Something that is very important to me is representation. One way I find representation is through books and literature. Over the past two years, I’ve made it my absolute mission to find books by authors who look like me. So far, it has been nothing but success. I’ve experienced the hardships and triumphs of my ancestors, stories celebrating Black joy, and everything in between.
Without further ado, here are a few of my fave pioneers.
As we move through Black History Month, it is important to highlight the many Black authors who use their voices in the name of literature. However, let us not limit our celebration of Black voices only to the month of February. Authors such as these should be celebrated all year round.
- Angie Thomas (@angiethomas)
Hailing from Jackson, Mississippi, Angie Thomas made her mark on the world with her debut novel and major film The Hate U Give or THUG. This is the book and author that started it all for me. The main character Starr showed me firsthand what it meant to be an activist and to realize how you are viewed being a young Black girl. THUG was one of the first novels I read that showed me police brutality.
Other works by Thomas include On the Come Up and Concrete Rose, both stories that also show Black youth in the struggle for identity within a world of injustice.
“What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” – Angie Thomas, The Hate U Give
- Colson Whitehead (@colsonwhitehead)
I was introduced to Colson Whitehead last semester in my Art of Reading class. We were prompted to read his 2019 novel The Nickel Boys. Whitehead effortlessly transported me to Florida in the 1960s as we explored the Nickel Academy, inspired by the real-life Dozier School for Boys, a reform school notoriously known for its dangerous practices and methods. Like The Nickel Boys, Whitehead’s material is known to be incredibly heavy in the sense of showing the harsh realities of Black people in history.
His other novel The Underground Railroad takes place in the 1850s, as slaves were escaping from bondage with the infamous Underground Railroad, which was inspired by Harriet Tubman’s treacherous journey. One thing Colson Whitehead has shown me and what I hope shows you, is that it isn’t always pretty. It was hard.
“They treat us like subhumans in our own country. Always have. Maybe always will. ”- Colson Whitehead, The Nickel Boys
- Elizabeth Acevedo (@acevedowrites)
I am this woman’s biggest fan. Let’s start there. I was unintentionally introduced to Elizabeth Acevedo during my junior year of high school. After watching her spoken word poem about being Afro-Latina, I was immediately intrigued. Surprisingly enough, her 2018 novel The Poet X was a required reading for my English 11 class. What is unique about Acevedo’s writing is that all of the books are in verse, meaning that the novel is written as mini poems. As a reader with a short attention span, this was a plus.
My experience with The Poet X sparked me into reading every book from this author’s catalog. Her three novels feature young Afro-Latina girls as they understand themselves and the world. My personal favorite, the 2019 novel With the Fire on High, follows an 18-year-old teen mother as she develops her passion for the culinary arts while struggling to make ends meet. Want a successful coming-of-age novel? I will forever recommend Elizabeth Acevedo.
“The world is a turntable that never stops spinning; as humans, we merely choose the tracks we want to sit out and the ones that inspire us to dance” – Elizabeth Acevedo, With the Fire on High
- Tiffany D. Jackson (@writeinbk)
Also, this woman’s biggest fan. Tiffany D. Jackson draws her inspiration from real-life cases. For months I was avoiding her books because of the severity of her content. All of my favorite “Bookstagramers” gave me a fair warning before approaching the works of Tiffany D. Jackson, so it took me a while to get into her but I’m so glad I did. The first book I read by her, Monday’s Not Coming, follows 14-year-old Claudia as she searches for her best friend Monday, who goes missing over the summer. To Claudia’s distress, nobody around her seems to care about the disappearance of her best friend. Needless to say, this book ruined my life. But not in a bad way at all! Tiffany knows how to make you uncomfortable, forcing you to face the trauma of Black girls today. Not then, but today. So yes, Monday’s Not Coming gave me emotional stress but I would read it again and again.
On the other side of the coin however, Jackson’s most recent novel The Weight of Blood is an alternative take on the story Carrie, where the bullied outcast develops telekinesis and gets revenge on her tormentors. In this case though, the “Carrie” is named Maddie. Maddie is a 16-year-old girl who passes as white her entire life and is outed as biracial. This sparks a wave of racist bullying and harassment by the other students, creating a bad image for the school. In an effort to save the reputation of their high school, the first integrated prom in the school’s history is held (Mind you, the book took place in 2014. Think about that). And trust me, they have a bloody good time. I decided to include Tiffany D. Jackson in my list of pioneers because as a YA author, she definitely pushes the limits. I guarantee that after reading one of her books you will feel something.
“Because if people knew revenge of this magnitude was even a remote possibility, there would be far less incidents of racial injustice in the world.”- Tiffany D. Jackson, The Weight of Blood
With all that being said, what these four authors have in common is that they all tell Black stories in their own way. I hope the activism from Angie Thomas, the historical value of Colson Whitehead, the spoken word given by Elizabeth Acevedo, and the gut-wrenching works of Tiffany D. Jackson finds you well.