With Donald Trump 2.0 in the White House, Black people are already thinking about how his policies will impact our communities. We’ve already seen a rise in book bans and challenges across the country and attempts to revise the Black history curriculum to remove anything that might make white students feel “guilt, anguish or other psychological distress” (you know, like slavery).
Suggested Reading
Now, with the help of a Republican-controlled Congress and a conservative majority on the United States Supreme Court, there could potentially be no checks on what Donald Trump and his conservative allies may try to push through.
But while your kids’ schools might not be teaching the things you think they should learn, you can do your part at home to make sure they have access to books that teach them about their history and instill pride in who they are.
We’ve rounded up a list of books Black people need to have in their homes – before it’s too late.
“Monday’s Not Coming” by Tiffany D. Jackson
“Monday’s Not Coming” is a gripping YA novel from Tiffany D. Jackson. After spending the summer in Georgia with her grandmother, Claudia is worried when she comes back to school and her friend Monday isn’t there. When weeks go by and she can’t get a straight answer from Monday’s family, Claudia decides to go on her own search for the truth and is surprised by what she finds out.
“Say Her Name: Poems to Empower” by Zetta Elliott
“Say Her Name” is a collection of poetry from Zetta Elliot that honor Black women and girls – from those who have been victims of police brutality to the activists who are fighting to impact change.
“The Hill We Climb: An Inagural Poem for the Country” by Amanda Gorman
When Amanda Gorman read “The Hill We Climb” at President Joe Biden’s inauguration, she meant to inspire hope to all Americans. She said in a tweet that she wrote the poem “so that all young people could see themselves in a historical moment.”
But in 2023, a parent in a Miami-area school complained the poem, written by the youngest poet to read at a presidential inauguration, contained “indirect hate speech” and that it would “cause confusion and indoctrinate children.” As a result, access to the poem is restricted to middle school students.
“American Street” by Ibi Zoboi
“American Street” is a beautiful coming of age novel about a Haitian immigrant who trying to navigate life in Detroit with extended family after her mother was detained by immigration during their journey. The book was a National Book Award finalist, but it was challenged in an Illinois school district in 2023 because it includes profanity.
“The Hate You Give” by Angie Thomas
To say that Angie Thomas’ YA novel, “The Hate You Give,” was a success would be a massive understatement. It held a place on The New York Times bestseller list for 50 weeks, received a Coretta Scott King Book Award and was adapted into a feature film. But it also was the target of a whole lot of conservatives who looked to ban the book for violence, profanity and being anti-law enforcement. The novel, inspired by the Black Lives Matter Movement, centers around a teenage girl who witnesses one of her childhood friends being shot by police.
“The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” is a classic piece of American literature and a work that solidified her place as one of our most beloved authors. But the novel is also heavily targeted by those who accuse the book of including offensive language and sexually explicit content. The book is consistently included on the American Library Association’s (ALA) annual list of the most challenged books.
“The New Kid” by Jerry Craft
“The New Kid” is a bestselling graphic novel for children. Author-illustrator Jerry Craft based the story on his own experience as a Black kit attending a predominately white school in New York City. But a public school district in Texas decided that it promoted Critical Race Theory and Marxism and voted to remove it from their library shelves.
“Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present” by Jamia Wilson
Who knows what history lessons will be like in American schools if conservative lawmakers try to whitewash the curriculum? “Young, Gifted and Black” is a compilation of easy-to-digest biographies of African Americans who have made a significant impact on history, including Nelson Mandela, Shirley Chisholm and Mae Jemison geared towards readers between grades 2 and 8.
“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
“Things Fall Apart” centers around the reality of life in Nigeria during the turn of the twentieth century and the impact of colonization by the British. Since publication, the book has sold 20 million copies sold has been translated into 57 languages, Former President Barack Obama called it “a true classic of world literature.” But in 2012, it was added to the list of books challenged by Texas schools because of the way it depicts the consequences of colonialism.
“Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
“Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi found it’s way on to the ALA’s top 10 most challenged book list in 2020 because of statement the author made in public. It was also hit with claims that it contains “selective storytelling incidents” and isn’t inclusive of racism against all people.
“Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” by Derrick Barnes
“Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” isn’t a target of book banners, but it is a great book for parents of young readers to have in their home library. Derrick Barnes’ rhythmic picture book explains the magic of the Black barbershop, and how a fresh cut can make almost anything better.
“You’re a star, a brilliant blazing star. Not the kind that you’ll find on a sidewalk in Hollywood. Nope. They’re going to have to wear shades when they look up to catch your shine,” he writes.
“This is Your Time” by Ruby Bridges
If there’s one thing conservatives don’t like, it’s kids learning about racial injustice. And that’s why “This is Your Time,” made a list of books Texas lawmakers targeted for investigation in 2021. At age six, Ruby Bridges made history, as the first Black child to integrate an all-white public elementary school in New Orleans. In the book, she recalls her experience for young readers and leaves them with a message of hope.
“I Am Enough” by Grace Byers
“Harlem” star Grace Byers’ New York Times bestseller “I Am Enough” is a beautiful picture book written to instill confidence and pride in young readers ages 3 to 7. “Like the bird, I’m here to fly and soar high over everything,” she writes.
“Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison
Ralph Ellison’s 1952 novel “Invisible Man” tells the story of a young college-educated Black man who is struggling to find his identity. The narrator is purposely nameless to emphasize the experience of being a Black man in America. The book caused controversy in a Washington school district in 1994 after parents raised concerns about violence and profanity included in the book.
“Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968” by Alice Faye Duncan
“Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop” tells the story of a young girl whose father participated in the Memphis sanitation worker’s strike in 1968 and how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. helped advance their cause. The strike was led by Black sanitation workers fighting for higher pay and safer working conditions after two Black workers were killed by unsafe equipment.
“Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race” by Margot Lee Shetterly
It’s never too early to start teaching your kids about the amazing contributions Black people have made everywhere. “Hidden Figures” in the inspiring true story of four Black female mathematicians whose work at NASA helped launch men into space.
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” is Maya Angelou’s first memoir. In the book, she writes beautifully about her childhood after being sent to live with her grandmother in a small town in the South. Angelou shares personal stories, including those of her abuse at the hands of an older man. Although the book is autobiographical, it stays on the banned book lists that accuse it of being anti-white and including sexually explicit content.
“Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston’s “There Eyes Were Watching God” is a classic piece of American literature and a powerful love story. The book was challenged by a school district in Virginia in 1997 by a parent who took issue with the book’s “language and sexual explicitness.”
“The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto” by Charles Blow
The COVID pandemic and the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd inspired journalist and author Charles Blow to write “The Devil You Know,” a book that calls on African Americans to consider another Great Migration from the North to Republican-held states in the South in order to have a greater impact on the country’s elections.
The book was the inspiration for the HBO documentary, “South to Black Power.” In light of the recent election results, this book is definitely worth a read.
“The Moment” by Bakari Sellers
Shortly after the George Floyd’s killing, Bakari Sellers was set to talk about it on CNN, but he became so emotional that it was hard for him to speak. After catching his breath, his eloquent and heart-felt comments got us all choked up. That specific moment did not only go viral, it was heard across the world and set the stage in his new book for smart conversations and narratives on why we must stay informed with the past, alert about the present and prepared to create our own future. In the “The Moment,” Sellers writes about the real impact of government policies and how disparities in everything from healthcare to education to policing affect the Black community.
“Barracoon” by Zora Neale Hurston
“Barracoon” is Zora Neale Hurston’s powerful conversation with 86-year-old Cujo Lewis, one of the last-known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade. Hurston writes about her 1927 trip to Plateau, Alabama to hear Lewis’ first-hand account of his experience being captured in Africa and brought to America as a slave fifty years after slavery was outlawed in the United States.
“The 1619 Project” by Nikole Hannah Jones
“The 1619 Project” is a frequent target of book bans and challenges around the country. But Nikole Hannah-Jones’ bestselling book should be required reading for every American. The book beautifully examines the impact of slavery on every aspect of today’s America.
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