Black History Month

February is Black History Month, a time dedicated to honoring the history, achievements, and contributions of Black people. Enjoy these recently published fiction and nonfiction titles featuring Black achievement, history, biographies, Black authors and characters.

Updated February 5, 2026
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
How sweet the sound
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
Featuring artists ranging from Miles Davis to Kendrick Lamar, dive into this stunningly illustrated celebration of the history of Black music in America by the award-winning author of The Undefeated. Listen to the sound of...
Harlem Rhapsody
Murray, Victoria Christopher.
Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR! "A gripping narrative, don't miss this historical fiction about the woman who kicked off the Harlem Renaissance."--People Magazine "A page turner and history lesson at once, Harlem Rhapsody reminds us that our...
Overlooked Milestones of Black History (from the Archives)
Hinton, Kaavonia
Paper Book
A perfect book for young readers to discover lesser-known events that have shaped Black history in the United States. The Stono Rebellion of enslaved people in 1739. Harriet Tubman's Combahee River raid in 1863. The Biloxi Wade-in to desegregate beaches in 1959. Throughout history, Black...
When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy
Montgomery, Beronda L
Paper Book
This stunning cultural and personal reclamation of Black history and Black botanical mastery offers up lessons from the natural world shared through the stories of long-lived trees. The histories of trees in America are also the histories of Black Americans. Pecan trees were...
A short history of Black craft in ten objects
Awake, Robell
Paper Book
Ten beautifully illustrated essays tell the stories of handcrafted objects and their makers, providing inspiration and insight into Black history and craftsmanship. Black artisans have long been central to American art and design, creating innovative and highly...
The swans of Harlem : five Black ballerinas, a legacy of sisterhood, and their reclamation of a groundbreaking history
Valby, Karen
Paper Book
Meet five amazing Black ballerinas from The Dance Theater of Harlem, including some of the founding members. They broke barriers and made history in the world of classical dance, at a time when racism shut out Black dancers from major dance companies. A young adult adaptation of...
Greatness
Bethencourt, Regis
Paper Book
Take a journey through Black history and find your greatness in this stunning book from the award-winning team behind the New York Times bestsellers Crowned and Glory. When Nasir and Imani step into their Grandma's studio,...
Overlooked creations of Black art and culture
Leslie, Jay.
Paper Book
A perfect book for young readers to discover lesser-known works of art and culture that have shaped Black history in the United States. The Banjo Lesson. The Brownies Book. "Rapper's Delight." Throughout history, Black people have performed, created art, and broken barriers that...
Cooking up change
Platt, Michael
Paper Book
In Cooking Up Change--the eagerly awaited sequel to teen chef and food justice advocate Michael Platt's Recipes for Change--Platt journeys through a year in Black history with a little help from his beloved grandmother as he retells 12 important historic events and shares a recipe...
Black-owned : the revolutionary life of the Black bookstore
Adams, Char
Paper Book
**A November LibraryReads Pick** Longtime NBC News reporter Char Adams writes a deeply compelling and rigorously reported history of Black political movements told through the lens of Black-owned bookstores, which have been centers for organizing from abolition to the Civil Rights...
Ida B. Wells : journalist, advocate & crusader for justice
Dunbar, Erica Armstrong
Paper Book
Meet journalist and activist Ida B. Wells in this second vibrant middle grade biography in the Rise. Risk. Remember. Incredible Stories series spotlighting Black women who left their mark on history from acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Candace...
Becoming spectacular : the rhythm of resilience from the first African American Rockette
Jones, Jennifer
Paper Book
The first African American Rockette charts her journey to one of the world's most celebrated dance troupes in this gripping performing arts memoir that, for the first time, goes behind the velvet curtains at Radio City's legendary holiday show. "Smashing through glass windows and...
The conjuring of America : mojos, mermaids, medicine, and 400 years of Black women's magic
Stewart, Lindsey
Paper Book
Kirkus Best Books of 2025 | BookRiot's Best Books of 2025 | NPR's New Books to Read | Ms. Magazine's Most Anticipated Feminist Book  A crucial telling of U.S. history centering the Black women whose magic gave rise to the rich tapestry of American...
Trailblazer : perseverance in life and politics
Moseley-Braun, Carol
Paper Book
The first Black woman ever elected to the Senate. The first woman to represent the state of Illinois. The first Black woman to serve as a U.S Ambassador to New Zealand. These are just a few of the "firsts" that Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun can lay claim to since first entering politics in the...
The Six Triple Eight : a true story of the Black woman battalion of World War II
Abari, Tonya
Paper Book
A powerful and vibrantly illustrated account of the resilience and dedication of the unsung Black heroines who played a major role in World War II. Perfect for fans of Hidden Figures, Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free, and Tyler Perry's blockbuster film The Six Triple Eight. ...
The kiss countdown
Easton, Etta
Paper Book
A struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut must decide if their fake relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after, in this starry debut. Risk-averse event planner Amerie Price is jobless, newly single, and about to lose her apartment. With no choice but to...
I'm that girl : living the power of my dreams
Chiles, Jordan
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller With a Foreword by Simone Biles The sensational two-time Olympian Jordan Chiles's heartfelt, inspiring memoir chronicling her unlikely path to the podium--including the unprecedented challenges, the joy of winning, the crushing pain of defeat,...
