — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 23:48:57 +0000

IRVING, Texas (NEXSTAR) — At just 15 years old, the only grandchild of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., wrote “We Dream a World: Carrying the Light From My Grandparents Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.” The work by Yolanda Renee King is a picture book published this month, and described by her as a love letter to her grandparents.

Nexstar aired a special featuring Yolanda King called “A Granddaughter’s Dream,” a tribute to King’s grandparents, across all of its owned or partner television stations in January to coincide with the national celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day.

Reporter/Anchor Donna Terrell of KLRT-TV (Fox16) in Little Rock, Arkansas, travelled to Atlanta, where she sat down for an in-depth interview with Ms. King and her mother, Arndrea Waters King, President of the Drum Major Institute. The interviews took place on the campus of Spelman College, a historically black college, attended by five generations of women in the King family.

During the interview, the fierce and determined teenager said she believed that she had been called to fulfill her grandfather’s dream, discussed the influence of the grandparents she never met and the significance of the King family legacy. Ms. King said it is time for a new generation to pick up the torch and raise their voices.

She has been raising her voice since the age of nine, captivating crowds around the country. Last year, Ms. King delivered the keynote address at Clemson University’s celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day, saying of her grandparents, “I feel that somehow, they are with me and that our spirits are joined in the quest for a just, loving and peaceful world. I am very proud to be their granddaughter, but I am also challenged by their inspiring legacy of vision, courage and their competent leadership. And I know that I’m not alone.”

In addition to the special programming being offered by Nexstar and its partner television stations, the Nexstar Media Charitable Foundation announced it will donate $10,000 to the Drum Major Institute to commemorate this year’s holiday and the legacy of Dr. King.

In the segregated south, Savannah's first Black bus driver makes history

Kim Gusby — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 22:52:50 +0000

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — The year was 1961—a then 28-year-old Roger Shank did something no Black man in the city or the state of Georgia had ever done. He moved to the front of the bus to take his seat behind the wheel for The Savannah Transit Authority—now CAT. This was a bold move in the segregated south.

"During that time, there were marches in the street EVERY night. People would go down to City Hall, said Mary Shank, Roger’s wife. “They would do that. They would be gassed or sprayed with water and I remember I was not working and I felt more free to demonstrate along with his sister who was jailed for three weeks. We couldn't get her out of jail because nobody could stand the bond. It was so high.”

“But Roger didn't participate because he knew better." Three years prior, he'd married the love of his life, Mary, and they were expecting their first and only child. He needed to make money to support his growing family. "It wasn't pleasant,” said Roger Shank.

“As you know they had 'colored' assignments for all of these facilities. And once I got into the facilities training only bus drivers, I wasn't allowed in the operator's room. I had to wait in the maintenance department before we would move on to select a bus."

And though racism reared its ugly head more often than not, Shank persevered. Mary said, "He would go over to the bus company. Cut the grass. Wash the buses. Change the tires. He was not allowed to use the facilities in the main building. He had to use the one where the maintenance folk were. And he did that for a good—I know at least 2 months. And then he came home one day and said he was going to get a uniform."

The move attracted eyes across the country. His picture was published in the Pittsburgh Carrier on Shank's first day. His initial route was the Liberty Parkway line-—a then newly developed black neighborhood.

“And they would put him on the bus that ran from Victory Drive to Mills B. Lane into Liberty City, said Mrs. Shank. “Back down Mills B. Lane to Hopkins Street to Victory Drive and West Broad Street where he would stop and the passengers could connect to one of four buses that would go downtown."

Other routes would follow—but not everyone was on board. "The white operators at that time they didn't accept it. They would get sick reports. Right in that room. They reported to work and got sick. They had some things to say but I just kept quiet and did what I was supposed to do," Mr. Shank said.

He didn't have the same liberties as his colleagues and he was even confronted by an angry passenger. "I had one case on the Number 11 Abercorn where one passenger approached and said you uh-- you got a white man's job. And I didn't answer him. So, he cussed and I pulled over at the Georgia Infirmary and told him, sir, you can't curse on the bus please,” Mr. Shank said. “I don't care what you call me but just don't—the ladies. And he kept going so I said you have to get off the bus. Then he reported me. And after reporting me, the supervisor came with another driver and they carried me and they interviewed me. And it happened so Mrs. White, a registered nurse was down on Habersham Street and they called in and explained what happened so they brought me back with apologies to the bus to continue my day."

But he was determined to make it work. Soft-spoken by nature, his actions proved louder than words.

With support from his family and the Black community, Shank worked his way up the ladder. It also helped that he had civil rights leader W.W. Law on his side. "He would ride with me occasionally-- from one end to the next to see how I was functioning. 'Any problems?' I would say, 'no sir,'” said Shank.

He also became a member of the NAACP and encouraged others to do the same. Mrs. Shank said, "At one point, Roger joined the NAACP and it was not recommended that you be affiliated with this organization. It was like a subtle thing. So following the advice of Dr. Abby Jordan, he solicited all of the bus drivers to join the NAACP and it got back to the administrator. And the NAACP gave him a plaque for bringing in the most numbers for that year. [chuckles] You came close to losing your job."

Eventually, Shank was promoted to night relief supervisor and day and night shift dispatcher. Before long, he was training other Black bus operators and later the first woman to do the same. Ultimately attaining the title of assistant superintendent. In 1991, he became the first African American director of transportation.

"Going through the ranks, it was just muscle for me. I didn't have any training in some of it. And it was to do a better job than the guys who were in front of me in those ranks as I came up," said Mr. Shank.

Shank retired from the transit system in 1992 after 30 years with little to no recognition of his pioneering accomplishments. Now at 90, he and his wife continue to enjoy retirement together.

So, the next time a CAT bus passes by, think of Roger Shank and thank him for the road he traveled to pave the way.

Mr. Shank said, "I've been through it all but I enjoyed it. I don't have any gripes. I had a good career. And I'm happy for the rest who have come behind me."

Although he's had an impressive career, Mr. Shank isn't the only history-maker in his family. His wife, Mary, was one of the first administrators to desegregate the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

Their daughter Suzanne is one of the most powerful women on Wall Street and is the CEO of the largest woman and minority-owned investment firm in the country.

Savannah-raised woman champions civil rights in Georgia

Kim Gusby — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 22:47:06 +0000

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — There are champions—then there is Mercedes Wright Arnold— someone who has been fighting for justice all her life. We asked her, "Why did you get involved in the movement?"

"If you ask that question to almost any Black person, quote Negro as we were then, from my generation, they will tell you at least one if not more incidences of bigotry and hatred that they personally experienced," Arnold said.

From wade-ins at Tybee, to lunch counter sit-ins, to department store boycotts— Arnold challenged anything to change the status quo.

She worked with giants like W.W. Law, Hosea Williams, and even Medgar Evers.

"I was his assistant at the time of his assassination,” Arnold said. “The national office asked me to come to Mississippi to assist them in tightening their boycott and to work with voter registration.” She continued, “That was after our success in Savannah. Because you know we desegregated the lunch counters there even before anywhere else. And Dr. King said we were the most integrated city—or desegregated—in the south. And that was because of our work. And of course, it was two-pronged.”

“It was through the boycott. It was 99 and 9 tenths effective because we worked day and night to make it so. And our voter registration effort," she said.

