With February already underway, celebrations for Black History Month have begun across the U.S.
In honor of the month, here are five books across genres to revisit for Black History Month.
- A Taste of Power: A Black Woman’s Story: Written by Elaine Brown and published in 1992, this memoir follows the journey of the Black Panther Party legend. Known as the one and only woman to lead a chapter of the Black Panther Party, Brown documents her life from her childhood to her career in activism. Amidst her stories about other Black Panther leaders like Huey P. Newton, Brown writes of both the racism and sexism she was subjected to, recounting instances where her authority was undermined because of her gender.
- The Fire Next Time: Published in 1963, “The Fire Next Time” is known as one of James Baldwin’s most famous works. In this non-fiction book, Baldwin’s two essays, “My Dungeon Shook” and “Down at the Cross,” cover what it means to be Black in the U.S. and racism in the country. The literary icon also recounts Baldwin’s discussions with religious leader Elijah Muhammad to discuss the role of religion in the Black community.
- The Invisible Man: Written by the legendary writer and critic Ralph Ellison in 1952, “The Invisible Man” is a sci-fi novel that explores ideas of race in America during the 1950s through the lens of a young, nameless Black man. As he travels from a small Southern town to Harlem in search of his own identity, he’s exposed to racism and bigotry as well as violence. The novel remains as one of Ellison’s most heralded work, earning him the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1953 and giving him the title of the first Black writer to win the award.
- Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race: Published in 2018, this picture book written by Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrated by Laura Freeman aims to teach children about the stories of Dorothy Vaughan. Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden. Known as four mathematical geniuses, it was these women that overcame both racial and gender barriers to help NASA launch people into space.
- Life Doesn’t Frighten Me: In this 1993 children’s book written by acclaimed author Maya Angelou and illustrated by legendary artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, Angelou discusses fear through her poem, “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me.” Using vivid imagery and symbolism, she specifically discusses overcoming one’s fear, emphasizing the courage that’s in all of humanity when they’re tasked with facing danger.
