Five Upcoming Books By Black Authors to Check Out
Earlier this year, Pinky Cole, owner of the expanding food chain Slutty Vegan, announced her upcoming cookbook.
Titled “Eat Plants, B*tch,” the cookbook offers readers 91 recipes created specifically for vegan eaters, ranging from southern comfort food to Jamaican plates. The cookbook is meant to give vegan eaters the information they need to take traditional meat-based dishes and turn them into plant-based dishes without noticing the difference.
Set for release on Nov. 15, the cookbook is Cole’s first foray into the publication world.
Here are five other upcoming books by Black authors to look forward to.
- Trailblazers, Black Women Who Helped Make America Great, Vol. 2: Written by artist, musician, poet and publisher of nonprofit media company, 2Leaf Press, Gabrielle David, this is the second part of a six-volume series detailing the triumphs of Black women throughout history in sports, politics, activism, music and more. Focusing on the lives of 85 women, the book continues David’s attempts to bring more attention to the work of Black women to give them the credit they deserve for their impact. Amongst the 85 women are Jackie Ormes, the first Black woman cartoonist, and Velvalea “Vel” Phillips, the first Black woman to serve in Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Common Council and as judge. Other women include Nora Holt, a composer and the first Black American to get a master’s degree in music in the U.S., as well as Kathryn Bostic, an Emmy-nominated and first Black woman to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a score composer. The book is set to be released July 20.
- Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives: Written by journalist and former executive editor of Essence magazine, Linda Villarosa, the book uses personal stories to highlight discriminatory practices and prejudice towards Black patients in the medical world. Throughout the book, Villarosa examines the construction of the American healthcare system, how it leaves Black Americans to deal with life-threatening conditions on their own and the effects this has on the mental and physical health of Black Americans. The book is set for release on June 14.
- The Scent of Burnt Flowers: Written by artist and director, Blitz Bazawule, this book is a historical fiction novel about a Black couple who are forced to leave the U.S. on the run for Ghana in the mid-1960s. The time period is set specifically around the time of the CIA-backed coup d’état of Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana. Set for release on June 28, this book is already being developed for a TV adaptation with Bazawule writing and directing and Emmy-winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen set to star. Abdul-Mateen’s previous acting credits include “Watchmen” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Bazawule himself is known for his work on Beyonce’s visual album, “Black is King,” and his upcoming adaptation of “The Color Purple.”
- A Song for the Unsung: Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the 1963 March on Washington: Written by children’s book author and recipient of the 2022 Coretta Scott King Award, Carole Boston Weatherford, the picture book highlights the work Bayard Rustin did to help make the 1963 March on Washington a reality. An influential part of the Civil Rights Movement, Rustin was forced to work behind the scenes as an adviser due to the FBI’S interest in him as a result of his former ties of the Communist Party and his open sexuality as a gay man. It was Rustin who organized the 1963 march, gathering the “Big Six” in the movement as participants. In order to get the NAACP to join, however, Rustin was forced to step back from the spotlight as march director and assume a lower role as deputy to A. Philip Randolph because of the head of the NAACP’s objections to his past. Covering Rustin’s achievements, the picture book biography is set for release on Nov. 8.
- Spike Lee: Director’s Inspiration: Created by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures to go along with their exhibit on the legendary director, the book shows off items from Spike Lee’s personal archives that have helped shape his approach to filmography and helped define his past. The objects include vintage posters, such as a Jurassic Park poster signed by Steven Spielberg, as well as pictures and art acquired by Lee. The book also includes a conversation between Lee and Shaka King, the director of “Judas and the Black Messiah,” as well as writing by people that Lee himself has inspired with his work. The coffee table book is set to be released on July 12.
