Discover, Reflect, and Celebrate: Black History Month Reads
Celebrate Black History Month with a dynamic reading list for all ages, highlighting voices, stories, and legacies that continue to shape our world. From powerful biographies to engaging fiction and children's books, these titles highlight themes of justice, identity, resilience, and joy. Visit our Recommendations page for more trusted guidance on your next great read.
Adult Fiction
All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore
This rich debut follows the intersecting lives of three Black women in 1837 Philadelphia on the cusp of the Abolitionist movement finding a solid foundation in the city.
Colored Television by Danzy Senna
A disillusioned mixed-race novelist and writing professor tries her hand at tv writing, successfully pitching a biracial comedy show, but landing in the deep end in Hollywood.
Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton
This gothic thriller (with a touch of horror) connects a modern writer, a Harlem Renaissance artist, and a haunting portrait. The story is loosely based on the controlling relationship between arts patron Charlotte Mason and her beneficiary Zora Neale Hurston.
The Fallen Fruit by Shawntelle Madison
Time travel and the multigenerational history of an African American family in Virginia combine in this intriguing story that might interest fans of Octavia E. Butler and Gabriel García Márquez alike.
The Unexpected Diva by Tiffany L. Warren
The story of real-life three octave virtuosa Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, who was born into slavery and rose to be a more gifted contemporary of Jenny Lind, performing in America and Europe including a command performance for Queen Victoria in 1854.
Unicorn Woman by Gayl Jones
This story follows the life of World War II veteran Buddy Ray Guy as he returns from Europe in the 1950s in search of something more in life but forced to navigate the Jim Crow South.
Adult Non-Fiction
Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience from the First African American Rockette by Jennifer Jones
Becoming Spectacular tells Jennifer Jones’ story of bravery, perseverance, and barrier-breaking in her life and career including her 1987 debut as the first Black dancer in the Radio City Rockettes.
Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry
Imani Perry, the National Book Award-winning author of South to America writes lyrically about Black identity and its connection with the color blue, weaving together history, literature, spirituality, plants, art, and music.
Blk Mkt Vintage: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities that Tell Black Stories by Kiyanna Stewart
Jannah Handy and Kiyanna Stewart, owners of Brooklyn-based Blk Mkt Vintage engage readers and potential collectors with stories, interviews, and over 300 photographs of vintage ephemera celebrating the cultural heritage of Black America through reclaimed objects.
The Containment: Detroit, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for Racial Justice in the North by Michelle Adams
In The Containment University of Michigan legal scholar Michelle Adams writes about the struggle for school integration in Detroit. Adams examines the history of Milliken v. Bradley, and its impact on the desegregation effort, as well as the connection between housing and school segregation.
Joy Is the Justice We Give Ourselves by J. Drew Lanham
Wildlife Biology Professor, birder, and poet J. Drew Lanham revisits some of the themes from his acclaimed memoir The Home Place in this work of poetry and prose about unrest, injustice, and division in the midst of the beauty and joy of the natural world.
A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune by Noliwe Rooks
Brown University Africana Studies Professor Noliwe Rooks brings the work and legacy of Mary MacLeod Bethune to life for readers in this biography and illuminates how this legendary civil rights icon can inspire and empower us today.
The Stained Glass Window: A Family History as the American Story, 1790-1958 by David Levering Lewis
David Levering Lewis, multi-Pulitzer prize-winning biographer of W.E.B. DuBois, turns his research focus to excavating the complicated history of his own family, including ancestors who were white slaveholders, those who were free persons of color slaveholders, and others who were formerly enslaved.
Children and Teen
How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith Jr.
Spoken-word artist and poet Tony Keith Jr., brilliantly writes and performs his verse memoir tracing his journey from being a closeted gay Black teen to finding freedom in poetry. Winner of the 2025 American Library Association’s Odyssey Award for young adults.
Inside the Park by Andrea Williams
After a 12-year-old baseball player and his dog get unexpectedly locked in a stadium overnight, an action-packed adventure ensues when brutes break in to cause trouble for the home team. This funny family story emits a Home Alone film vibe while referencing Negro Baseball League facts.
Make a Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins-The First Lady of Children’s Music by Traci N. Todd
Legendary children’s musician Ella Jenkins is honored in this picture book biography by detailing her musical influences and interest in civil rights. Jenkins is credited with launching the field of children’s music by empowering others to “make a happy sound.”
The Queen’s Spade by Sarah Raughley
This teen historical thriller tells the story of Princess Omoba Ina, taken from West Africa and given to Queen Victoria as a gift in 1850. Suffering a lifetime of racist ideology, Ina plots her revenge in this striking censure of colonialism. Inspired by real events and people.
Tangleroot by Kalela Williams
A plantation house in Virginia is the setting for this fascinating mystery when a teen stumbles upon a gravestone bearing her name. This gripping tale includes discussion of rape culture.
When Alexander Graced the Table by Alexander Smalls
Alexander Smalls, a James Beard Award-winning chef, pays homage to Sunday dinner in this picture book bursting with food joy and family devotion. Includes a lemon icebox pie recipe.
When I Hear Spirituals by Cheryl Willis Hudson
This picture book chronicles the history of African American spirituals by pairing rhythmic text with cut paper illustrations. Backmatter gives further meaning to this enduring American art form.