Black History Month Reading, Watching, and Listening Recommendations

February is Black History Month, and to celebrate we put together a list of books, movies, and podcasts that chronicle Black history in the United States. These resources also share the lives and works of Black activists, writers, artists, scientists, and more. This list is by no means comprehensive. We hope you enjoy these works or learn something from them.

 

Biographies

At Home with Muhammad Ali: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Forgiveness by Hana Ali: Muhammad Ali's daughter presents a candid and intimate family memoir based on personal recordings her father kept throughout his adult life.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou: A 1969 coming-of-age autobiography that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma.

Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks by Jean-Michel Basquiat: With no formal training, Basquiat succeeded in developing a new and expressive style to become one of the most influential artists in the postmodern revival of figurative during the 1980s.

Fannie Lou Hamer: America's Freedom Fighting Woman by Maegan Parker Brooks: This accessible biography will enrich public memory about Hamer by recounting a life filled with triumphs, tragedies, and accompanying lessons for contemporary audiences.

Harriet Tubman: The Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton: The definitive biography of one of the most courageous women in American history reveals Harriet Tubman to be even more remarkable than her legend.

Narrative of the Life of an American Slave by Frederick Douglass: first published in 1845, Frederick Douglass's narrative powerfully details the life of the abolitionist from his birth into slavery to his escape to the North in 1838.

Jay-Z: Made in America by Michael Eric Dyson: This book wrestles with the biggest themes of Jay-Z's career, including hustling, recognizing the way that he's always weaved politics into his music, making important statements about race, criminal justice, black wealth, and social injustice.

Ida: A Sword Among Lions by Paula Giddings: This book traces the life and legacy of the nineteenth-century activist and pioneer, documenting her birth into slavery, her career as a journalist and a pioneer for civil rights and suffrage, and her determination to counter lynching.

Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination that Changed America by Wil Haygood: In this biography, Haygood details the life and career of one of the most transformative legal minds of the past one hundred years.

Starting at Zero by Jimi Hendrix: An intimate, funny, and poetic memoir--one that tells, for the first time, Jimi's own story as only he could tell it.

Quincy Jones: His Life in Music by Clarence Bernard Henry: Henry focuses on the life, music, career, and legacy of Jones within the social, cultural, historical, and artistic context of American, African American, popular, and world music traditions.

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King, Jr.: The life and times of the Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., drawn from a comprehensive collection of writings, recordings, and documentary materials.

Michael Jordan: The Life by Roland Lazenby: The definitive biography of a legendary athlete. The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. Michael Jordan is responsible for sublime moments so ingrained in sports history that they have their own names.

W.E.B. Dubois, Black Radical Democrat by Manning Marable: This study focuses on the social thought of a major black American thinker who exhibited a 'basic coherence and unity' throughout a multifaceted career stressing cultural pluralism, opposition to social inequality, and black pride.

His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham: Using intimate interviews with Lewis and his family, Meacham writes of how the activist and leader was inspired by the Bible, his mother's unbreakable spirit, his sharecropper father's tireless ambition, Reverend James Lawson, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama: A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making—from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy.

The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama: Mrs. Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress.

Sojourner Truth: A Life, a Symbol by Nell Irvin Painter: The biography of a woman born into slavery who, inspired by religion, made herself over into a strong public presence, traveling America, denouncing slavery and advocating freedom, women's rights, and temperance.

The Dead are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X by Les Payne: Setting Malcolm's life not only within the Nation of Islam but against the larger backdrop of American history, the book traces the life of one of the twentieth century's most politically relevant figures.

The Beautiful Ones by Prince: From Prince himself comes the brilliant coming-of-age-and-into-superstar​d​o​m story of one of the greatest artists of all time--featuring never-before-seen photos, original scrapbooks, and lyric sheets.

Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin by David Ritz: This "comprehensive and illuminating" biography of the Queen of Soul was hailed by Rolling Stone as "a remarkably complex portrait of Aretha Franklin's music and her tumultuous life."

