February is Black History Month, so we’re asking Innocence Project staff to share books that have inspired them to reflect on Black history. the powerful books selected below touch on everything from how the legacy of slavery in the us. uu. has contributed to mass incarceration to explore what it means to be a young black man in America today, as well as some interesting reading from talented black authors addressing other forms of injustice.
Throughout this month, we will highlight the disproportionate impact of the mass incarceration of Black people, including on death row, and honor icons of the civil rights movement and pioneers of change. These essential readings get to the heart of many of these issues, so if you’re looking for a way to learn more this month, check out our recommendations. and let us know what you’re adding to your reading list in the comments below.
You are reading: Black history month books for adults
1. the dead rise: the life of malcolm x by les payne and tamara payne
For 30 years, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Les Payne talked to everyone he could find who knew Malcolm X. The result is this incredible biography of the civil rights leader, which paints a portrait of Malcolm X like no other. This biography, winner of the 2020 National Book Award for Nonfiction, is a must-read. Get it here or at your local bookstore.
2. heavy by kiese laymon
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in these memoirs, mr. Laymon writes about growing up in Jackson, Mississippi. He poignantly speaks of his struggles with the weight of himself, abuse and family, and looks at the dynamics of race and America’s fraught racial history in his life and the lives of those around him. get it here or at your local bookstore.
3. punching the air for ibi zoboi and activist yusef salaam
Co-written by yusef salaam, a member of the exonerated five and the board of directors of the innocence project, this poignant novel for young adults tells the story of a wrongfully convicted boy. em. zoboi told npr that the main character is inspired by mr. salaam because, “I write children’s books, and I wanted the world to remember that Yusef was a child when this happened to him and I was a child too.”
supporters of the innocence project will receive a free shipping discount when they purchase by hitting the air with this link.
4. pushout: the criminalization of black girls in schools by dr. monique morris
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While arrests of girls between the ages of 13 and 17 have decreased overall, Black girls are coming into contact with the juvenile justice system at disproportionately high rates. that has to do with the way society treats young black women, dr. Morris argues. In this nonfiction work, she examines the unique experiences of young Black girls in school, questioning the ways that schools and current systems dehumanize and criminalize Black girls from a young age, leaving lifelong impacts. get it here or at your local bookstore.
5. all about love: new visions by bell hooks
Famous black feminist writer and professor bell hooks writes frequently about the intersection between race, gender, and society. But in All About Love: New Views, Hooks examines the foundation of love and the ways that cultural norms have shaped how we love one another. In less than 200 pages, Hooks sets the stage for her to understand love and become more open to giving and receiving love, and in doing so, to promote justice and humanity. get it here or at your local bookstore.
6. another country of james baldwin
no list of great black literature would be complete without mr. Baldwin’s work in this 1962 novel, Mr. Baldwin paints a portrait of the Greenwich Village and Harlem neighborhoods of New York City as he saw them. He challenges the characterization of New York City as a harmonious “melting pot” and instead highlights the ways in which ongoing racism can become internalized and affect interpersonal relationships. Another Country was criticized by many and banned in some places, including New Orleans and Australia, at the time of publication. but, today, it is considered an important and influential piece of writing. get it here or at your local bookstore.
7. homecoming by yaa gyasi
In her first novel, Ghanaian-American writer yaa gyasi traces the details of the slave trade’s impact on two continents over eight generations. Focusing on two half-sisters and their descendants, Homegoing highlights the ways in which the legacy of slavery has shaped racial dynamics and changed lives for hundreds of years, and still does to this day. get it here or at your local bookstore.
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