During February, also known as black history month, there are numerous articles with recommendations for pieces of literature that should be read to support black authors. This is going to be one of those articles. However, I will be giving suggestions on pieces of literature by black authors and encourage readers to read these novels throughout the year and not just in the month of February. Below is a list of literature by black authors and their works that has been recommended by students at Winthrop University.
- The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chesnutt
- The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Hannah Crafts
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- Zami by Audre Lorde
- Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
- Another Country by James Baldwin
- The World is Round by Nikky Finney
- Passing by Nella Larsen
- Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
- The Conjure Woman by Charles W. Chesnutt
- Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
- Ain’t I a Woman by bell hooks
- For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow in Enuf by Ntozake Shange
- Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
- I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing by Maya Angelou
- Finding Me by Viola Davis
- Sula by Toni Morrison
- A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines
- Bailey’s Café by Gloria Naylor
- Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
- Perfect Peace by David Black
- The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez
- Visitation of Spirits by Randall Kenan
- Hola Morocha! A Black Woman’s Adventures in Buenos Aires: Culture Shock by Jennifer Poe
- All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes by Maya Angelou
- How Beautifiul We Were by Imbolo Mbue
- Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison
- Go Tell it On The Mountain by James Baldwin
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
- A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
As the month gets closer to its end, it is important to remember to continue intentionally incorporating authors that are of color in your “TBR” stack. The above list is a compilation of recommendations from students in the Winthrop English department. These books are ones that they have either read in their courses or during their free time. Keeping diversity in the books that you are reading is necessary, especially now as the country is in the midst of potentially banning books in libraries and in schools. Additionally, making sure there are diverse voices in the literature being read is important because it allows readers to hear different perspectives and stories that are many times suppressed.