But she wasn't just a participant. She was a planner— one of the few women allowed in the inner circles of the then male-dominated leadership at the Savannah branch NAACP. They called her the 'sweetheart' of the movement— a bit of a misnomer considering her fierce passion to bring about change and the fact that she was the Vice Chair of the NAACP boycott committee.

"As we picketed City Hall, Lee Mingledorf who was mayor, decided that we were not citizens and not entitled to our First Amendment Right to peaceful protests and began to arrest us. So, we have a rich history of fighting back. And when I say fighting, I mean with our knowledge, our wisdom, our strength, and we said we had two weapons that were the most powerful. It was the ballot and the buck."

She was also a driving force for both local and national voter registration— gaining recognition from president Lyndon B Johnson and Vice President Hubert Humphrey in 1968 then President Barack Obama in 2014.

She even loaned her talents to another pioneer, Shirley Chisholm, when she ran for president in 1972.

Relentless in her advocacy, her course shifted in the 80s from civil rights to HIV/AIDS when her two sons succumbed to the disease.

"Both of my sons and my daughter—but especially do I want to say my sons were educated, employed, owned real estate. And one of the pieces of real estate owned by my eldest son --Daniel Walden Wright, III-- was a row house in Washington, DC that he worked hard for and purchased. He had the architectural renderings done in preparation for the restoration of the home he lived in when he became affected by AIDS. As had his brother the year before."

Arnold continued, “With my heartbreak, and my almost total collapse of what was going on with quote, 'being gay' and AIDS in the 1980s, I had to find a way to fight back. So, I decided that I would turn Danny's house in Washington—Bruce had his home here in Atlanta-- Danny's house in Washington would become a respite for people who were suffering from AIDS."

Following the loss of her sons, she decided to expand her reach internationally. So, she joined the Peace Corps— a then new initiative implemented by President John F. Kennedy— to change the world.

For the past several years, Conyers, Georgia has been her home. But Savannah is where she was raised— growing up on West Bolton Street— in a neighborhood that is now extinct due to urban renewal.

Today, she's downsizing. Every inch of her space now boxed and bubble-wrapped— to be donated to local museums. Many of her awards, books, news clippings, letters, and ledgers, will go to the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum for preservation and display. The same place where a panel depicts her never-ending struggle for equality for all.

Months shy of her 90th birthday, Ms. Arnold is working on her memoir. The title has yet to be determined.

Harlem of the South: Tampa's impact on African-American musicians

Deanne King — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 22:18:53 +0000

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) -- From the late 1800s through the 1970s, Central Avenue in Tampa was bustling with Black culture and eventually became known as the Harlem of the South. Central Avenue between Ybor City and downtown Tampa used to be where many African-Americans lived and worked.

"That area called the scrub, which is where Central Avenue developed, would be an area where Black folk would live," Fred Hearns said.

Hearns is a local historian and the Curator of Black History at the Tampa Bay History Center. He said Central Avenue used to be lined with Black-owned businesses, which eventually attracted Black musicians.

"There were hundreds of less-known Black musicians, singers, dancers, entertainers who really got their start on Central Avenue because it was part of what was called the Chitlin Circuit."

The Chitlin Circuit was a collection of hotels, performance venues and businesses where Black musicians are artists could travel. During segregation, African-American artists couldn't perform at white-only establishments, so this circuit helped Black artists know where they were welcomed to perform or stay. It became known as the 'Chitlin Circuit' because most of the venues Black artists could perform at would have a restaurant serving chitlins close by.

Tampa was a key spot along the Chitlin Circuit. Ella Fitzgerald, the first lady of jazz, would often visit and perform in Tampa. She stayed at the Jackson Rooming House.

"The Jackson House was essential back then," Hearns said. "It's just a couple of blocks away from Central Avenue and it was a safe place for Black artists to stay. I'm sure Ella Fitzgerald could've told you hundreds of stories where there were many restaurants she couldn't enter, or on the road where she couldn't use the restroom."

Ray Charles stayed at the Jackson Rooming house as well. He even lived in Tampa in the late 1940s and performed at the clubs on Central Avenue.

"In 1945 you could see Louis Armstrong blow his trumpet and sing for $2.50," Hearns said.

Hearns believes this kind of history needs to be shared.

"I believe this is inspirational to our young people," Hearns said. "This is a part of our legacy, a part of our history, the story that young people must understand. Then, they can say if they can do it, I can do it."

Current musicians say the history of Central Avenue still impacts them today. "It allowed artists, it allowed musicians, it allowed all creatives to be more creative and expressive in a way that was accepting during a time when Black art wasn't accepted," Nathan Mitchell said.

Mitchell is a Grammy-nominated and three-time NAACP-nominated artists with a current song that's number one on the Billboard charts. He now calls Tampa home.

"You think about the Mahalia Jackson's, the Andre Crouche's -- those are the pioneers that helped me," Mitchell said. "I want to honor their legacies by teaching creators how to stay creative. By playing the music and playing the passion."

With all of his success, Mitchell said he is focused on creating and leaving a legacy for the next generation of musicians. "It just really feels good to know I can help influence the culture of Black music," Mitchell said.

A lot of the stories and history of Central Avenue are throughout Perry Harvey Sr. Park located at 1000 E Harrison St. Take a visit to the free park to learn more about Tampa's Black history. The Jackson Rooming House is also still standing and located at 851 E Zack St.

First Black-owned water sports rental business on Chula Vista, CA bayfront opens

Christelle Koumoué — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 21:08:26 +0000

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KSWB) -- You can't experience San Diego without taking in its stunning coastline and clear waters.

Artiss Redmond and his wife Arlyn know a thing or two about navigating those waters. "I did 25 years in the Navy," Artiss said. "Arlyn, she's over 21 [years] now. This is what we do. We do this all across the world. We've done it on amphibious operations. We’ve done it on many types of vessels out there."

The couple combined their knowledge and love for the water to create R&R Surf, a water sports and rental business where their focus really is rest and relaxation. “The water's like glass out here, it’s beautiful," Artiss said. "But the best thing is what the water does for you. It’s like a therapy session without having to go see someone," Arlyn added.

"It's a dream that we worked on for a while but it's also the representation that matters," Arlyn said. "We don't want to just have traditional equipment. Nothing that we have looks like any other boating agency out here," Artiss said.

The company made its debut at Safe Harbor South Bay Marina in June, bringing along with it some pretty cool toys, including an elliptical paddle board. "This is a hydro foil. The board comes out of the water and it’s riding on the two fins. It is frictionless and it feels like you're flying over water. It’s the most amazing feeling you can possibly get," Artiss said.

And if you want something a little more grounded, there are options. "It's a four-seater kayak and it has pedal drives in each seat. I think you can paddle this thing all day and not get tired," Artiss said.

The couple says bringing a business to the marina was no easy feat. “It’s a dream that we worked on for a while, but it's also the representation that matters to us," Arlyn said. R&R Surf is the first Black-owned water sports rental business on the bayfront in Chula Vista.

“When we came here, there's a lot of water sports businesses, there’s a lot of things you can do in San Diego Bay. I did not see myself represented, he didn't see that," Arlyn said. "I wanted not to be the first one. This is the beginning. Hopefully there’s going to be more that comes, from different backgrounds."

And not just different cultural or ethnic backgrounds. "We have a setup that's coming up where we’ll be able to work with people with disabilities to get them out here," Artiss said.

