9 Books to Read During Black History Month and Beyond

Photo by Alexandra Fuller on Unsplash

Informed by Black history, knowledge, and perspectives, these books equip readers with the tools to forge a safe and joyous future for Black people of all ages, abilities, genders, and sexualities.

Come Out the Wilderness by Estella Conwill Májozo

"Come Out the Wilderness is a soul-stirring, beautifully crafted litany of prose, interspersed with poetic phrases."

—The Courier-Journal

This layered memoir intertwines the personal and political to implicate the systems that repress the creativity of Black women. Oppressive roots of religion, academia, government, and marriage are examined as Estella Conwill Májozo guides readers through her life—beginning in segregated Louisville, Kentucky. Májozo writes poignantly about her experiences with racism, sexism, and feelings of otherness while considering the origins of her artistic sensibilities.

Fat Off, Fat On by Clarkisha Kent

“Fat Off, Fat On: A Big Bitch Manifesto is funny and smart as hell. Kent’s personal story is steeped in an incisive analysis of fatphobia, misogynoir, colorism, racism, sexism, and ableism. As always, listen to Black women, especially Clarkisha Kent.” 

—Alice Wong, author of Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life

With supreme humor and wit, Clarkisha Kent dissects the ways in which Black women have been, and continue to be, harmed and punished by a society that worships those who are white, thin, and explicitly heterosexual. While critiquing the pervasive nature of systemic fatphobia and the way this bias intensifies racism and sexism, this debut memoir directly rejects respectability politics and embraces self-love, joy, and freedom. 

Parenting for Liberation by Trina Greene Brown

"Trina Greene Brown’s Parenting for Liberation allows all of us to raise Black children to be their most liberated selves, and ultimately helps us be more free too.” 

—Mia Birdsong, author of How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community

Raising Black children within the confines of our volatile, highly prejudiced society has always been a struggle. The wellbeing of Black children is often put at risk by a myriad of threats—both physical and emotional. Trina Greene Brown’s Parenting for Liberation, seeks to alleviate the fear that many Black parents might feel on a day-to-day basis, empowering them to raise fearless, joyful children in the midst of discrimination and racialized violence. 

Since I Laid My Burden Down by Brontez Purnell

“Since I Laid My Burden Down has a fearless (sometimes reckless) humor as Brontez Purnell interrogates what it means to be black, male, queer; a son, an uncle, a lover; Southern, punk, and human. An emotional tightrope walk of a book and an important American story rarely, if ever, told.” 

—Michelle Tea, author of Little F

Throughout history, the depiction of Black people as a stagnant, uncomplicated monolith has contributed to dehumanization and abuse. In Since I Laid My Burden Down, Brontez Purnell shatters this lens, allowing DeShawn—the novel’s main character—to embody complications, unknowns, and intersecting identities. The result is a complex depiction of memory and life as a Black, queer man in the South.

The Crunk Feminist Collection edited by Brittney C. Cooper, Susana M. Morris, and Robin M. Boylorn

"The pieces made me laugh from my gut, cry for hours, and really reckon with the fact that there will be no freedom, no liberation, no American deliverance without a wholehearted embrace of crunk feminist consciousness. One of the most important books I have ever read." 

—Kiese Laymon, author of Long Division

This essay collection is a deeply relevant exploration of the intersections between social issues and pop culture. Politics seep into every aspect of the lives of Black women, causing relationships to entertainment and community to feel fraught and isolating. The pieces in The Crunk Feminist Collection are nuanced and precise—they build toward a collective consciousness that decries patriarchy and celebrates sisterhood. 

The War Before by Safiya Bukhari, edited by Laura Whitehorn

"There are speeches about political prisoners in the United States and memories of Safiya Bukhari's life in the BPP. Together, the sum is considerably greater than the parts. Like a well-composed musical tone poem, the reader leaves this book with a sense of understanding and fulfillment…" 

—CounterPunch

The War Before follows Safiya Bukhari’s journey as a member of the Black Panther Party. A lifelong activist, Bukhari discusses political imprisonment, the hardship that accompanies tireless advocacy, and the roots of sexism within the Black community. This stunning memoir continues to feel necessary and relevant as the struggle for liberation continues. 

I Still Believe Anita Hill edited by Amy Richards and Cynthia Greenberg

“. . .These timely essays show us how those historic hearings brought sexual harassment (especially in the workplace) into the public eye, while also revealing what still hasn’t changed, and reminding us of the intersection of race, class, gender, and power that underlies this contentious issue.” 

—Publishers Weekly

In 1991, Anita Hill courageously testified in front the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee after being sexually harassed by Clarence Thomas, a current Supreme Court associate justice. Hill was shamed and doubted by the public and her peers, but her bravery shed light on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace and the lengths institutions will go to protect the legacies of predatory men. I Still Believe Anita Hill is a collection of essays that honor Hill’s impact and analyze the structures of politics, race, and gender that permit abuses of power. 

Training School for Negro Girls by Camille Acker

“Equal parts funny, poignant, stirring and heartbreaking. . .This book is our collective coming-of-age story—and it’s about time. The variety of characters and experiences makes Training School required reading for your favorite Black girl.” 

—Essence

In this collection of stories about gentrification, respectability politics, and the struggles of being Black and female in the United States, characters are forced to carve out space for themselves within a society that possesses little regard for their wellbeing. Camille Acker’s debut emphasizes the importance of Black women remaining true to themselves amidst demands of conformity. 

Wrong Is Not My Name by Erica N. Cardwell

“In interconnected essays, Cardwell celebrates the brilliant Black women who use art and storytelling to claim their place in the world.” 

—The Millions

In the tradition of other Black women artists, Erica N. Cardwell discusses art as a means of communication with ancestors and construction of radical, alternative lives. Wrong Is Not My Name examines archetypes that have been historically applied to Black women as a method for thinking about art. Legacy, grief, and inheritance are at the center of this hybrid memoir about creation and storytelling.