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
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LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Happy Valley Library
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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.

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The Look
Obama, Michelle
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Beautifully illustrated with more than 200 photographs, including never-before-seen images, The Look is a stunning journey through Michelle Obama's style evolution, in her own words for the first time. In this celebration of style,...
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...
Resist : how a century of young Black activists shaped America
Omokha, Rita
Paper Book
What do the struggles of the past teach us about the urgent challenges in our own time? Resist chronicles the inspiring story of young Black activists who have fought tirelessly at the helm for justice over the last century, from the 1920s to the Trayvon generation--how they reshaped...
Black women taught us : an intimate history of Black feminism
Jackson, Jenn M.
Paper Book
A reclamation of essential history and a hopeful gesture toward a better political future, this is what listening to Black women looks like-from a professor of political science and columnist for Teen Vogue. "Jenn M. Jackson is a beautiful writer and excellent scholar....
Black liturgies : prayers, poems, and meditations for staying human
Arthur Riley, Cole
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A collection of prayer, poetry, and spiritual practice centering the Black interior world, from the author of This Here Flesh and creator of Black Liturgies "A true spiritual balm for our troubled times."--Michael Eric Dyson,...
HBCU made : a celebration of the Black college experience
Rascoe, Ayesha
Paper Book
In this joyous essay collection edited by NPR's Ayesha Rascoe, celebrities and other alumni provide testimonials about their experience attending historically Black college universities-which shaped their lives and made them who they are today. With a diverse set...
Did everyone have an imaginary friend (or just me)? : adventures in boyhood
Ellis, Jay
Paper Book
Jay Ellis, star of HBO's Insecure, tells the story of growing up with an imaginary best friend you will never forget--part Dwayne Wayne from A Different World, part Will Smith from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air--in this hilarious, vulnerable memoir. "So...
In open contempt : confronting White supremacy in art and public space
Weathersby, Irvin, Jr.
Paper Book
Longlisted for the 2026 PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction "An awe-striking masterpiece of love." --Jason Reynolds, #1 New York Times bestselling author "The sentences alone in In Open Contempt make it one of the most memorable books of...
Black History Is for Everyone
Jones, Brian
A longtime educator explores how the study of Black history challenges our understanding of race, nation, and the stories we tell about who we are. Black history is under attack from powerful forces that seek to excise it from classrooms, libraries, and the popular imagination. Yet...
Black power scorecard : measuring the racial gap and what we can do to close it
Perry, Andre M.
Paper Book
From the creator of "a unified field theory of racism" (NPR's Planet Money), a dollars-and-cents reckoning of the state of Black America and a new framework to close the power gap Historically, Black Americans' quest for power has been understood as an attempt to gain...
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...
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...
Black Moses : a saga of ambition and the fight for a Black state
Gayle, Caleb
Paper Book
One of The New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year Longlisted for the National Book Award for Nonfiction One of The Washington Post's Best Nonfiction Books of the Year A New York Times Editors' Choice Pick "Powerful......
Fearless and free : a memoir
Baker, Josephine
Paper Book
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR: The TODAY Show, Vanity Fair, Financial Times, W Magazine, Oprah Daily, LibraryReads Praised as "funny and witty" by Kwame Alexander on the TODAY show, now published in the US for the first time, Fearless and Free is the...
Afro Sheen: How I Revolutionized an Industry with the Golden Rule, from Soul Train to Wall Street
Johnson, George E.
Paper Book
The inspiring and resilient story of George E. Johnson, creator of the iconic Afro Sheen and the first Black-owned company to be traded on Wall Street You might already be familiar with Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen, but have you heard of the man behind the company...
Yet here I am : lessons from a Black man's search for home
Capehart, Jonathan
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Pulitzer Prize winning writer, editor and TV host Jonathan Capehart recounts powerful stories from his life about embracing identity, picking battles, seizing opportunity and finding his voice. ...
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 Drawing on new archival material, original...
The Black family who built America : the McKissacks, two centuries of daring pioneers
Daniel, Cheryl McKissack
Paper Book
A Scientific American Favorite Book of 2025 The riveting story of the McKissack family--the founders of the leading Black design and construction firm in the United States, from its beginnings in the mid-1800s to its thriving status today--in a moving celebration of...
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
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
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,...
Uncommon favor : basketball, North Philly, my mother, and the lessons I learned from all three
Staley, Dawn
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...
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,...
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