Here, where the water is just as clear as their vision. "The ocean is captivating and it's captivating for everybody," Artiss said.

Nexstar marks Dr. Martin Luther King Day with special featuring his only grandchild

Nexstar Media Wire — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 00:26:11 +0000

IRVING, Texas (NEXSTAR) — Nexstar will air “A Granddaughter’s Dream,” a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his wife Coretta Scott King, across all of its owned or partner television stations beginning Saturday, January 13, to coincide with the national celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Day. The half-hour program features Yolanda Renee King, the only grandchild of the slain civil rights leader and his wife.

At just 15 years old, Ms. King penned “We Dream a World: Carrying the Light From My Grandparents Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King,” a picture book published this month, and described by her as a love letter to her grandparents. Reporter/Anchor Donna Terrell of KLRT-TV (Fox16) in Little Rock, Arkansas, travelled to Atlanta, where she sat down for an in-depth interview with Ms. King and her mother, Arndrea Waters King, President of the Drum Major Institute. The interviews took place on the campus of Spelman College, a historically black college, attended by five generations of women in the King family.

During the interview, the fierce and determined teenager said she believes that she has been called to fulfill her grandfather’s dream, discusses the influence of the grandparents she never met and the significance of the King family legacy. Ms. King says it is time for a new generation to pick up the torch and raise their voices.

Nexstar’s owned or partner television stations will begin airing “A Granddaughter’s Dream” on Saturday, January 13. Check your local listings for times.

These are markets airing the half-hour program on Dr. Martin Luther King Day:

WPIX-TV	New York	7:30 p.m. ET
KTLA-TV	Los Angeles	7:30 p.m. PT
WGN-TV	Chicago	7:00 p.m. CT
WPHL-TV	Philadelphia	7:30 p.m. ET
KDAF-TV	Dallas	6:30 p.m. CT
KIAH-TV	Houston	6:30 p.m. CT
WDCW-TV	Washington, D.C.	7:30 p.m. ET

100 of the best books by Black Americans

Aleichia Williams-Norberto, Stacker — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 22:42:05 +0000

Don Emmert // AFP via Getty Images

100 of the best books by Black Americans

Books change lives. They have the power to inspire revolutions, transform government policy, and reveal our common humanity—even when the people we read about have experiences that differ wildly from our own. Books also offer a platform for stories that have otherwise gone unheard, giving a voice to the voiceless and effecting change.

Stacker compiled a list of 100 of the best books by Black Americans, with titles spread out between centuries, genres, subject matter, and themes. To create the list, we referred to major Black-owned platforms such as Shondaland, Essence, and O, The Oprah Magazine. We also used social media and Black reading groups along with popular book platforms such as Book Riot and Goodreads. The list contains historical fiction, mystery, sci-fi, sociology, political commentary, poetry, cookbooks, and many more.

Black American authors have done integral work illuminating centuries of abuse, enslavement, and discrimination; and they have brought us thousands of rich, contemporary works of romance, comedy, kinship, family, and mystery. From a book centering thousands of narratives of enslaved people to a bestselling memoir from the first Black first lady of the United States, Black writers help to document a more holistic American experience that represents all of us.

Keep reading on to discover 100 of the best books by Black Americans.

Such a Fun Age

- Author: Kiley Reid
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Fiction, Contemporary

"Such a Fun Age" explores the intersections of growing up, race, and work. The book centers on a 25-year-old Black babysitter accused of kidnapping a white child in her care. The book is author Kiley Reid's debut novel.

I Almost Forgot About You

- Author: Terry McMillan
- Date published: 2016
- Genre: Romance, Fiction

"I Almost Forgot About You" tells the story of a woman in her 50s who decides to change her life and finds love in the process. Author Terry McMillan is a #1 New York Times bestselling author known for novels such as "Waiting to Exhale" and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back."

It's Not All Downhill From Here

- Author: Terry McMillan
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Fiction, Contemporary

"It's Not All Downhill From Here" tells the coming-of-age story of a suddenly widowed 68-year-old woman determined to make the best of her life. The book takes a hard look at the inevitability of loss, mental health, and stepping out of your former self. Of the main character, author Terry McMillan told NPR, "I didn't know that she was going to lose her husband until—I mean, I just—I become the character. I became Lo. … I was a mess before I even wrote it."

The Travelers

- Author: Regina Porter
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Historical Fiction

"The Travelers," Regina Porter's debut novel, follows the story of two families, one Black and one white, throughout six decades of American and world history. The story jumps back and forth through time periods, stitching together a complex tapestry of human experiences.

Lot: Stories

- Author: Bryan Washington
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Short Stories, Fiction, LGBTQ+

Bryan Washington draws on short stories and his upbringing in Houston to explore the lives of Houstonians in "Lot." The author's debut book celebrates themes of race, growth, and LGBTQ+ life. The book made Barack Obama's Favorite Books of the Year list in 2019.

The Water Dancer

- Author: Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

"The Water Dancer" is about an enslaved man with a gift for memory. Gaining freedom, the protagonist begins to assist in the freeing of other enslaved people. The story uses themes of magic and spiritualism to paint an intriguing view of history. The book was also an Oprah's Book Club selection in 2019.

What We Lose

- Author: Zinzi Clemmons
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Fiction, Contemporary

In her debut novel, Zinzi Clemmons writes the tale of a Black woman moving on after losing her mother to cancer. This stunning coming-of-age story has received critical acclaim. Similarly to the book's main character, Clemmons lost her mother to cancer while coming into adulthood.

Sleeping with Strangers

- Author: Eric Jerome Dickey
- Date published: 2007
- Genre: Fiction

"Sleeping with Strangers," the first book of the five-part "Gideon" series, is a thriller about a hitman that involves themes of sex, violence, and family. Author Eric Jerome Dickey is a New York Times bestselling author whose 1997 effort, "Friends and Lovers," was adapted into a film in 2015.

Everything Inside

- Author: Edwidge Danticat
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Short Stories, Fiction, Contemporary

"Everything Inside" is a collection of short stories addressing the different ways people confront death—their own, that of their parents, their children, and their friends. Author Edwidge Danticat's writing is crisp and unflinching as it crisscrosses relationships and geographic locations.

Indigo

- Author: Beverly Jenkins
- Date published: 1996
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Beverly Jenkins is a Michigan-born writer of romance novels. She has been writing since 1994, and her historical romances are loved and well received. "Indigo" is the story of a woman who escapes slavery and becomes a member of the Underground Railroad. When a man comes into her care, their love story begins.

Rebel

- Author: Beverly Jenkins
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

In"Rebel," Beverly Jenkins sets a love story in New Orleans. The story follows a woman as she falls for a man who does not meet her father's approval. Differing from "Indigo," this story takes place in the period after the Civil War. The book is the first in the "Women Who Dare" series.

Patsy

- Author: Nicole Dennis-Benn
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, LGBTQ+

Nicole Dennis-Benn is a Jamaican-born, New York-based writer who received acclaim with her debut novel, "Here Comes the Sun." In her second book, "Patsy," we meet a Jamaican woman who travels to New York on a visa to reunite with her old love, Cicely, with no intention of returning home.

Homegoing

- Author: Yaa Gyasi
- Date published: 2016
- Genre: Historical Fiction

"Homegoing" is a piece of historical fiction centering around two half-sisters who end up having incredibly different lives: One is sold into slavery while the other marries an Englishman. Yaa Gyasi's novel follows the women and their families through the centuries.