The Enigma of Clarence Thomas by Corey Robin: A groundbreaking revisionist take on the Supreme Court justice everyone knows about but no one knows.

The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality by Mike Sielski: A fascinating look at Bryant's early life and how he became regarded as one of basketball’s greatest ever players.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot: Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, this work captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.

Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington by Terry Teachout: An account of the public and private lives of the eminent jazz artist covers his slave heritage, the musical talent that inspired some 1,700 compositions, and his relationships with numerous lovers.

It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him by Justin Tinsley: This is the story of where Biggie came from, the forces that shaped him, and the legacy he has left behind.

Just as I am: A Memoir by Cicely Tyson: The Academy, Tony, and Emmy Award-winning actor and trailblazer tells her stunning story, looking back at her life and six-decade career.

George Washington Carver: A Life by Christina Vella: A thorough biography of George Washington Carver, including in-depth details of his relationships with his friends, colleagues, supporters, and those he loved.

Own It: Oprah Winfrey in Her Own Words by Oprah Winfrey: This book collects Oprah's most insightful quotations, centered around her media career, life lessons, entrepreneurship, and remarkable personal story.

 

History

A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry: A critical survey of black women's complicated legacy in America, as it takes into account their exploitation and victimization as well as their undeniable and substantial contributions to the country since its inception.

Julian Bond's Time to Teach: A History of the Southern Civil Rights Movement by Julian Bond: Compiled from his original lecture notes, this work brings Bond's invaluable teachings to a new generation of readers and provides a necessary toolkit for today's activists in the era of Black Lives Matter.

Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad by Matthew F. Delmont: Delmont’s book is filled with compelling narratives that outline with nuance, rigor, and complexity how Black Americans fought for this country abroad while simultaneously fighting for their rights here in the​ United States. Half American belongs firmly within the canon of indispensable World War II books.

Down to the Crossroads: Civil Rights, Black Power, and the Meredith March Against Fear by Aram Goudsouzian: This book reveals the complex legacy of an event that would both integrate African Americans into the political system and inspire an era of bolder protests against it.

Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies by Dick Gregory: A captivating journey through time, this collection of provocative essays explores historical movements such as the Great Migration and the Harlem Renaissance, as well as cultural touchstones.

Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World by Wil Haygood: A deep examination of Black cinema, using the struggles and triumphs of filmmakers and actors and the achievements of the films themselves to explore Black culture, the civil rights movement, and race relations in America.

March, Book One by John Lewis: A graphic novel trilogy, this is a vivid first-hand account of Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation.

Black Ink: Literary Legends on the Peril, Power, and Pleasure of Reading and Writing edited by Stephanie Stokes Oliver: This book traces black literature in America from Frederick Douglass to Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxane Gay in a masterly collection of twenty-five essays on the power of the written word.

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry: An elegant meditation on the complexities of the American South--and thus of America--by an esteemed daughter of the South and one of the great intellectuals of our time.

Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport that Changed their Lives Forever by Kareem Rosser: The story of bonds of brotherhood, family loyalty, the transformative connection between man and horse, and forging a better future that comes from overcoming impossible odds.

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly: The phenomenal true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped fuel some of America's greatest achievements in space.

Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs: Tubbs celebrates Black motherhood by telling the story of the three women who raised and shaped some of America's most pivotal heroes: Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin.

 

Anti-racist Reading

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander: A stunning account of the rebirth of a caste-like system in the United States, one that has resulted in millions of African Americans locked behind bars and denied the very rights supposedly won in the Civil Rights Movement.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates: A work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation's history and current crisis.

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo: This Groundbreaking book explores the counterproductive reactions white people have when discussing racism that serve to protect their positions and maintain racial inequality.

How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi: Combines ethics, history, law, and science with a personal narrative to describe how to move beyond the awareness of racism and contribute to making society just and equitable.

Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King Jr.: Dr. King's bestselling account of the 1963 Birmingham campaign examines the history of the civil rights movement and the future of racial equality.

Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America by John Lewis: In this heartfelt book, Lewis explores the contributions that each generation must make to achieve change.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo: Perfectly positioned to bridge the gap between people of color and white Americans struggling with race complexities, Oluo answers the questions readers don't dare ask, and explains the concepts that continue to elude everyday Americans.

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein: In this history of the modern American metropolis, Rothstein explores the myth that America's cities came to be racially divided through individual prejudices, income differences, or the actions of private institutions like banks and real estate agencies.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson: Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, and stigma.

 

Poetry and Literary Works

The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou by Maya Angelou: Timeless and prescient, this definitive compendium will warm the hearts of Angelou’s most ardent admirers as it introduces new readers to the legendary poet, activist, and teacher.

The Price of the Ticket: Collected Nonfiction, 1948–1985 by James Baldwin: Personal and prophetic, these essays uncover what it means to live in a racist Amerciian society with insights as fresh today as thye were of the five decades in which he composed them.

Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves by Glory Edim: An inspiring collection of essays by black women writers on the importance of recognizing ourselves in literature.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: The book is a passionate and witty tour de force of style, strongly influenced by T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land , Joyce, and Dostoevsky.

The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes by Langston Hughes: The definitive sampling of a writer whose poems were at the forefront of the Harlem Renaissance and of modernism itself, and today are fundamentals of American culture.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: This poetic, graceful love story, rooted in Black folk traditions and steeped in mythic realism, celebrates boldly and brilliantly African-American culture and heritage.

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde: In this charged collection of fifteen essays and speeches, Lorde takes on sexism, racism, ageism, homophobia, and class, and propounds social difference as a vehicle for action and change.

The Source of Self Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison: In the writings and speeches included, Morrison takes on contested social issues: the foreigner, female empowerment, the press, money, "black matter(s)," and human rights.

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe: The novel focuses on a slave named Uncle Tom to weave a portrayal of the cruelty of slavery, finding redemption in the idea that Christian love can conquer something so destructive.

Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart by Alice Walker: Presented in both English and Spanish, Walker shares a timely collection of nearly seventy works of passionate and powerful poetry that bears witness to our troubled times, while also chronicling a life well-lived.

Fences by August Wilson: This play is a modern classic, a book that deals with the impossibly difficult themes of race in America, set during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. 

 

Podcasts

74 Seconds: In July of 2016, Philando Castile was shot by officer Jeronimo Yanez at a traffic stop in a suburb outside the Twin Cities. 74 Seconds follows the aftermath.

Black History Year: This podcast connects you to the history, thinkers, and activists that are often left out of the mainstream conversations.

Code Switch: Hosted by journalists of color, this podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor.

Groundings: Groundings is a place where storytelling, dialogue, history, and theory meet. Hosted by Devyn Springer. Often discusses current events and invites guests each week to collaborate on the analysis of a topic.

The New York Times’ 1619: Tells the story of the very beginnings of slavery in America, when 20 enslaved Africans first landed in the English colony of Virginia in 1619.

The Nod: Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings explore the complexities of Black Life. Recent episodes have discussed Kamala Harris as a VP pick, watching HBO’s Watchmen, Black journalists, Black women & Hip Hop, and more. By Gimlet media.

Pod Save the People: DeRay discusses the issues he finds most important each week to ensure that listeners have the information they need to move through the world thoughtfully.

School Colors: A narrative podcast about how race, class and power shape American cities and schools.

Still Processing: NYT Culture Writers Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris process America today through culture, art, music, TV & movies, and stuff they find moving, either positive or negative.

Witness Black History: from BBC, this podcast interviews with people who were there at key moments in black and civil rights history.

 

Movies

12 Years a Slave: In the years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South.

42: The Jackie Robinson Story: Tells the life story of Robinson, the first African American MLB player of the modern era, and his history-making signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers under the guidance of team executive Branch Rickey. 

