Black History Month is upon us once again! For those who are unaware, Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements of African Americans and a recognition of the central role of Black people in the history of the United States. This tradition spread to Canada shortly after its conception in the US in 1926, though at that time it was merely a week-long event, expanding to a month in 1976.
Unfortunately, this month it is not met with enough attention as it should be. As argued each year, Black History should not be a topic left to only one month of the year. However, a dedicated month gives one time to reflect on the habits of the year that make it so Black History is neglected throughout the rest of the year.
This year in particularly had me thinking of the absence of proper recognition and acknowledgments of the achievements of Black writers. From academic reading lists, that heavily feature dead white men, to the Top Read tables at your closest booksellers that tend to hold only a few token Black writers, there is a sore lack of Black authors in circulation, which led to the inspiration for this post.
For the month of February, I propose that all readers challenge themselves to only read books by Black authors. Expand your readership and challenge yourself by deliberately tailoring your reading list to the circumstances around you. And in order to get you started, I present a reading list of my 10 favourite reads to get you started:
Disclaimer: Though Black History Month has historically been about African American and Canadian Americans, I have taken the liberty to expand my reading list to authors from outside North America.
- Beloved (1987) by Toni Morrison
A personal favourite of mine, and one of the sources for my Masters Dissertation, this dark tale was inspired by the tale of Margret Garner, an African American woman who escaped slavery but at a heavy cost. The novel seems to have everything from romance, to mystery, family and friendship and just a touch of the supernatural. Morrison carves out a heart wrenchingly graphic picture of slavery in the years following the American Civil War. Morrison’s interesting use of magical realism to explore the trauma brought about by slavery tiptoes between the realms of emotion and language to transcribe trauma authentically. It deserves pointing out that this is by no means an easy read. Nevertheless, extremely powerful, beautifully written and a necessary reminder of the brutality of racism and discrimination.
- Americanah (2013) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Americanah has received great fan-fare since its publication. It is the tale of a Nigerian woman who moves to America to study at an American university and only returns to Nigeria many years later. Ngozi Adichie beautifully navigates the difficulties of non-American Africans in the US returning to their homelands after spending many years attempting to fit in as an African American in the US. This very specific complex situation is humorous and heartbreaking all at once and deserves immense praise.
- Nervous Conditions (1988) by Tsitsi Dangarembga
A bildungsroman, this novel set in Zimbabwe explores the difficulty of combining Western cultures with local ones. The novel’s protagonist, Tambu, must fight throughout the story to balance her desire for education and her respect for tradition and culture which are challenged by the presence of her Westernized cousin Nyasha. Nervous Conditions presents an insight into the consequences of colonial rule and the impossible burden of having to give up one’s ideals and identity in the name of tradition. If you are anything like me, the end of this book came way too quickly. But do not fret – there is a sequel!
- Swing Time (2016) by Zadie Smith
The most recent novel on this list, this incredibly gripping bildungsroman of two best friends in London, Swing Time engages with race, class and gender all in one novel. The story traces its characters throughout their lives as they chase their dreams of leaving the poor neighbourhoods they come from. However, Smith causes the reader to question whether leaving behind where we came from is a good enough standard for success. It was one of those novels that I immediately wished I could see a movie adaptation for. However, though it will undoubtedly make a wonderful movie, it is through the power of language that Smith’s novel and the story she writes for her characters, that makes it so addictive.
- Annie Allen (1949) by Gwendolyn Brooks
Though an avid reader myself, one of things I find the most difficult is diversifying the forms of literature I read. Particularly, I find myself rarely reaching for poetry. However, it would be criminal to leave out Gwendolyn Brooks from this list. Though made up on numerous poems, some shorter, others longer, Annie Allen (1949) traces the life of a Black girl, documenting her growth into adulthood. The first African American author to win the Pulitzer Prize for Annie Allen, Brooks’ work is a wonderful foray into the struggles of ordinary people, particularly of those within her own community and the Black urban poor.
- Giovanni’s Room (1956) by James Baldwin
James Baldwin’s success is often associated with his first novel, Go Tell it on The Mountain. However, it is his second novel Giovanni’s Room that I find an essential read. Aside from the question of racial acceptance, Baldwin brings into the core of the novel the issue of homosexuality and bisexuality. The novel follows American man, David, throughout his life and his encounters with other men, particularly Giovanni, though David maintains that he will marry his girlfriend, repressing his sexual desires for other men. This exploration of race and sexuality within the novel present a unique study into the complexity and effect of simultaneous dual oppressions in one’s life.
- A Brief History of Seven Killings (2014) by Marlon James
Winner of the 2015 Man Booker Prize, James’ third novel follows the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in Jamaica 1976. Perfectly replicating the Jamaican patois, the dialect and the language make this novel all the more gripping as it spans multiple decades of political history. Each character’s voice is unique and serves to further paint the world that James has created. Though at times graphic and frequently violent, this novel is poignant in its demonstration of just how the ghetto can determine the outcome of a single man, or an entire family’s values and fortunes.
- Things Fall Apart (1958) by Chinua Achebe
Another Nigerian writer on this list, the novel focuses on what Nigeria looked like prior to and after colonial life during the nineteenth-century. Following Okonkwo, and Ibo leader, the novel describes how the influence of British colonialism and the introduction of Western faiths, specifically Christianity, have serious consequences for Nigerian traditions and customs. Achebe’s novels have been fundamental in the historic fight against unfair representation of Africans as savages by European writers, instead depicting the culture and rituals, which were essential to African way of life being lost at the order of European colonisers.
- Black Skins, White Masks (1952) by Franz Fanon
Essential to this list is some non-fiction, and what would a list of Black authors be without the inclusion of Franz Fanon. Originally written in French, the book describes the very real dehumanizing effects of racism during colonial rule. Fanon includes his own experiences as he navigates the theoretical and psychological consequences of Blackness under a discriminatory system. Whether or not you agree with his findings, Fanon is a necessary inclusion to any study of race theory.
- Black Looks: Race and Representation (1992) by bell hooks
Black Looks is a great contemporary continuation of Fanon’s explorations of Blackness. hooks argues for the development of new ways of looking at Blackness, specifically in realms of music, film and television, reasoning that spectatorship of Blackness is complicit in the ways we understand and therefore talk and think about race.
Hopefully, this list provides a good start to including more Black authors in your personal libraries! Enjoy!
– S –