Clap When You Land

- Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Poetry

In "Clap When You Land," two girls discover they are sisters through the death of their father. The story explores family secrets, sisterhood, and the intersections of American and Dominican cultures. New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo is a Dominican American writer and poet whose work often navigates themes of Afro Latinidad identity, coming of age, and family.

With the Fire on High

- Author: Elizabeth Acevedo
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary

In "With the Fire on High," Elizabeth Acevedo writes of a single teen mother in Philadelphia with a passion for cooking. The book explores themes of motherhood, responsibility, and family.

Red at the Bone

- Author: Jacqueline Woodson
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction

"Red at the Bone" documents a 16-year-old's coming-of-age and the family history that brought her where she is in life. Authored by Jacqueline Woodson, an award-winning writer of children's books, the book made it onto the New York Times Best Seller list.

Brown Girl Dreaming

- Author: Jacqueline Woodson
- Date published: 2014
- Genre: Nonfiction, Poetry, Children's

In "Brown Girl Dreaming," Jacqueline Woodson writes poems through the lens of herself as a child. Raised in New York and South Carolina, Woodson navigates the contrasts of the plains and the desires of her younger self. The book earned the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2014. Throughout her writing career, Woodson has caused a bit of controversy for using curse words in her children's books and exploring themes of sexuality.

Children of Blood and Bone

- Author: Tomi Adeyemi
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy

Tomi Adeyemi's bestselling debut novel, "Children of Blood and Bone," is the first book in the author's "Legacy of Orisha" series, which is being adapted into a film. Vann R. Newkirk II of The Atlantic characterized the book as a "Black Lives Matter-inspired fantasy novel." Adeyemi's follow-up in the series, "Children of Virtue and Vengeance," published in 2019.

The Hate U Give

- Author: Angie Thomas
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary

"The Hate U Give" follows a Black teen girl who witnesses a murder at the hands of the police. The book explores themes of friendship, race, family, grief, police brutality, and American politics. Angie Thomas' debut novel topped the New York Times Young Best Sellers list for young adults and was adapted into a film in 2018.

Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick

- Author: Zora Neale Hurston
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Classics, Short Stories

Zora Neale Hurston, widely ranked among the greatest American authors of all time, was also a filmmaker and anthropologist. Her work often looked at race issues from the early 20th century, and her most popular novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," was published in 1937. Although she died in 1960, "Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick" is one of many posthumous releases that Hurston wrote during the Harlem Renaissance.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

- Author: Zora Neale Hurston
- Date published: 1937
- Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction

"Their Eyes Were Watching God" is considered a classic work of American literature and is required reading in most high school English classes. In it, we follow the main character, Janie Crawford, as she navigates her identity over the course of three marriages. The book, which highlights an independent, strong Black woman, went largely overlooked by men when it was first released. Out of print for three decades, it was reissued in 1978.

Moses, Man of the Mountain

- Author: Zora Neale Hurston
- Date published: 1939
- Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction

In "Moses, Man of the Mountain," Zora Neale Hurston rewrites the story of Moses of the biblical Old Testament, combining the tale with folklore and the Black experience. The book is considered one of Hurston's best works and is revered as a classic.

An American Marriage

- Author: Tayari Jones
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Fiction, Contemporary

"An American Marriage" tells the story of a young couple suddenly separated by a wrongful conviction. The love fades over the years and forces the couple to confront difficult questions after the conviction is overturned. The novel is an Oprah's Book Club selection, a New York Times Notable Book, and it earned Jones the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2019.

Beloved

- Author: Toni Morrison
- Date published: 1987
- Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction

"Beloved" is the late Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a Black woman living in the United States following the Civil War. The main character was inspired by Margaret Garner, an African American woman enslaved in Kentucky who, in 1856, escaped by crossing the Ohio River.

Bloodchild and Other Stories

- Author: Octavia E. Butler
- Date published: 1995
- Genre: Science Fiction, Short Stories

"Bloodchild and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories from acclaimed science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler, originally published in 1995, with a second edition published in 2005. It's been said that Butler's dark fiction functions as parables for real life. The titular story in the collection, "Bloodchild," won the Hugo and Nebula awards; "Speech Sounds" also earned a Hugo Award.

Friday Black

- Author: Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Short Stories, Fiction, Science Fiction

"Friday Black" is the New York Times bestselling debut work of Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. This collection of short stories is set in a dystopian world and explores themes of racism and Black identity through satire, the surreal, and characterizations of cultural unrest.

In West Mills

- Author: De'Shawn Charles Winslow
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Historical Fiction

De'Shawn Charles Winslow's debut novel, "In West Mills," takes place in the author's home state of North Carolina. This work of historical fiction tells the story of a woman determined to live as she pleases. The book follows themes of family, friendships, and small-town life.

The Accidental Hunter

- Author: Nelson George
- Date published: 2005
- Genre: Fiction, Mystery

"The Accidental Hunter" is a mystery that takes place in New York. It is the second book of the "D Hunter" book series written by Nelson George, an award-winning author, music and culture critic, producer, and filmmaker. George has also written several other books and has produced various TV shows and films.

Team Seven

- Author: Marcus Burke
- Date published: 2014
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction

"Team Seven" is author Marcus Burke's debut novel, which takes a closer look at Black inner-city life. In it, we meet Andre Battel, a Jamaican American teen coming of age just south of Boston in Milton, Massachusetts. The book follows Battel as he grows apart from his family, finds new parts of himself on the basketball court, and gets tangled up in selling drugs. It explores themes of family, the inner city, and community while drawing on Burke's own experiences growing up in Massachusetts.

The Residue Years

- Author: Mitchell S. Jackson
- Date published: 2013
- Genre: Fiction, Crime, Contemporary

"The Residue Years" is a work of autobiographical fiction by Mitchell S. Jackson about his early life in Portland, Oregon. It tells the story of a teen who sells drugs to make ends meet. The novel is about family and growing up in difficult circumstances brought on by poverty. The novel won multiple awards and was adapted into a documentary film in 2014.

All Our Names

- Author: Dinaw Mengestu
- Date published: 2014
- Genre: Historical Fiction

"All Our Names" explores concepts of belonging, identity, and immigration. It follows the story of two friends living in Uganda in the early '70s who get swept up in a revolution. Author Dinaw Mengestu was born in Ethiopia and grew up in Chicago. He has written various works, including commentary on African conflicts and war.

The Bewildered Bride

- Author: Vanessa Riley
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Vanessa Riley writes enchanting historical romances reminiscent of aristocratic life. "The Bewildered Bride" is book four in the "Advertisements for Love" series. Each book is a stand-alone story and details stories of extravagant affairs.

The Art of Love

- Author: Suzette D. Harrison
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

"The Art of Love" is a romance novel set in the age of prohibition as an artist and bootlegger fall in love and face the dangers of the time. The book is the fourth in the "Decades: A Journey of African American Romance" series, which is comprised of books by different authors that explore romance in various time periods. Suzette D. Harrison is a baker and writer who graduated from the University of California with a degree in Black studies. Harrison also writes fiction and romance.