The afterlife of Malcolm X : an outcast turned icon's enduring impact on America
Whitaker, Mark
Paper Book
A New York Public Library and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2025 Published to coincide with the hundredth anniversary of his birth, the first major study of Malcolm X's influence in the sixty years since his assassination, exploring his enduring impact on culture,...
Before the ships : the birth of Black excellence
Oso, Maisha
Paper Book
Before the Ships is a powerful and poetic celebration of the early roots of Black history. The great achievements and accomplishments across Africa prior to the Transatlantic slave trade are told through melodious text and evocative illustrations, that culminate into the strength and...
Sisters in Arms: A Novel of the Daring Black Women Who Served During World War II
Alderson, Kaia
Paper Book
"Sisters in Arms is heartwarming but fierce, a novel brimming with camaraderie and fire, starring women you'd love to make your friends. Prickly, musical Grace and bubbly, privileged Eliza may not make the most natural allies, but it's fight or die when they're thrown together in...
Praisesong for the kitchen ghosts : stories and recipes from five generations of Black country cooks
Wilkinson, Crystal
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER . A lyrical culinary journey that explores the hidden legacy of Black Appalachians, throughpowerful storytelling alongside nearly forty comforting recipes, from the former poetlaureate of Kentucky."With Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts,...
The American Queen
Miller, Vanessa
Paper Book
A WOMAN EVOLVE BOOK CLUB PICK | A NORTH CAROLINA READS PICK | A Christy Award WINNER | A 2024 American Fiction Award WINNER | A 2025 Audie Awards WINNER | Best Historical Fiction of 2024 (She Reads) | FEATURED IN GMA, WASHINGTON POST, AND ESSENCE | There is only one known queen who truly ruled a...
Seven days in June
Williams, Tia
Paper Book
A REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK! AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Named A Best Book by USA Today - Harper's Bazaar - Oprah Daily - PopSugar - Shondaland - The Los Angeles Times - Bustle - Good Housekeeping - PureWow - CBS News - People - BuzzFeed - Reader's...
Sparks fly
Jamal, Zakiya N.
Paper Book
A late bloomer thought a visit to a sex club might jump start her love life, but instead makes an instant connection that turns her whole world upside down, in this adult debut from author Zakiya N. Jamal. When Stella Renee Johnson's roommate invites her to a sex club party but...
Tempest
Ibura, K.
Paper Book
In this lyrical and epic contemporary novel with magical fantasy elements, a girl must learn to master her powers over the wind before a sinister secret organization finds her. Perfect for fans of Legendborn,  A Song Below Water, and Vespertine. After Veronique's...
The Love Lyric
Forest, Kristina
Paper Book
An R&B singer and a corporate executive find love that hits the right notes in this USA Today bestselling romance by Kristina Forest. Iris Greene used to be a woman with a plan. But all of that changed after she met the love of her life at twenty-five, got pregnant and...
The dark maestro : a novel
Slocumb, Brendan
Paper Book
His cello made him famous. His father made him a target. "In this perfectly crafted thriller, Slocumb acts as the master conductor, bringing together a twisty plot and gorgeously wrought characters." -The Boston Globe Curtis Wilson is a cello prodigy, growing...
The devil three times : a novel
Fayne, Rickey
Paper Book
Shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize Finalist for the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction "A debut of enormous ambition" spanning eight generations of a Black family in West Tennessee as they are repeatedly visited by...
Can't Get Enough
Ryan, Kennedy
Paper Book
"Can't Get Enough balances brutal emotion, whip-smart humor, and delicious spice. Moving, romantic, and thrumming with life, this is Ryan's best work yet." ―Talia Hibbert Hendrix Barry lives a fabulous life. She has phenomenal friends,...
Split the sky
Arnold, Marie
Paper Book
A Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book! In this haunting story about family, legacy, and sacrifice, a young Black girl living in a Texas sundown town must find the courage to stand up for what's right even when it means facing impossible choices--perfect for fans of...
Once Upon a Time in Dollywood: Reese's Book Club
Jordan, Ashley
Paper Book
AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER ∙ A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK ∙ AN AMAZON BEST ROMANCE BOOK OF THE MONTH! "A moving, captivating, beautiful debut! I can't wait for the whole world to read it."-Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author of Flirting...
Family feast!
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Paper Book
From the award-winning author and illustrator of Standing in the Need of Prayer comes a joyous picture book about an intergenerational Black family cooking a delicious feast and appreciating their quality time together. Aunts, uncles, cousins, all pitch in. ...
The game is afoot
Bryant, Elise
Paper Book
ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S 10 BEST MYSTERY NOVELS OF 2025 A clever and hilarious new mystery about a mother who thinks she has to do it all--even solve a murder--from the author of It's Elementary After rage quitting her job, Mavis finally has time to...
Great Black Hope
Franklin, Rob
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Cool and concise; a talent to watch." --Jay McInerney author of Bright Lights, Big City "You're going to get papercuts, you're going to turn the pages so fast." --Brad Thor, Today A gripping debut from...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.