As we continue our commemoration of Black History Month, our collections team has curated lists of books for all ages that highlight the voices, stories, experiences and contributions of Black Americans throughout our nation’s history.
Reading diverse books is a great way to educate yourself and expand your knowledge. Dive into these books to enrich your understanding of the Black experience, including the struggles, discrimination, heritage, culture, and triumphs.
Discover all the ways that you can celebrate Black History Month through the library HERE.
Adult Books
A captivating introduction to the key milestones in Black History, culture and society across the globe — from the ancient worlds to the present. Part of the Big Ideas series, this books takes a visual approach to Black history, packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts.
South to America by Imani Perry
An essential journey through the history, rituals and landscapes of the American South. This is the story of a Black woman returning to the region she has always called home and considering it with fresh eyes.
The Black Church by Henry Louis Gates
A powerful history of the Black church as a foundation of Black life and a driving force in the larger freedom struggle in America. Gates offers a new understanding of the importance of Black religion as a center of resistance to oppression, a magnet for political mobilization, an incubator of musical talent, and a crucible for working through social issues.
Young Adult
Opening My Eyes Underwater by Ashley Woodfolk
A collection of essays inspired by the life and quotations of former first lady Michelle Obama about experiences of bullying, heartbreak, racism and confidence.
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
Presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman explores history, language, identity and erasure through a collage of poems that harness the grief of a global pandemic.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate You Give in this award-winning and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.
Childrens Books
Black Trailblazers by Bijan Bayne
Thirty mini biographies of Black thinkers, activists, and innovators, such as James Baldwin, Nina Simone and Thurgood Marshall, highlighting their work to make the world a better place.
A Library by Nikki Giovanni
World-renowned poet Nikki Giovanni and artist Erin Robinson craft an ode to the magic of a library as a place not only for knowledge but also for imagination, exploration, and escape.
A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks
A coming-of-age story that follows 12-year-old Joy, whose family must move into an apartment after her family is laid off from his job, as she starts a new school, makes new friends, navigates sibling rivalry, and discovers how financial strain can burden families.
Books in Spanish
Los Chicos Fantasmas by Jewell Parker-Rhodes
Jerome, de doce años, es la más reciente víctima, asesinada por un policía blanco que confunde su pistola de juguete con una amenaza. Como fantasma, él observa la devastación que se ha desatado en su familia y comunidad a raíz de lo que ven como un asesinato injusto y brutal.
Mi país se desvanece by Bakari Sellers
En estas memorias, el analista político y representante de estado más joven de Carolina del Sur ahonda sobre las vidas del olvidado sur negro. Bakari Sellers nos permite presenciar las vidas y luchas cotidianas de la población afroamericana rural del sur de los Estados Unidos a través de tanto sus vivencias como anécdotas históricas y políticas.
English