BlacKkKlansman: It's the 1970s, and Ron Stallworth is the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to make a name for himself, he bravely sets out on a dangerous mission to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan.

The Color Purple: An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry.

Dear White People: A campus culture war between blacks and whites at a predominantly white school comes to a head when the staff of a humour magazine stages an offensive Halloween party.

Do the Right Thing: Inspired by the racially-motivated killings of a black man named Michael Griffith and an elderly black woman named Eleanor Bumpurs, this 1989 film is an American comedy-drama that still holds lessons for modern viewers.

Dreamgirls: Three young women discover exactly what it takes to be in the music business and what they must give up to realize their dreams.

Fruitvale Station: The true story of Oscar Grant who wakes up and feels something in the air. Not sure what it is, he takes it as a sign to get a head start on his resolutions of being a better son, partner, and father. Then he's gunned down by BART officers on New Year's Day in 2009, sending shock waves through the nation.

Get Out: A young Black man meets his white girlfriend's parents at their estate, only to find out that the situation is much more sinister than it appears.

The Great Debaters: Poet and professor Melvin B. Tolson teaches at the predominately black Wiley College in 1935 Texas. He decides to start a debate team, something nearly unheard of at a black college.

The Hate U Give: Starr Carter is switching between two worlds -- the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school that she attends. Her worlds are shattered when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer.

If Beale Street Could Talk: Friends since childhood, spouses-to-be excitedly plan their future in the 1970s Harlem, but their plans are derailed when one of them is arrested for a crime they did not commit.

Just Mercy: A powerful and thought-provoking true story that follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his history-making battle for justice in the case of Walter McMillian.

King Richard: Follow the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever.

Loving: Richard Loving, a white construction worker in Caroline County, Virginia, falls in love with a local black woman and family friend, Mildred Jeter in the 1950s.

Moonlight: A young Black man struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.Selma: Depicts the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s struggle to secure voting rights for all people and the historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965 in the face of violent opposition.

One Night in Miami: On the night of Feb. 25, 1964, in Miami, Cassius Clay joins Jim Brown, Sam Cooke and Malcom X, and they discuss the responsibility of being successful black men during the civil rights movement.

Roots: Told through four generations, from the capture of Kunta Kinte in Africa to his transport to Colonial America in brutal conditions through successive generations fighting to win their freedom in the Civil War.

Sorry to Bother You: In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a macabre universe.

The Woman King: A historical epic inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Women of Brewster Place: A gripping drama about a group of strong-willed women living in the rundown housing project of Brewster Place, a street overflowing with tales of courage and anguish.

 

Young Adult Books

 

Fiction

Dread Nation: Rise Up by Justina Ireland: When families go missing in Baltimore County, Jane McKeene, who is studying to become an Attendant, finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that has her fighting for her life against powerful enemies.

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Meyers: Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam.

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam: With spellbinding lyricism, Zoboi and Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth in a system designed to strip him of both.

Dear Martin by Nic Stone: Writing letters to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., seventeen-year-old college-bound Justyce McAllister struggles to face the reality of race relations today and how they are shaping him.

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas: Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He'll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.

 

Nonfiction

Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by Brandy Colbert: This book, ambitious and intimate in turn, explores the ways in which the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre is the story of America—and by showing us who we are, points to a way forward.

The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman: Taking the stage after the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, Gorman captivated the nation and brought hope to viewers around the globe.

This Book Is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on how to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work by Tiffany Jewell: Learn about social identities, the history of racism and resistance against it, and how you can use your anti-racist lens and voice to move the world toward equity and liberation.

The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person by Frederick Joseph: Joseph offers candid reflections on his own experiences with racism and conversations with prominent artists and activists about theirs, creating an essential read for white people who are committed anti-racists and those newly come to the cause of racial justice.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds: This book shines a light on the many insidious forms of racist ideas-and on ways readers can identify and stamp out racist thoughts in their daily lives.