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 23, 2025
L
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Happy Valley Library
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My black country : a journey through country music's black past, present, and future
Randall, Alice
Paper Book
Alice Randall, award-winning professor, songwriter, and author presents "a celebration of all things country music" (Ken Burns) as she reflects on her search for the first family of Black country music. Country music had brought Alice Randall and her activist mother together and...
Black in blues : how a color tells the story of my people
Perry, Imani
Paper Book
A "vast, multifaceted and enchanting" (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) meditation on the color blue and its fascinating role in Black history and culture, from National Book Award winner Imani Perry, "the most important interpreter of Black life in our time" (Eddie S. Glaude, Jr.) Throughout...
Positive obsession : the life and times of Octavia E. Butler
Morris, Susana M.
Paper Book
A magnificent cultural biography that charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work.  As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia...
Baldwin : a love story
Boggs, Nicholas
Paper Book
A TIME TOP 10 BOOK OF 2025 AN ATLANTIC TOP 10 BOOK OF 2025 A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2025 AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST FOR THE NBCC JOHN LEONARD PRIZE ...
Marsha : the joy and defiance of Marsha P. Johnson
Tourmaline
Paper Book
'Thank god the revolution has begun, honey.' Rumour has it that after legendary Black transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson threw the first brick in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, she picked up a shard of broken mirror to fix her make-up. This fearless moment embodies both the beauty and violence of...
107 days
Harris, Kamala
Paper Book
For the first time, and with surprising and revealing insights, former Vice President Kamala Harris tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history. Your Secret Service code name is Pioneer. You are the first woman...
I'm that girl : living the power of my dreams
Chiles, Jordan
Ebook
Uncommon favor : basketball, North Philly, my mother, and the lessons I learned from all three
Staley, Dawn
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER For the first time, Dawn Staley shares powerful and inspiring stories that have shaped her journey on and off the court. A three-time Olympic gold medalist, six-time WNBA All-Star, and the first person to win the...

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