Celebrate Black History Month - 2025Like this list

45 items

• Rising From the Ashes

  Los Angeles. 1992, Edward Jae Song Lee, Latasha Harlins, Rodney King, and a City on Fire

  Yoo, Paula,

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  Based on 100+ personal interviews as seen through the eyes and experiences of those who were there, this compelling, nuanced account of Los Angeles’ 1992 uprising, which erupted in violence, discusses its impact on Korean and Black…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Race to Be Myself

  Semenya, Caster, 1991-

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  A two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion in track from South Africa reflects on her groundbreaking career and her fight for identity and the right to compete in professional sports after she was forced to take…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Flamboyants

  the Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known

  Johnson, George M. (George Matthew), 1985-

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  Profiling the Black and Queer icons from the Harlem Renaissance, an Emmy nominated, award-winning Black nonbinary author and activist interweaves personal stories to bring these flamboyant writers, artists and activists to life, detailing…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• King

  a Life : Young Adult Edition

  Eig, Jonathan,

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  Young readers learn about Martin Luther King Jr.’s rise as a civil rights leader, preacher and dreamer, and about his triumphs, flaws, complexities and contradictions, in an adaptation of a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography about King.

• The Swans of Harlem

  Five Black Ballerinas, a Legacy of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History

  Valby, Karen,

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  A full accounting of five incredibly talented Black ballerinas from the Dance Theater of Harlem illuminates their hard-fought, historic and overlooked contributions to the world of classical dance at a time when racism shut out Black…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Wearing My Mother's Heart

  Thakur, Sophia,

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  Taking readers on an emotionally charged journey through the lives of women in the past and considering what it means to be a woman today, this powerful new poetry collection touches upon topics such as identity, race, politics, mental…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• How the Boogeyman Became a Poet

  Keith, Tony, Jr.,

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  In this powerful YA memoir, the poet, writer, and hip-hop educator traces his journey from being a closeted gay Black teen battling poverty, racism, homophobia, and his own personal Boogeyman to becoming an openly gay first-generation…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Poemhood, Our Black Revival

  History, Folklore & the Black Experience: a Young Adult Poetry Anthology

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  Featuring contributions from an award-winning, bestselling group of Black voices, past and present, this powerful poetry anthology elicits vital conversations about race, belonging, history, and faith to highlight Black joy and pain.

• A Long Time Coming

  a Lyrical Biography of Race in America From Ona Judge to Barack Obama

  Shepard, Ray Anthony,

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  Meticulously researched and drawn from numerous primary sources, this biography-in-verse tells the story of racism in the U.S. through six important Black Americans from different eras who struggled for justice, chronicling how much — and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Those Who Saw the Sun

  African American Oral Histories From the Jim Crow South

  Avery, Jaha Nailah,

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  Those Who Saw the Sun is a collection of oral histories told by Black people who grew up in the South during the time of Jim Crow. Jaha Nailah Avery is a lawyer, scholar, and reporter whose family has roots in North Carolina stretching…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Spirit of Freedom

  Powerful Women of the Civil Rights Movement

  Gitlin, Marty,

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  This book shines a light on the unsung women of the Civil Rights Movement, women who overcame enormous odds to fight for the rights of Black Americans. The women profiled include Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Height, Ruby Hurley,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nearer My Freedom

  the Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself

  Edinger, Monica, 1952-

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  Using Olaudah Equiano's autobiography as the source, the text shares Equiano's life story in found verse. Readers will follow his story from his childhood in Africa, enslavement at a young age, liberation, and life as a free man.

• American Wings

  Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky

  Smith, Sherri L.,

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  Following a group of determined Black Americans who created a flying club as the U.S. hurtled toward WWII, this inspiring true story recounts how these pioneering Black men and women battled powerful odds for an equal share of the sky.

• Bless the Blood

  a Cancer Memoir

  Nehanda, Walela,

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  A searing debut YA poetry and essay collection about a Black cancer patient who faces medical racism after being diagnosed with leukemia in their early twenties.

• Messenger

  the Legend of Muhammad Ali

  Bernardin, Marc,

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  Muhammad Ali, one of the most revered—and controversial—figures of the twentieth century, immortalized the words "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" with the beauty, strength, and originality of his boxing style. Now, his epic story…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Stay Up

  Racism, Resistance, and Reclaiming Black Freedom

  Dill, Khodi,

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  Blending memoir, cultural criticism, and anti-oppression theory, this groundbreaking book equips readers with essential tools to understand how racism impacts their lives, empowering them to be confident in their identities and embrace the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Sum of Us

  How Racism Hurts Everyone : Adapted for Young Readers

  McGhee, Heather C.,

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  Now adapted for a new generation of young readers, leaders, thinkers, and activists, this New York Times best-seller, which doubles as a call to action, examines how damaging racism is to all people and offers hope and real solutions so we…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Breaking the Chains

  African American Slave Resistance

  Katz, William Loren,

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  Describes slavery in the United States, the harsh conditions under which slaves lived, the active and passive resistance with which they fought for their rights, the revolts, and the involvement of slaves in the Civil War.

• Work With What You Got

  a Memoir

  Clark, Zion,

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  In this inspirational story of courage, determination, strength, and self-invention, an elite wheelchair racer and wrestler recounts a childhood of abuse and neglect until he meets two saviors — a wrestling coach who sensed his “warrior…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Black American Experience

  Nardo, Don, 1947-

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  Black Americans do not fit neatly into one box. They live in rural communities and urban cityscapes. Many identify as Democrats, but others lean Republican. Many Black Americans are descended from slaves, but others have immigrant…Read moreRead more of this annotation