Black Voices & Culture: Non-Fiction Books for Adults

Explore our curated list of non-fiction books by Black and African American voices in celebration of Black History Month.

Updated December 22, 2024
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The Black utopians : searching for paradise and the Promised Land in America
Robertson, Aaron
Paper Book
One of The New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2024 One of the Washington Post's 50 Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 A New York Public Library Top Ten Book of 2024 | A Boston Globe Best Book of 2024 A New Republic Best Book of...
The healing tree : botanicals, remedies, and rituals from African folk traditions
Bird, Stephanie Rose
Paper Book
"A beautiful blend of folklore, botanical science, acquired wisdom, and spiritual guidance." --from the foreword by Luisah Teish   "If you want to learn about the reciprocal spiritual connection between humans and trees, you're going to love this...
Resist : how a century of young Black activists shaped America
Omokha, Rita
Paper Book
What do the struggles of the past teach us about the urgent challenges in our own time? Resist chronicles the inspiring story of young Black activists who have fought tirelessly at the helm for justice over the last century, from the 1920s to the Trayvon generation--how they reshaped...
Gather me : a memoir in praise of the books that saved me
Edim, Glory
Paper Book
A "dramatic [and] ingeniously crafted" (Los Angeles Times) memoir of family, community, and resilience, and an ode to the power of books to help us understand ourselves, from the renowned founder of Well-Read Black Girl. "A beautiful portrait of a full life that...
Magically Black and other essays
Walker, Jerald
Paper Book
In this engaging follow up to How to Make a Slave and Other Essays, the recipient of PEN New England Award for nonfiction and finalist for the National Book Award sharply examines and explains Black life and culture with equal parts candor and humor. In Magically Black and...
The Black box : writing the race
Gates, Henry Louis, Jr.
Paper Book
A New York Times Notable Book "Henry Louis Gates is a national treasure. Here, he returns with an intellectual and at times deeply personal meditation on the hard-fought evolution and the very meaning of African American identity, calling upon our country to transcend its...
This is the honey : an anthology of contemporary Black poets
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
A breathtaking poetry collection on hope, heart, and heritage from the most prominent and promising Black poets and writers of our time, edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander. In this comprehensive and vibrant poetry anthology,...
Night flyer : Harriet Tubman and the faith dreams of a free people
Miles, Tiya
Paper Book
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography * A Washington Post Notable Book * One of Smithsonian Magazine's Ten Best History Books of the Year "Though broad strokes of Tubman's story are widely known, Miles probes deeper, examining her inner life,...
Of greed and glory : in pursuit of freedom for all
Plant, Deborah G.
Paper Book
A ground-breaking, personal exploration of America's obsession with continuing human bondage from the editor of the New York Times-bestselling Barracoon. Freedom and equality are the watchwords of American democracy. But like justice, freedom and equality are meaningless when...
Madness : race and insanity in a Jim Crow asylum
Hylton, Antonia
Paper Book
A New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2024 * A New Yorker Best Book of 2024 New York Times Bestseller * USA Today Bestseller Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Books of the Year *...
The barn : the secret history of a murder in Mississippi
Thompson, Wright
Paper Book
The instant New York Times bestseller * Named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, Slate, Vanity Fair, TIME, Buzzfeed, Smithsonian, BookPage, KCUR, Kirkus, and Boston Globe "It literally changed...
Medgar & Myrlie : Medgar Evers and the love story that awakened America
Reid, Joy-Ann
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller "Medgar Evers deserves a place alongside Malcolm X and Dr. King in our historical memory. Evers, with Myrlie as his partner in activism and in life, was doing civil rights work in the single most hostile and dangerous environment in America."--from Medgar...
The message
Coates, Ta-Nehisi
Paper Book
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The renowned author of Between the World and Me journeys to three resonant sites of conflict to explore how the stories we tell--and the ones we don't--shape our realities. "Ta-Nehisi Coates always writes with a...
The road is good : how a mother's strength became a daughter's purpose
Aduba, Uzo
Paper Book
A powerful, timely memoir of Black immigrant identity, the story of an unforgettable matriarch, and a unique coming-of-age story by Nigerian American actress Uzo Aduba. The actress Uzo Aduba came of age grappling with a master juggling act: as one of few Black families in...

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