classic novels by black authors

Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Her novel "Sing, Unburied, Sing" is one of. Historically, a lot of literature taught in schools is written by white — and, typically, white male — authors. 47,150 ratings — 203,116 ratings — published 1965, avg rating 3.71 —

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published -560, avg rating 3.87 — published 1851, avg rating 3.88 — published 1955, avg rating 4.14 —

published 1964, avg rating 4.21 — Error rating book. This book is among the most popular older classics on, "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears" by Dinaw Mengestu. 64,176 ratings — 171,396 ratings — She first read it when she was in the eighth grade, when she otherwise saw a lot of "chapter books written by white authors. ", "Homegoing" was on Glen's list of recommendations and is popular right now among. by Kiley Reid. Here are the 16 books our experts recommended: Part of HuffPost Home & Living. published 2006, avg rating 3.94 — published 1937, avg rating 3.71 — 263,623 ratings — "The Warmth of Other Suns" is a nonfiction work that Hyppolite's currently reading. published 1970, avg rating 3.99 — 17,342 ratings — publishing industry is also predominately white, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture. “Why wouldn’t you want to diversify your reading list?” she said. 312 ratings — "While science fiction fans already know and love the groundbreaking work of Octavia Butler, she should be a household name for all book lovers," Wallace said. Hyppolite's a fan of Dinaw Mengestu. Prices and availability subject to change. The book industry still has a long way to go to become more inclusive, but there are so many stories you can add to your to-read list from Black authors that are considered modern classics, like “The Mothers” by Brit Bennett.

2,879 ratings — "The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears" is a novel that tells the story of Sepha Stephanos, who fled Ethiopia after the country's revolution and now finds himself running a grocery store in D.C. "Passing" is an older classic that's been popular with, "The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" by James Weldon Johnson, "The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" is one of, Register to vote and apply for an absentee ballot today, The best-kept deals, steals and practical finds for the good life. published 2018, avg rating 4.22 — published 1959, avg rating 3.89 — published 2008, avg rating 3.94 — 156,105 ratings — published 2004, avg rating 3.81 — As always, you should first check to see if your local independent bookstore has these titles in stock and support Black-owned bookstores in your neighborhood and nationwide. Jesmyn Ward was one of the authors Glen recommended. (And you can support Black creatives all the time — whether it’s buying from Black-owned jewelry shops, Black-owned beauty brands or Black-owned bookstores like Bronx-based The Lit. 14,179 ratings — 7,089 ratings — - Abbigail Glen, owner of Shelves Bookstore in Charlotte, North Carolina, "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead, "The Underground Railroad" is one of Goodreads', "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" by Ernest J. Gaines, This novel was one of Glen's recommendations. "It resonates powerfully with current events because it shows how deep-seated this violence is," she said. published 1980, avg rating 3.88 — "Plum Bun: A Novel Without A Moral" by Jessie Redmon Fauset. HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. published 1982, avg rating 4.22 — published 1973, avg rating 4.06 — 17,621 ratings — Refresh and try again.

published 2008, avg rating 4.05 — 66,776 ratings — 518,148 ratings — published 1952, avg rating 3.71 —

Welcome back. 502 ratings — 85,513 ratings —

196,413 ratings — 20,961 ratings —

So although you may remember reading books like “The Great Gatsby” and “To Kill A Mockingbird” in school, you may have missed out on many classics by Black authors like Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” and “The Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man” by James Weldon Johnson. published 1910, avg rating 3.50 — "Plum Bun: A Novel Without A Moral" is one of the older classics that's been popular with Goodreads members. We wanted to find recommendations for both old and new classics by Black authors that everyone should have on their bookshelves. Glen recommended this classic novel from Richard Wright.

3,856 ratings — published 1953, Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves (Hardcover), The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Paperback), The Kingdom on the Waves (The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, #2), Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (Paperback), The Pox Party (The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, #1).

published 2015, avg rating 4.19 — Whether you missed out on reading some classic novels in high school or are getting caught up on books you missed a few years ago, everyone should read these books by Black authors. We asked Hyppolite, Glen and the literary experts at Goodreads for their takes on the books we should be bookmarking right now. 391 ratings — "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" features the, "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson. ), “Diversifying what we read, what we watch, where we eat and where we shop can save us from ignorance.”, “Diversifying what we read, what we watch, where we eat and where we shop can save us from ignorance,” Abbigail Glen, owner of Shelves Bookstore, told HuffPost Finds. published 2008, avg rating 3.63 —

©2020 Verizon Media. The publishing industry is also predominately white. “That’s why I encourage my customers to become comfortable with being uncomfortable because growth can’t happen in your comfort zone.”. 9,444 ratings — avg rating 4.23 —

There has been a “significant effort made to diversify” the books read in schools since the 1960s, according to Joanne Hyppolite, a supervisory curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture. 995 ratings —

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/african-american-classic published 1990, avg rating 3.94 — Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde tackles views on feminism through the lens of … 18,559 ratings — Edwidge Danticat is one of Hyppolite's favorite contemporary writers — and she especially recommends "Brother, I'm Dying," an autobiography about leaving Haiti for New York City. Subscribe to HuffPost’s sales and deals email. Though she lives in 1976 L.A., she's suddenly transported to a Civil War-era plantation in Maryland. In what is considered a literary masterpiece and Butler's most popular novel, Kindred follows a young Black woman named Dana. A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, … published 1977, avg rating 3.76 — Historically, a lot of literature taught in schools is written by white — and, typically, white male — authors. "Flyy Girl" is one of Glen's recommendations. Such a Fun Age. published 1940, avg rating 4.41 — published 1930, avg rating 4.08 — One of Glen's recommendations, "The Hate U Give," tells the story of Starr Carter — the only witness when a police officer shoots her unarmed friend. published 1981, avg rating 4.32 — 88,320 ratings — "Native Son" tells the story of a young Black man living in 1930s Chicago. However, she said, “selections were focused almost solely on well-known authors” — which meant some students didn’t get to read works from lesser-known Black writers in school. Literary experts share the old and modern classics by Black authors to add to your reading list. published 2003, avg rating 4.10 — 1,704 ratings — 266 ratings — published 1946, avg rating 4.06 —