Love's Serenade

- Author: Sheryl Lister
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

"Love's Serenade" is the story of a woman fleeing an arranged marriage and chasing her dream to be a singer, leaving her family in the South for New York City, and later finding love. This love story takes place during the Harlem Renaissance and is the third book in the "Decades: A Journey of African American Romance" series. Author Sheryl Lister resides in California and is a member of the Cultural, Interracial, and Multicultural Special Interest Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

An Extraordinary Union

- Author: Alyssa Cole
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Alyssa Cole is an award-winning writer in the romance, science fiction, and historical fiction genres. "An Extraordinary Union" is about an enslaved woman who gains freedom and falls in love with a white man. The book has received various praises for its descriptive nature and sensitivity despite being written about interracial romance during the Civil War.

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy

- Author: Alyssa Cole
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fiction, LGBTQ+

Differing from the historical theme in "An Extraordinary Union," in "Once Ghosted, Twice Shy," Alyssa Cole writes of a queer romance in modern-day New York. The couple, who meet on a dating app, end up estranged but later run into each other on the subway. The story explores rekindled love in modern times.

See Me

- Author: Michele Arris
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary

"See Me," the first book in the "Tycoon Temptation" series, is a novel about a professional rivalry turned romance. Michelle Arris is an award-winning author who specializes in seductive, romantic fiction.

Black Girl Unlimited

- Author: Echo Brown
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary

Echo Brown is a storyteller and author from Cleveland. In her debut novel, "Black Girl Unlimited: The Remarkable Story of a Teenage Wizard," Brown uses magic to paint her autobiographical fiction masterpiece about a Black girl and wizard learning to navigate between two worlds.

Saving Savannah

- Author: Tonya Bolden
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction

Young adult novel "Saving Savannah" takes place in 1919 Washington D.C., and follows Savannah Riddle, a 17-year-old Black girl from a high-class family who is uncomfortable with her privilege. When Savannah meets a working-class girl named Nella, she's inspired to engage in the suffragette movement.

Riot Baby

- Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary

In the critically acclaimed "Riot Baby," author Tochi Onyebuchi describes the story of two siblings: a wrongfully convicted brother and his sister, who has special powers. Onyebuchi is a Nigerian American civil rights lawyer and science fiction writer. He studied at Yale University, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Instituts d'études politiques in France, and Columbia University.

Beasts Made of Night

- Author: Tochi Onyebuchi
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy

In "Beasts Made of Night," Tochi Onyebuchi uses his Nigerian background to write a thrilling fantasy. The novel, described by Penguin Random House as "'Black Panther' meets Nnedi Okorafor's 'Akata Witch,'" received acclaim from various outlets, including NPR. "Beasts Made of Night" is the first installment of the series by the same name.

The Worst Best Man

- Author: Mia Sosa
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary

In "The Worst Best Man," a woman is forced to work with her ex-fiance's brother, who encouraged the fiance to leave her at the altar. An unlikely spark forms between the pair. The novel has received praise for its wit and humor.

The Long Fall

- Author: Walter Mosley
- Date published: 2008
- Genre: Mystery, Crime, Thriller, Fiction

"The Long Fall" is the first book in a series that follows protagonist Leonid McGill, a 53-year-old New York City investigator who has made a career out of working for the mob. The series comes from acclaimed and bestselling crime author Walter Mosley, who has more than 50 books in his catalog.

The Only Black Girls in Town

- Author: Brandy Colbert
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Middle-aged Fiction, Contemporary

"The Only Black Girls in Town" is a story about a middle-school friendship between two girls, Alberta and Edie. Adventure unfolds when the girls find an old box of journals that hold surprising secrets about the past.

Pointe

- Author: Brandy Colbert
- Date published: 2014
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery

Unlike the lighthearted theme in "The Only Black Girls in Town," Brandy Colbert writes a shocking story of friendship in "Pointe." The book is about a ballet dancer and her friend who returns home after being kidnapped for several years.

When You Were Everything

- Author: Ashley Woodfolk
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary

"When You Were Everything" is Ashley Woodfolk's second book. Instead of common young-adult themes of falling in love, Woodfolk takes readers on a journey through the end of a friendship via two concurrent timelines. The book grapples with themes of uncertainty, new beginnings, growth, and forgiveness.

The City We Became

- Author: N.K. Jemisin
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy

In "The City We Became," science fiction author and psychologist N.K. Jemisin brings ancient magic to New York City. The novel centers around the disappearance of New York's avatar and the coming together of five new avatars (each representing one of New York's five boroughs) to set things right.

Black Girls Must Die Exhausted

- Author: Jayne Allen
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: New Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Jayne Allen's debut novel "Black Girls Must Die Exhausted" centers around a woman seeking to start a family who gets sidelined by a difficult medical diagnosis. The book sees her being tested in her relationship with her partner, herself, and friends.

The Boyfriend Project

- Author: Farrah Rochon
- Date published: 2020
- Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Louisiana native Farrah Rochon is a USA Today bestselling author. In the contemporary romance "The Boyfriend Project," three girls become friends after discovering they're dating the same man through Twitter. It is book one in a three-part series.

The Wedding Date

- Author: Jasmine Guillory
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

In "The Wedding Date," a man finds the perfect date to bring to his ex's wedding—a stranger he meets in an elevator. This is book one in "The Wedding Date" series. It is also Jasmine Guillory's debut novel and was featured in Cosmopolitan's 33 Books to Get Excited About list in 2018.

Native Son

- Author: Richard Wright
- Date published: 1940
- Genre: Classics, Fiction, Race, Criminal Justice

The acclaimed "Native Son" is the story of a Black man living in poverty who commits a crime. The overwhelming theme of the novel is the despair that Black Americans constantly face. "Native Son" became a bestseller at the time of its publication in 1940. The novel was adapted into a film in 2019.

Don't Call Us Dead: Poems

- Author: Danez Smith
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Poetry, Race, LGBTQ+

Danez Smith is a Black, queer, HIV-positive writer and performer from Minnesota. Their 2017 collection, "Don't Call Us Dead," is a powerful collection of poems regarding race in America. The work was also a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry.

Dien Cai Dau

- Author: Yusef Komunyakaa
- Date published: 1988
- Genre: Poetry, War

The recipient of numerous literary awards, Yusef Komunyakaa is an American poet from Louisiana who has written several acclaimed works. Among them is "Dien Cai Dau," a collection of poems regarding the Vietnam War. Komunyakaa was a journalist during the war, and the poems speak of his experiences.

The Body's Question

- Author: Tracy K. Smith
- Date published: 2003
- Genre: Poetry

Tracy K. Smith is a Harvard graduate and American poet raised in California. The critically acclaimed writer won a Pulitzer Prize for her work. In "The Body's Question," she explores identity and race within the African American diaspora.

Boy with Thorn

- Author: Rickey Laurentiis
- Date published: 2015
- Genre: Poetry, Race, LGBTQ+, History

Rickey Laurentiis is an acclaimed poet from New Orleans. "Boy with Thorn" represents his debut collection in a series of poems that take an unapologetic look at history, sexuality, violence, and race in the American South. The collection of poems is a winner of various awards.

Other People's Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night

- Author: Morgan Parker
- Date published: 2015
- Genre: Poetry, Feminism

In Morgan Parker's debut collection of poetry, "Other People's Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night," the author explores themes of equality in a modern age. Her criticisms of American culture touch on a sense of the American dream's diminishing returns.

There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé

- Author: Morgan Parker
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Poetry, Feminism, Womanhood

"There Are Things More Beautiful Than Beyoncé" is a highly celebrated collection of poems that take a long, hard look at Black womanhood and claps back at common American clichés. The poetry is rich and fearless with haunting lines like, "At school they learned that Black people happened / The present is not so different / I'm looking into their Black faces / They do not understand that they exist."

