Dr. Norrell Recommends: Black Authors/Books to Read Part I.
In this article, I recommend some classic Black literature for you to dig into during your summer vacation.
By Norrell Edwards — June 14, 2023
School is out for the summer, but that doesn't mean you should stop learning. If anything, now is your chance to read things you didn't get a chance to during the school year. In this article, I recommend some classic Black literature for you to dig into during your summer vacation.
This slave narrative was originally thought to be fiction but discovered to be the true story of one enslaved woman's escape from bondage. It is a classic on introductory African American Literature syllabi.
Can you remember the moment you learned about what race was and what your racial identity was? This book is essential reading for understanding the decision to racially pass during the early 20the century.
Dubois is arguably one of the most famous Black scholars of the 20th century and his most remembered and discussed book is The Souls of Black Folks. The book is a mix of ethnography and storytelling. The book transcends genre as a class text of Black life in the 20th century.
Before the Harlem Renaissance was the Harlem Renaissance it was known as the New Negro Renaissance and Alaine Locke was at the forefront of this movement. This anthology features most, if not all, the important writers both established and 'up and coming' of the early 20th century era. The book has a mix of writing from poetry to short stories.
A timeless tale of love, loss, and rebirth—this story follows a Black woman coming of age and learning the differences between self-love and romantic love. Published towards the tail end of the Harlem Renaissance Era, this novel and its author had fallen into obscurity until reclaimed by 1970s Black feminists.
Thomas who is trapped by his surrounding in the 1940's Chicago southside and destined to end up in jail or dead as a young Black man.
This is a long one but worthwhile. Invisible Man is another staple on African American literature syllabi. This story is an epic tale. It follows an unnamed narrator who moves up north from the South after being kicked out of school. Along his journey, the protagonist must acclimate to the different racism, biases, and politics of the urban north.
This is a less popular Baldwin novel. His nonfiction writings like The Fire Next Time are more well known. Baldwin has a beautiful way with words. This novel explores one young man's struggle with his sexual identity and love for another man.
Toni Morrison, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, was of the great literary minds of the 20th Century. She has several must read books that have shaped American Literature. "Beloved," perhaps, endures as a classic because of the discussion it opens about the history of U.S. slavery and its enduring legacy. This novel is the exemplar of the neo-slave narrative genre; contemporary novels that reimagine the experience of enslaved Africans to highlight larger themes of continued disenfranchisement, racism, oppression, and resilience for people of African descent.
Alice Walker's neo-slave narrative, The Color Purple is by far her most well-known novel. If you want to read another Black feminist re-imagining of slavery and its continued impact—read that. If you're interested in the Civil Rights Movement, read "Meridian" instead. In this book, Walker explores what it means for the movement to endure after its moment in the limelight. She highlights the toll that activism can take on the body.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but it's a solid start for anyone looking to better understand African American literature, history, and culture.
Norrell Edwards
Norrell Edwards is a scholar, educator, and communications consultant for non-profit organizations. Her employment experience and research interests place her work at the nexus of global Black identity, cultural memory, and social justice. Norrell graduated with a BA in English Literature from Hunter’s College followed by a PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park in 20th and 21st Century Black Diaspora Literature.
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