Books have always been a form of resistance, a vessel for truth and a means of preserving our stories. For the Black community, literature has been a source of empowerment, knowledge, and liberation—often despite attempts to erase or censor our narratives.
This Black History Month, The Defender Book Corner is spotlighting ten contemporary essential reads that explore our history, resilience, and contributions to the world. These books—spanning historical accounts, cultural critiques, and personal narratives—offer insight into where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re headed. Check us out every month, where we’ll be exploring the best in all genres of literature. Whether you’re revisiting a classic or discovering a new favorite, these selections belong on every bookshelf.
1. Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot
With his signature wit and unapologetic truth-telling, Michael Harriot dismantles the sanitized version of American history. This book is a must-read for those who want to understand how Black history is American history—without the whitewashing.
2. The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
Wilkerson masterfully tells the story of the Great Migration, following the journeys of three individuals who left the South in search of better opportunities, shaping modern Black America in the process.
3. The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley
This classic remains one of the most powerful personal narratives in American history. Malcolm X’s journey from street hustler to revolutionary thinker is both deeply personal and universally inspiring.
4. Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston
Based on interviews with Cudjo Lewis, one of the last known survivors of the transatlantic slave trade, this book captures a firsthand account of enslavement, survival, and resilience in America.
5. Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi & Keisha N. Blain
A powerful collective history, this book brings together 90 Black writers to tell the 400-year story of African Americans in the U.S. through essays, poems, and historical narratives.
6. Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Kendi unpacks how racist ideas were deliberately constructed to justify oppression, tracing their impact from the colonial era to modern-day policies and institutions.
7. Beloved by Toni Morrison
A literary masterpiece, Beloved tells the haunting story of Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman, as she grapples with the trauma of her past and the ghosts that refuse to let go.
8. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story created by Nikole Hannah-Jones
Expanding on the groundbreaking New York Times project, this book reframes American history by centering the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans in the nation’s narrative.
9. They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South by Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers
This eye-opening book challenges the myth of white women’s passivity in slavery, revealing their active role in buying, selling, and exploiting enslaved people.
10. We Are Each Other’s Harvest: Celebrating African American Farmers, Land, and Legacy by Natalie Baszile
This book highlights the rich history of Black farmers and combines personal narratives, poetry, and essays to explore the past and future of Black land ownership in America.
What’s on your Black History Month reading list? Let us know in the comments!
