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 January 10, 2024
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Temple folk
Bilal, Aaliyah
Finalist for the 2023 National Book Award for Fiction A groundbreaking debut collection portraying the lived experiences of Black Muslims grappling with faith, family, and freedom in America. In Temple Folk, Black Muslims contemplate the convictions of their...
Twice as hard : the stories of Black women who fought to become physicians, from the Civil War to the 21st Century
Brown, Jasmine
Black women physicians' stories have gone untold for far too long, leaving gaping holes in American medical history, in women's history, and in black history. It's time to set the record straight No real account of black women physicians in the US exists, and what little mention...
Walk through fire : a memoir of love, loss, and triumph
Johnson, Sheila C.
The cofounder of BET and first African American woman billionaire shares her deeply personal journey through love and loss, tragedy and triumph--an inspiring story of overcoming toxic influences, discovering her true self, and at last finding happiness in her work and life. From...
Pulling the chariot of the sun : a memoir of a kidnapping
McCrae, Shane
Vulture's #1 Memoir of 2023 An unforgettable, "lyrical and poignant" (The Washington Post) memoir by an award-winning poet about being kidnapped from his Black father and raised by his white supremacist grandparents. When Shane McCrae was...
NEW SAINTS
OWENS, LAMA ROD
A USA Today Bestseller A Buddhist Lama and intersectional thought leader shares a guide for those who would dream a more just, ethical world into being. Saints, spiritual warriors, bodhisattvas, tzaddikim--no matter how they are named in a given...
Dark days : fugitive essays
Reeves, Roger
* WINNER OF THE 2024 GLCA NEW WRITERS AWARD FOR CREATIVE NONFICTION * A crucial book that calls for community, solidarity, and joy, even in--especially in--these dark days In his debut work of nonfiction, award-winning poet Roger Reeves finds new meaning in...
TUPAC SHAKUR
ROBINSON, STACI
The authorized biography of the legendary artist, Tupac Shakur, a "touching, empathetic portrait" (The New York Times) of his life and powerful legacy, fully illustrated with photos, mementos, handwritten poetry, musings, and more Artist, poet, actor,...
A long time coming : a lyrical biography of race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama
Shepard, Ray Anthony
This YA biography-in-verse of six important Black Americans from different eras, including Ona Judge, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack Obama, chronicles the diverse ways each fought racism and shows how much--and how little--has changed for...
Worthy
Smith, Jada Pinkett
**Time magazine most anticipated books of 2023** **Parade magazine must-read books by celebrities 2023** "I went through so many emotions reading this book. Reconnecting to one's ancestors and truly feeling, not only hearing, their stories are fertile ground for true ecstatic...
Thank you (falettinme be mice elf agin) : a memoir
Stone, Sly
Not many memoirs are generational events. But when Sly Stone, one of the few true musical geniuses of the last century, decides to finally tell his life story, it can't be called anything else. As the front man for the sixties pop-rock-funk band Sly and the Family Stone, a songwriter...
Beyond the shores
Walker, Tamara J.
New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice * An award-winning author charts the poignant global journeys of African Americans as she explores her own transatlantic family odyssey in Beyond the Shores, a powerful history of living abroad while Black.   "By...
Thicker than water : a memoir
Washington, Kerry
Award-winning actor, director, producer, and activist Kerry Washington shares the deeply moving journey of her life so far, and the "beautiful" story of discovering her truth in this instant New York Times bestseller (Oprah Winfrey). While on a drive in Los...
Black friend : essays
Ziwe
From a rapidly rising comedy star, a bold, personal, and darkly hilarious takedown and send-up of our culture's (mis)understanding of raceZiwe made a name for herself staring interviewees in the eye and asking, "How many Black friends do you have?" She's an expert at making people squirm, coming...

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