8 Books to Read for Black History Month

Book challenge at PAI! February is Black History Month and we were inspired by this great list put out by UBC Bookstore. Take up the challenge to read one of these incredible titles to expand your knowledge on Black history, life and culture.

‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou: a coming-of-age memoir of the acclaimed writer and poet on her experiences with racism, sexual trauma and violence she experienced as a young girl and journey to freedom.

‘The Water Dancer’ by Ta-Nehisi Coates: a boldly conjured debut novel about a magical gift, a devastating loss, and an underground war for freedom. A journey that restores the humanity of those from whom everything was stolen.

‘Afro-Fabulations’ by cultural critic and historian Tavia Nyong’o, a rich research-based book surveying the conditions of contemporary black artistic production in the era of post-blackness.

‘The Source of Self-Regard’ by Toni Morrison: A rich gathering of the revered writer’s essays, speeches, and meditations on society, culture, and art, spanning four decades and taking contested social issues such as the foreigner, female empowerment, the press, money, “black matter(s),” and human rights.

‘The Color of Law’ by Richard Rothstein: The untold story that exposes how American governments deliberately imposed racial segregation on metropolitan areas nationwide. An important exposition on American laws and policies that promoted the discriminatory patterns that continue to this day.

 

We also found these books on another list that look fantastic:

‘The 1619 Project’ by Nikole Hannah-Jones: a profound mix of essays, poems and works of fiction from over 50 contributors and 17 authors on the deep-rooted legacy of slavery and how it continues to shape every facet of modern American society.

 

‘The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration’ by Isabel Wilkerson: a stunning historical account of the Great Migration—the 6-million-strong mass movement immigration of Black Americans out of the feudal South—through interviews with more than 1000 people.

 

‘A Taste of Power: A Black Woman’s Story’: Elaine Brown’s autobiography and her rise to power as the first and only female leader of the Black Panther Party.