I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood

- Author: Tiana Clark
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Poetry, Race

"I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood" explores the history of race in America while poet Tiana Clark exposes her own vulnerabilities, anger, and pain. The title references Clark's inability to interact with the South without seeing its bloody, complicated past. Entries in the collection include heavy hitters like "Nashville," "Soil Horizon," and "The Ayes Have It."

We Hope This Reaches You in Time

- Authors: Samantha King Holmes, R.H. Sin
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Poetry

"We Hope This Reaches You in Time" is a collection of poems and prose by husband-and-wife duo Samantha King Holmes and R.H. Sin. The pair's collection of love poems covers the rawness of heartbreak and the terrifying nature of vulnerability.

She Just Wants to Forget

- Author: R.H. Sin
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Poetry

In "She Just Wants to Forget," R.H. Sin explores themes of discovery. The collection is geared toward strong women who are done wasting their energy and thoughts on the wrong people. "She Just Wants to Forget" is the follow-up to Sin's New York Times bestselling collection, "She Felt Like Feeling Nothing."

The Underground Railroad

- Author: Colson Whitehead
- Date published: 2016
- Genre: Historical Fiction

Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning sixth novel is an odyssey that reveals the horrors faced by Black Americans in the pre-Civil War South while also providing an allegory for the modern-day. In the story, characters Cora and Caesar take the ultimate risk and try to escape slavery. Cora kills a white boy who tries to catch her, adding a new dimension of danger as the pair is hunted while risking it all to head north.

The Color Purple

- Author: Alice Walker
- Date published: 1982
- Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction

Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winner "The Color Purple" follows the life of Celie, a 14-year-old African American girl being raised in rural Georgia, over the course of four decades through letters she writes to God. Facing abuse from her father, estrangement from her sister Nettie, pervasive bigotry, and subjugation, this masterpiece is at once a stunning coming-of-age novel and mirror reflecting many elements of America's dark past.

Iola Leroy

- Author: Frances E.W. Harper
- Date published: 1892
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Classics

Frances E.W. Harper, one of the first Black women to be published, was an abolitionist, writer, and suffragette born in 1825 in Baltimore. Her classic novel "Iola Leroy" is about an enslaved woman with a white complexion and blue eyes who becomes a nurse in the Union army. A doctor, assuming she is white, begins to fall in love with her but is tormented when he realizes she is Black. Various scholars consider the story to be one of the first romance novels.

Brown Girl, Brownstones

- Author: Paule Marshall
- Date published: 1959
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Classics

Revered novelist and Brooklynite Paule Marshall's 1959 debut novel follows the lives of Barbadian immigrants in Brooklyn during the Great Depression and World War II. The protagonists seek to transcend their poverty and overcome the racism around them as they make a home in a new country. The book was adapted into a drama by CBS Television in 1960.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

- Author: Frederick Douglass
- Date published: 1845
- Genre: Classic, Autobiography, Nonfiction

The famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass' memoir was written while he lived in Massachusetts and chronicles his harrowing escape from slavery in 1838, which he accomplished by posing as a free sailor and boarding a Philadelphia-bound train. The book was published to prove his history—many at the time doubted someone as educated as him could have been enslaved—and as a call to arms to abolish slavery.

Up from Slavery

- Author: Booker T. Washington
- Date published: 1901
- Genre: Classic, Autobiography, Nonfiction

Booker T. Washington was an author, educator, and a post-Civil War leader in the Black community. "Up from Slavery" is his autobiography about his upbringing as an enslaved boy and how he later achieved an education.

The Women of Brewster Place

- Author: Gloria Naylor
- Date published: 1982
- Genre: Historical Fiction, Classics, Short Stories

Gloria Naylor was an award-winning writer who debuted "The Women of Brewster Place" in 1982. The novel is broken out into seven parts: The first six parts follow individual women living in the Brewster Place housing development, and the seventh is about the community as a whole. The book was adapted into a television show in 1990 by Harpo Productions.

The Souls of Black Folk

- Author: W.E.B. Du Bois
- Date published: 1903
- Genre: Nonfiction, Sociology, Essays, Race, Classics

Civil rights activist, writer, historian, and sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois' classic, "The Souls of Black Folk," contains essays regarding race and sociology. In this book, Du Bois also argues against ideas by Booker T. Washington of what progress should look like for Black Americans.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

- Author: Maya Angelou
- Date published: 1969
- Genre: Classic, Autobiography, Memoir

One of the most recognized writers in American literature, Maya Angelou was a civil rights activist and celebrated thinker. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" is one of her most acclaimed memoirs and stands on most essential reading lists.

Invisible Man

- Author: Ralph Ellison
- Date published: 1952
- Genre: Classics, Fiction, Race

Ralph Ellison was a novelist and scholar. "Invisible Man," his award-winning novel, explores racial divides in the United States. In 1953, the book won Ellison the National Book Award, making him the first Black writer to ever win the esteemed award.

The Street

- Author: Ann Petry
- Date published: 1946
- Genre: Classics, Fiction, Race

Ann Petry was a writer and journalist. Her novel "The Street" is the story of a woman in World War II-era Harlem who is navigating the horrors of racism and functions as a commentary on social injustice.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

- Authors: Malcolm X, Alex Haley
- Date published: 1965
- Genre: Autobiography, Race, Classics

Civil rights-era activist and speaker Malcolm X's "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" chronicles the civil rights leader's upbringing and coming of age. The book resulted from a collaboration between Malcolm X and renowned journalist Alex Haley.

Stamped from the Beginning

- Author: Ibram X. Kendi
- Date published: 2016
- Genre: Nonfiction, History, Race

"Stamped from the Beginning" is a history of racism and racist policy in the United States. The book was written by historian, writer, and scholar Ibram X. Kendi. This work of historical nonfiction has received multiple awards and is a New York Times bestseller.

So You Want to Talk About Race

- Author: Ijeoma Oluo
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Nonfiction, Race

Ijeoma Oluo is a Nigerian American writer who has published works across various media platforms. In "So You Want to Talk About Race," she dives headfirst into a modern-day exploration of race issues with a series of hard-hitting essays that are essential reading for anyone looking to contextualize the issues of today.

The New Jim Crow

- Author: Michelle Alexander
- Date published: 2010
- Genre: Nonfiction, History, Race, Criminal Justice, Politics

Michelle Alexander is a writer, professor, and activist. "The New Jim Crow" is a New York Times bestseller that describes the harrowing history and policy of slavery, criminal justice, race, and mass incarceration.

The Condemnation of Blackness

- Author: Khalil Gibran Muhammad
- Date published: 2010
- Genre: Nonfiction, History, Race, Criminal Justice, Politics

Khalil Gibran Muhammad is a Harvard professor and writer. In "The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and Making Modern Urban America," Muhammad outlines the deep-rooted racial ideas within the United States and how they came to be. The book explores urban policy, intersectionality, history, and racism.

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

- Author: Isabel Wilkerson
- Date published: 2010
- Genre: Nonfiction, History, Race

Isabel Wilkerson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. "The Warmth of Other Suns" is a history of the Great Migration, a time period when thousands of Black Americans moved from the Jim Crow South to the North in search of a better life.

