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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Why fathers cry at night : a memoir in love poems, letters, recipes, and remembrances
Alexander, Kwame
Paper Book
In an intimate and non-traditional (or "new-fashioned") memoir, Kwame Alexander shares snapshots of a man learning how to love. He takes us through stories of his parents: from being awkward newlyweds in the sticky Chicago summer of 1967, to the sometimes-confusing ways they showed their love to...
Those who saw the sun : African American oral histories from the Jim Crow South
Avery, Jaha Nailah
Paper Book
NYPL BEST OF THE YEAR BEST OF THE BEST, BLACK CAUCUS OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION A stunning collection of oral histories from Black elders who grew up in the Jim Crow South The past is not past. We may think...
Writing in color : fourteen writers on the lessons we've learned
Azad, Nafiza
Paper Book
Rethink the way you approach writing in this "honest, useful craft book that all fledgling writers need" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) from fourteen diverse authors that demystifies craft and authorship based on their experiences as writers of color--perfect for fans of Fresh Ink...
Temple folk
Bilal, Aaliyah
Paper Book
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
Paper Book
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...
Cooking from the spirit : easy, delicious, and joyful plant-based inspirations
Brown, Tabitha
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Voted the Favorite Vegan Cookbook of 2023 by VegNews Tabitha Brown, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Feeding the Soul, presents her first cookbook--full of easy, family-friendly vegan recipes and stories from the spirit, inspired...
Black TV : five decades of groundbreaking television from Soul Train to Black-ish and beyond
Butler, Bethonie
Paper Book
With iconic imagery and engrossing text, Black TV is the first book of its kind to celebrate the groundbreaking, influential, and often under-appreciated shows centered on Black people and their experiences from the last fifty years.   Over the past...
Wannabe : reckonings with the pop culture that shapes me
Harris, Aisha
Paper Book
BEST READS OF 2023: New York Times Book Review * USA Today * The Skimm * Bookpage * St Louis Post-Dispatch / BEST HOLIDAY GIFTS 2023: Publishers Weekly / MOST ANTICIPATED READS OF 2023: ELLE * The Millions * Essence "Aisha Harris is one of our smartest, most entertaining modern cultural...
Leslie f*cking Jones : a memoir
Jones, Leslie
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE 2024 AUDIE AWARD FOR HUMOR A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A BARNES AND NOBLE'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR  A TOWN & COUNTRY BEST CELEBRITY MEMOIR OF 2023 A VULTURE BEST COMEDY...
Punished for dreaming : how school reform harms Black children and how we heal
Love, Bettina L.
Paper Book
NOW A NEW YORK TIMES AND A USA TODAY BESTSELLER WINNER, 2024 GODDARD RIVERSIDE STEPHAN RUSSO BOOK PRIZE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE FINALIST, LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE "I am an eighties baby who grew to hate school. I...
Before the Movement : The Hidden History of Black Civil Rights
Penningroth, Dylan C.
Paper Book
The familiar story of civil rights goes like this: once, America's legal system shut Black people out and refused to recognize their rights, their basic human dignity, or even their very lives. When lynch mobs gathered, police and judges often closed their eyes, if they didn't join in. For Black...
Dark days : fugitive essays
Reeves, Roger
Paper Book
* 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...
A long time coming : a lyrical biography of race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama
Shepard, Ray Anthony
Paper Book
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 Black...
Worthy
Smith, Jada Pinkett
Paper Book
**The New York Times Bestseller** **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 embodiment of the...
Thank you (falettinme be mice elf agin) : a memoir
Stone, Sly
Paper Book
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...
Juke joints, jazz clubs, and juice : cocktails from two centuries of African American cookbooks
Tipton-Martin, Toni
Paper Book
JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEE . IACP AWARD FINALIST . Discover the fascinating history of Black mixology and its enduring influence on American cocktail culture through 70 rediscovered, modernized, or celebrated recipes, by the James Beard Award-winning author of Jubilee. A...
Thicker than water : a memoir
Washington, Kerry
Paper Book
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...
Great Falls, MT : fast times, post-punk weirdos, and a tale of coming home again
Watts, Reggie.
Paper Book
Comedian and musician Reggie Watts shares his story of growing up in Montana as a biracial oddball struggling to navigate life, girls, drugs, and his own identity in America's heartland--and having a blast doing it. Reggie Watts is weird. But you knew that. Anyone who's seen...

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