In plenty of schools around the country, students have been reading the same books for decades. Besides being just plain boring, we can’t ignore that most of these books, which are often considered classics, don’t exactly reflect Black people’s lived experience in America.
Suggested Reading
Although some US schools are attempting to add diverse titles into the mix, conservatives are working overtime to ban books that talk about slavery or anything else that might make them feel uncomfortable.
And while you won’t catch us telling anyone to ban these books completely, we wanted to make an impassioned plea to educators to take another look at their required reading lists and add Octavia Butler and Zora Neale Hurston along with J.D. Salinger and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Check out our list of books we’d like to see more students read.
Instead of Reading “Little House on the Prairie”
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie,” based on her experience traveling west with her family in a covered wagon to settle in Kansas, is considered classic literature.
But the beloved novel contains racist portrayals of the Native Americans, who lived on that land long before these settlers “discovered” it, including a line in the book in which Wilder’s father says, “the only good Indian is a dead Indian.”
Read This Instead - “Brown Girl Dreaming”
“Brown Girl Dreaming” is Jacqueline Woodson’s National Book Award and Newbery Honor-winning memoir. The book tells the story of Woodson’s childhood, growing up Black in South Carolina and New York the 1960s and 70s through a series of emotional poems. Geared towards young readers ages 9 and up, it is a touching account of Woodson’s self-discovery during a critical time in Black history.
Instead of Reading “1984"
George Orwell’s novel “1984" is a pretty scary dystopian novel. It’s set in the future in the totalitarian society of Oceania, where an authoritarian government has its citizens completely brainwashed. But because it was published in 1949, there are no Black people in charge.
Read This Instead - “Parable of the Sower”
Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower was published in 1998, but so much of this sci fi novel set in 2024 feels right on time. After her family and home are destroyed, Lauren Olamina finds herself taking refuge in a northern California community meant for those fleeing the persecution of an ultra-conservative president who vows to “make America great again.”
Instead of Reading “To Kill a Mockingbird”
Harper Lee’s 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” has sold over 40 million copies and has been required reading in schools for years. Set in Alabama during the Depression, the book tells the story of Atticus Finch, a white lawyer who agrees to represent a Black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. But rather than getting the Black man’s perspective, the story is told through the eyes of Atticus’ daughter.
Read This Instead - “The Hate You Give”
Angie Thomas’ bestselling novel “The Hate U Give” is a frequent target of conservative book bans. This ripped from the headlines story follows a teenage girl who witnesses the death of her unarmed childhood friend at the hands of police.
Instead of Reading “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
In some circles, Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” is considered the Great American Novel. Huck, the main character, is a white boy who travels down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave while trying to escape his abusive father. But the book, which was originally published in the late 1800s, includes the use of the N-word over 200 times.
Read This Instead - “All American Boys”
“All American Boys” is the story of a young Black boy who is mistaken for a shoplifter. While the community is left bitterly divided, two teens – one Black and one white – struggle to deal with the consequences.
Instead of Reading “Black Like Me”
In “Black Like Me,” white journalist John Howard Griffin darkens his skin to see what it is like to live as a Black man in the Deep South during the 1950s. Although Griffin’s work usually manages to find its way onto lists of must-read books, the whole idea of a white man pretending to be Black just doesn’t sit well with us - even if he had the best intentions.
Read This Instead - “Invisible Man”
If you’re looking for a book about the what it’s like to be a Black man in America, shouldn’t it be written by a Black man in America?
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.
Or This - “Barracoon”
“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.
Instead of Your Boring History Book, Read This Instead - “Hidden Figures”
“Hidden Figures” is the extraordinary true story of a group of pioneering Black female mathematicians at NASA whose work during the 1960s helped send astronauts to space. These “human computers” were the definition of Black girl magic, playing a critical role in the space race, despite the racism and sexism they faced on a regular basis. The 2016 film, which is loosely based on the book, had an amazing all-star cast, including Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monáe, and earned Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer.
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