Between the World and Me

- Author: Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Date published: 2015
- Genre: Nonfiction, History, Race, Memoir

In "Between the World and Me," Ta-Nehisi Coates pens a powerful memoir and history of race in America packaged as a letter to Coates' teenage son about the experience of being Black in the United States. The book is a #1 New York Times bestseller and has received various accolades.

Nobody

- Author: Marc Lamont Hill
- Date published: 2016
- Genre: Nonfiction, History, Race, Criminal Justice, Politics

Marc Lamont Hill is a professor, academic, and writer. In "Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond," Lamont Hill analyzes Black deaths at the hands of the state. The book is critically acclaimed for its contemporary analysis of the ongoing issue of racialized state violence.

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

- Author: Beverly Daniel Tatum
- Date published: 2003
- Genre: Nonfiction, Race, Psychology

Beverly Daniel Tatum is a psychologist and educator. "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?: A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity" is an analysis of racism and psychology, and required reading in many Black studies classes in American colleges. A national bestseller, a new edition of this book released in 2017 focuses on many of the same racial topics as they relate to schools today.

Blackballed

- Author: Darryl Pinckney
- Date published: 2014
- Genre: Nonfiction, History, Race, Politics

Darryl Pinckney is a novelist and author. In "Blackballed: The Black Vote and U.S. Democracy," he explores the Black vote within American politics using a combination of analysis, history, and memoir.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

- Author: Harriet Jacobs
- Date published: 1861
- Genre: Classic, Autobiography, Nonfiction

Harriet Jacobs was a writer who was born into slavery. "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" is her autobiography. It describes her life as a fugitive and her early upbringing, and has been reported to be the most read narrative written by a female about her life during slavery.

Ain't I a Woman

- Author: Bell Hooks
- Date published: 1981
- Genre: Nonfiction, Feminism, Intersectionality

Bell Hooks is a feminist, writer, and activist. In "Ain't I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism," Hooks writes about feminist history and theory in relation to a racial experience. It is a classic work that delves into myriad issues that have impacted Black women, from sexism during slavery to feminism.

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf

- Author: Ntozake Shange
- Date published: 1975
- Genre: Musical

Ntozake Shange was a playwright and poet. This award-winning book was her first work; the play was adapted into a film in 2010.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body

- Author: Roxane Gay
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir

Roxane Gay is an award-winning social commentator, professor, and writer. "Hunger" is Gay's highly praised memoir in which she reflects on her struggles with self-image and weight as a survivor of sexual violence.

Bad Feminist

- Author: Roxane Gay
- Date published: 2014
- Genre: Nonfiction, Feminism, Intersectionality

"Bad Feminist" is Roxane Gay's New York Times bestseller exploring modern ideas of feminism through essays and self-reflective commentary. She tackles the politics and culture of being a feminist, including the pressure to fit an impossible-to-conform-to feminist mold.

Sister Outsider

- Author: Audre Lorde
- Date published: 1984
- Genre: Nonfiction, Feminism, Intersectionality, LGBTQ+

"Sister Outsider" is considered a classic in intersectional feminist theory and LGBTQ+ studies by Audre Lorde, a queer feminist, activist, and writer. The collection pulls together Lorde's most poignant speeches and essays, which tackle a wide spectrum of themes, including race, activism, cancer, and motherhood.

Dreams from My Father

- Author: Barack Obama
- Date published: 1995
- Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir

In "Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance," former President Barack Obama pens a touching memoir of his life that begins when he learns of his father's death, which leads him on a journey in search of his value as a Black man. Through his storytelling, Obama takes readers on an exploration of human identity, race politics, and class issues.

Grand Union

- Author: Zadie Smith
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Short Stories, Fiction, Contemporary

"Grand Union" is a collection of short stories that cover an array of themes, including race, aging, and gender, with political tones throughout. The collection, which at times alludes to former presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, is Zadie Smith's first book of short fiction.

Well-Read Black Girl

- Author: Glory Edim
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Nonfiction, Essays, Women

"Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves" is a collection of stories from well-known Black women, assembled by writer and entrepreneur Glory Edim, the Well-Read Black Girl book club founder. Stories are designed to create a space for Black girls and women to discover characters and experiences that are at once relatable and inspiring—and to expand the horizons of other readers hungry for more diverse perspectives.

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

- Author: ZZ Packer
- Date published: 2003
- Genre: Fiction, Short Stories

ZZ Packer's debut book "Drinking Coffee Elsewhere" is a collection of short stories that explore what it means not to belong. Entries explore the lives of Black people in various small American towns and grapples with American history from the early '60s through the '90s.

Known and Strange Things

- Author: Teju Cole
- Date published: 2016
- Genre: Nonfiction, Essays

"Known and Strange Things" is a collection of essays from award-winning art historian and author Teju Cole that bridges African and Western art and delves bravely into history and politics, among a myriad of other topics. The collection features more than 50 pieces that, among other things, take a fresh look at subjects like James Baldwin, Shakespeare, and Barack Obama.

Redefining Realness

- Author: Janet Mock
- Date published: 2014
- Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, LGBTQ+, Trans Rights

Janet Mock is a TV host, director, and trans rights activist. "Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More" is her memoir and expresses her journey as a trans woman. The book is a New York Times bestseller.

How We Fight for Our Lives

- Author: Saeed Jones
- Date published: 2019
- Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, LGBTQ+

Saeed Jones' memoir about growing up as a Black gay man in the South intricately lays out his coming-of-age story with unapologetic depth and honesty. Adding another stunning layer to the work is Jones' ability to pull back and contextualize his own stories with history and social commentary, illustrating a larger framework of a shared human experience.

The Cooking Gene

- Author: Michael W. Twitty
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Food, History, Cookbook, Memoir

In his award-winning book "The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South," culinary historian Michael W. Twitty weaves memoir and culinary history into a rich discussion about race. Diving into the roots of Southern African American cuisine, Twitty brings readers from Africa to the United States via his ancestry and the fascinating, complicated politics of soul food, barbecue, and other distinctly Southern styles.

The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl

- Author: Issa Rae
- Date published: 2015
- Genre: Nonfiction, Essays, Memoir

"The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl" is a collection of comedic essays based on author Issa Rae's wildly successful web series of the same name. The self-deprecating series of stories covers a wide variety of topics, including natural hair to eating out alone.

Year of Yes

- Author: Shonda Rhimes
- Date published: 2015
- Genre: Nonfiction, Autobiography

In "Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person," author Shonda Rhimes explores how a year of saying yes transformed her life. Rhimes is an award-winning writer and TV producer who made a name for herself with "Grey's Anatomy," "The Princess Diaries 2," "Scandal," and "How to Get Away with Murder," among many other works.

We're Going to Need More Wine

- Author: Gabrielle Union
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Nonfiction, Autobiography

"We're Going to Need More Wine" is a collection of essays detailing author Gabrielle Union's life as an actress in Hollywood. At once touching and hilarious, Union seamlessly weaves her life story into larger discussions about trauma, racial identity, and family.

The Last Black Unicorn

- Author: Tiffany Haddish
- Date published: 2017
- Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir

In "The Last Black Unicorn," author, actress, and comedian Tiffany Haddish tells the story of her upbringing in foster care and how she got her start in entertainment. The audiobook for Haddish's debut memoir was nominated for best spoken word album at the 2019 Grammy Awards.

