Black History Month: Teen Nonfiction

Updated February 3, 2026
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Trouble maker for justice : the story of Bayard Rustin, the man behind the March on Washington
Houtman, Jacqueline
Paper Book
Chosen a Best Children's Book of the Year by the Bank Street Center! Voted a Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews! A biography for younger readers about one of the most influential activists of our time, who was an early advocate for African Americans...
Overground railroad : the Green book and the roots of black travel in America
Taylor, Candacy A.
Paper Book
Overground Railroad chronicles the history of the Green Book, which was published from 1936 to 1966 and was the "Black travel guide to America." For years, it was dangerous for African Americans to travel in the United States. Because of segregation, Black travelers couldn't eat,...
Revolution in our time : the Black Panther Party's promise to the people
Magoon, Kekla
Paper Book
A National Book Award Finalist A Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor Book A Michael L. Printz Honor Book A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book With passion and precision, Kekla Magoon relays an essential account of the Black...
Black birds in the sky : the story and legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Colbert, Brandy
Paper Book
A searing new work of nonfiction from award-winning author Brandy Colbert about the history and legacy of one of the most deadly and destructive acts of racial violence in American history: the Tulsa Race Massacre. Winner, Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. In the early morning of June 1, 1921,...
Paul Robeson : no one can silence me : adapted for young adults
Duberman, Martin B.
Paper Book
The inspiring life and legacy of vocal artist and civil rights icon Paul Robeson--one of the most important public figures in the twentieth century--adapted for young adults by the acclaimed Robeson biographer "As an artist I come to sing, but as a citizen, I will always speak...
Singled out : the true story of Glenn Burke
Maraniss, Andrew
Paper Book
*" An excellent exercise in narrative nonfiction." --Booklist (starred review) From New York Times bestselling author Andrew Maraniss comes the remarkable true story of Glenn Burke, a "hidden figure" in the history of sports- the inventor of the high five and the first...
Race against time : the untold story of Scipio Jones and the battle to save twelve innocent men
Wallace, Sandra Neil
Paper Book
In this key civil rights and social justice book for young readers, Scipio Africanus Jones-a self-taught attorney who was born enslaved-leads a momentous series of court cases to save twelve Black men who'd been unjustly sentenced to death. In October 1919, a group of Black...
Separate no more : the long road to Brown v. Board of Education
Goldstone, Lawrence
Paper Book
Critically acclaimed author Lawrence Goldstone offers an affecting portrait of the road to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case, which significantly shaped the United States and effectively ended segregation. Since 1896, in the landmark outcome of Plessy v. Ferguson,...
Stamped : racism, antiracism, and you
Reynolds, Jason
Paper Book
Don't miss this "fresh and conversational" (TIME Magazine), "potent and provocative" (The San Francisco Chronicle), #1 New York Times bestselling exploration of racism--and antiracism--in America. ...
Unpunished murder : massacre at Colfax and the quest for justice
Goldstone, Lawrence
Paper Book
The riveting story of how the Supreme Court turned a blind eye on justice, stripped away the equal rights promised to all Americans, and ushered in the era of Jim Crow.On Easter Sunday of 1873, just eight years after the Civil War ended, a band of white supremacists marched into Grant Parish,...
Loving vs. Virginia : a documentary novel of the landmark civil rights case
Powell, Patricia Hruby
Audiobook
From acclaimed author Patricia Hruby Powell comes the story of a landmark civil rights case, told in spare and gorgeous verse. In 1955, in Caroline County, Virginia, amidst segregation and prejudice, injustice and cruelty, two teenagers fell in love. Their life together broke the law, but their...
In the shadow of Liberty : the hidden history of slavery, four presidents, and five black lives
Davis, Kenneth C.
Paper Book
Did you know that many of America's Founding Fathers--who fought for liberty and justice for all--were slave owners? Through the powerful stories of five enslaved people who were "owned" by four of our greatest presidents, this book helps set the record straight about the role...
The many faces of Josephine Baker : dancer, singer, activist, spy
Caravantes, Peggy
Ebook
A complete biographical look at the complex life of a world-famous entertainer   With determination and audacity, Josephine Baker turned her comic and musical abilities into becoming a worldwide icon of the Jazz Age. The Many Faces of Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer,...
Turning 15 on the road to freedom : my story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March
Lowery, Lynda Blackmon
Ebook
A memoir of the Civil Rights Movement from one of its youngest heroes A Sibert Informational Book Medal Honor Book Kirkus Best Books of 2015 Booklist Editors' Choice 2015 BCCB Blue Ribbon 2015 ...
The Port Chicago 50 : disaster, mutiny, and the fight for civil rights
Sheinkin, Steve.
Paper Book
An astonishing World War II military story of civil rights from New York Times bestselling author and Newbery Honor recipient Steve Sheinkin. A National Book Award Finalist A YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist A School Library Journal...
Courage has no color : the true story of the Triple Nickles : America's first Black paratroopers
Stone, Tanya Lee.
Paper Book
They became America's first black paratroopers. Why was their story never told? Sibert Medalist Tanya Lee Stone reveals the history of the Triple Nickles during World War II. World War II is raging, and thousands of American soldiers are fighting overseas against the injustices...
Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, written by himself : a new critical edition
Douglass, Frederick
Ebook
The "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" is an 1845 memoir of slavery and escape and a treatise on abolition written by the writer, orator and former slave Frederick Douglass. Describing in gripping detail the circumstances of his upbringing, his brutal treatment at the hands of slave...
Rosa Parks :
Parks, Rosa,
Paper Book
Rosa Parks is best known for the day she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. Yet there is much more to her story than this one act of defiance. In this straightforward, compelling autobiography, Rosa Parks talks candidly about the civil...
I know why the caged bird sings
Angelou, Maya.
Paper Book
Superbly told, with the poet's gift for language and observation, Angelou's autobiography of her childhood in Arkansas - a world of which most Americans are ignorant.

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