Read These Books to Learn More About Black History
Celebrated throughout February, Black History Month honors the contributions and achievements of Black Americans and recognizes their sacrifices throughout history. In honor of Black History Month, we are sharing our Black History Bookshop.org list that includes biographies, non-fiction histories and other books about and by Black Americans, a few of which we’re featuring here:
The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country
Poet Amanda Gorman gained immense national attention after delivering a reading of this poem at the inauguration of President Biden. Enjoy the work of the youngest presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history through this special edition.
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Bryan Stevenson tells the story of one of his first cases as a young lawyer — the case of Walter McMillian, who maintained his innocence in the face of a death sentence for murder. Stevenson is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, and his story was adapted into a major motion picture of the same name in 2019.
Ida: A Sword Among Lions
Ida B. Wells was an activist born into slavery who became a journalist and leader in the struggles for women’s suffrage and civil rights. This biography explores Wells’ life and her enduring fight against lynching.
Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America
Congressman John Lewis was a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement. In this book, he draws on his experiences and reflects on his advocacy of nonviolence and the struggles that a new generation may undergo in the process of making change.
As we continue through Black History Month and throughout the year, we encourage you to take a look at the rest of our list on Bookshop.org. These books are a great place to begin or continue your learning journey.