black books matter
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World STOP: Blue Ivy Carter Narrates Matthew Cherry’s Hair Love
In a role that couldn’t prove to be any more iconic, Blue Ivy Carter, aka Beyoncé’s firstborn and lowkey manager, is now the narrator for the audiobook adaptation of Matthew Cherry’s Oscar-winning short film, Hair Love. In an adorable 10-second audio-clip, Cherry shared the news via Twitter: Black Twitter, of course, was beyond excited: For…
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'You Cannot Do Anything Alone': Marley Dias Tells Us How She Gets It Done on The Root Presents It's Lit
When we grow up, we want to be like Marley Dias. At 15, the founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks—which she launched in 2015 at age 10—has already garnered worldwide acclaim and authored a book of her own in 2018: Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! In 2019, The Root honored her as one of our Young Futurists,…
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![Want to Own a Beloved Book? Toni Morrison's Book Collection Is for Sale [Updated]](https://www.theroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/t8tt5puuwwhmws1jq2d4-300x168.jpg)
Want to Own a Beloved Book? Toni Morrison's Book Collection Is for Sale [Updated]
If you’re an avid reader or writer, you might have three bucket-list-style ambitions in life: 1. to have your own library of over 1,000 books; 2. to write even one book as powerful as the several written by Toni Morrison; 3. to touch even one thing the Nobel and Pulitzer prize-winner touched, hoping an ounce…
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'We're Not Some New Anomaly': The Root Presents It's Lit Talks Purpose, Process and Pronouns With George M. Johnson
When The Root first spoke to George M. Johnson (one of our longtime contributors) just ahead of the release of their debut book, All Boy Aren’t Blue: A Memoir Manifesto, we had a feeling they were on the cusp of something groundbreaking. Borne from their own reflections on growing up without the language and representation…
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The 'Costumes' We Wear
It’s the time of year where I try to decipher whether I’d prefer to channel my inner pumpkin or Catwoman. It’s always one of the two. I’ve never tried to dress up as anything else for Halloween. Though I’m in complete awe of people who get really creative and can make costumes, I’ve never been…
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How Two Black Women Sidestepped Corporate America to Build a Fierce, All-Star Literary Agency
On the social media surface, the country is engaged in a big embrace of Blackness. Companies vowing to hire and advance more Black staff. Philanthropists pledging hefty donations to Black organizations. Editors making space for Black stories in mainstream, notoriously vanilla publications. After years under indictment for its willful whiteness and undermotivated diversification, the publishing…
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8 New Books to Pick Up for Kids and Young Adults (and Less Young Adults Who Like Young Adult Books)
It’s no secret that in recent years, the Young Adult—or “YA”—book category has been booming. But not everyone who browses young adult books is making a purchase for the teen or tween in their life. Half of these titles—some available for pre-order, some already on sale—are as excellent as reading choices for folks over 18…
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For Literature-Loving Black Women, Online Book Clubs Have Lessened the Social Distance
If there was ever a time to cocoon yourself in the escapism and solace of books, it’s been this three-quarter year pandemic. We’ve had more unscheduled free time available for reading, a hobby that gets so easily de-prioritized in our gotta-be-here, need-to-do-that schedules, and in a presidency and COVID-embattled year that feel more sci-fi than…