Becoming

- Author: Michelle Obama
- Date published: 2018
- Genre: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir

Former first lady and activist Michelle Obama's touching memoir, "Becoming," is a #1 New York Times bestseller and a documentary on Netflix. The book covers Obama's upbringing, highlighting the people who influenced and pushed her, motherhood, her time in the White House, and virtually everything in between.

Descendants fight to maintain historic Black communities. Keeping their legacy alive is complicated

Sharon Johnson, The Associated Press — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 22:35:11 +0000

DAUFUSKIE ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Sallie Ann Robinson proudly stands in the front yard of her grandmother’s South Carolina home. The sixth-generation native of Daufuskie Island, a once-thriving Gullah community, remembers relatives hosting meals and imparting life lessons on the next generation.

“I was born in this very house, as many generations of family have been as well,” said Robinson, a chef and tour guide. “I was raised here. These woods was our playgrounds.”

Long dirt roads were once occupied by a bustling community that had its own bartering system and a lucrative oyster industry.

“There were at one point over a thousand people living on this island,” Robinson said. Now, she and several cousins are the only ones of Gullah descent who remain.

Historic Black communities like Daufuskie Island are dying, and descendants like Robinson are attempting to salvage what’s left of a quickly fading history.

“The towns are the authentic source or sources of much of our culture, our history, our physical expression of place,” said Everett Fly, a landscape architect who uncovered more than 1,800 Black historic settlements through his research.

Scholars define a historic Black community or town as a settlement founded by formerly enslaved people, usually between the late 19th- and early 20th-century. The enclaves often had their own churches, schools, stores and economic systems.

Fly and other researchers estimate there are fewer than 30 incorporated historic Black towns left in the United States, a fraction of more than 1,200 at the peak between the 1880s and 1915.

“The ones that do remain are extremely rare. They’re extremely important,” Fly said.

The eradication of these neighborhoods can be traced back to their creation when white supremacists terrorized Black people, destroying whole blocks of homes and businesses or driving them out of town, as seen with the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921 and the Rosewood, Florida, massacre in 1923.

But in more recent times, the dwindling of Black strongholds is due in part to the culmination of amended ordinances, uneven tax rates, home devaluations, and political challenges that leave communities vulnerable to developers and rampant gentrification.

“Something as simple as, they change or they rezone areas,” said Elizabeth Clark-Lewis, the director of the public history program at Howard University. “People with political power can make determinations that will ring the death bell for these towns.”

“We’ve seen gated areas, golf courses and planned unit developments directly linked to increasing the taxes and displacement of native Gullah-Geechees throughout the coast,” said Marquetta Goodwine, known as Queen Quet, the leader of the Gullah-Geechee nation.

On St. Helena Island in South Carolina, massive banners dot driveways and sidewalks reading “Protect the culture, protect the history, protect the land.”

The governing Beaufort County council blocked a golf course on Gullah-Geechee land after the developer, Elvio Tropeano, requested to remove the 503-acre (204-hectare) plot from a zoning district on the island. The zoning district bans gated communities and resorts in locations considered culturally significant. Tropeano has since filed two legal actions against the county to appeal the decision, and is now considering building homes on the property.

A local group, Community Coalition Action Network, supports the plan to build a golf course on the unoccupied land. Co-founder Tade' Oyeilumi said she was originally against it; then she went to a listening session.

“When I heard Mr. Tropeano speak about the development and what he wanted to do with the development, the purpose of the development and how that was going to contribute to the community that we live in, I was blown away,” Oyeilumi said.

She fears the housing plan that the developer is now considering will instead have jarring results.

“It’s going to change the infrastructure to our community. It’s going to bring in that gentrification factor that people are saying they don’t want, faster. The golf course, on the other hand, minimizes that,” Oyeilumi said.

Residents of Hogg Hummock, a tiny Gullah-Geechee community on Sapelo Island in Georgia, filed a lawsuit in October to halt a zoning law they say will raise taxes, forcing them to sell their homes. McIntosh County commissioners voted in September to double the size of houses allowed in the community, also known as Hog Hammock — a move locals believe will draw in wealthy outsiders who want to build vacation getaways. Only a few dozen Black residents still live in the enclave of modest homes along dirt roads.

“My ancestors were forced to work on that land, and then they fought for the right to have that land,” said 23-year-old Keara Skates, a descendant who spent her last birthday speaking against the zoning law alongside state legislators in Atlanta, the state capital. “Sapelo Island has historically never seen the level of growth that’s being proposed. Where does that leave the descendants?”

McIntosh County Commission Chairman David Stevens said the community's landscape is changing because some native owners have sold their property.

“I don’t need anybody to lecture me on the culture of Sapelo Island,” Stevens said, adding: “If you don’t want these outsiders, if you don’t want these new homes being built ... don’t sell your land.”

Research by Brookings Institution fellow Andre Perry finds that homes in majority Black neighborhoods are appraised at significantly lower values than homes in neighborhoods where Black people are the minority. Perry says that developers can buy these homes at lower costs and sell them for a much higher price.

“A lot of people will call that a major tool of gentrification,” said Perry. “The people who live in those areas may be priced out ultimately, and then the companies or individuals who purchase those properties get profit as a result.”

Attorney Rukaiyah Adams runs a nonprofit called “Rebuild Albina” based in Portland, Oregon. The organization aims to educate, invest and restore homeownership to Black people in an area that used to be a thriving Black neighborhood.

“We cannot continue to extract and exploit to the breaking point,” said Adams. “We’re trying to create a new model for what that might look like, how we might live together.”

In Florida, one of the first incorporated self-governing Black municipalities in the U.S. was Eatonville, established in 1887. Located just 24 miles (39 kilometers) north of Disney World, the key challenge for present-day residents is the Orange County Public School Board, which owns 100 acres (40 hectares) of property in the middle of town.

The land was once home to Robert Hungerford Normal and Industrial School, established in 1897 as a school for Black children. In 1951, it was sold to Orange County Public Schools.

In March, a private developer interested in building commercial, office and residential units on the land terminated a sales contract with the district after protest from residents.

The school system said in a statement in March that it wouldn’t consider any further bids for the land. The Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community has sued the school district to safeguard the land for educational purposes.

“There are four things that have kept Eatonville: its faith, its family, its education and its civic pride,” said NY Nathiri, a third-generation Eatonville resident and founder of the association.

Nathiri smiles as she reminisces about her idyllic childhood and her family’s history in the town — from her grandfather moving there at the beginning of the Great Depression, to her aunts’ close relationship with author Zora Neale Hurston.

Descendants of the community work to boost its economy and preserve the local heritage and culture, put on display at the town's annual ZORA! Festival.

“As long as you know your story, you know how to tell your story, and you are welcoming to people, they are going to spend money with you,” said Nathiri.

Back on Daufuskie Island, Robinson is working to restore 10 empty homes that used to be filled with her extended family. Her biggest challenge is finding people to help her write grants to help fund the restoration of her community.

“I’m not asking people to go out of pocket. I’ll just say help me understand the other methods of getting funds that are out there for you,” said Robinson.

Down the street from her grandmother's house, Robinson walks through Mary Field Cemetery where many of her relatives are buried and remembers what's possible.

“There goes my baby sister, my cousin Marvin. This is my great-grandfather,” Robinson said while pointing at headstones nestled between tall grass. “If something looked impossible, it wasn’t. They didn’t live like that. If it could be done, they made a way.”