5 Books You Need to Read This Black History Month
February is Black History Month, and one way to celebrate is to curl up with a good book written by iconic Black authors. Names like Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, Maya Angelou, among others, have shaped and changed the literary world as we know it. The best way to thank them is to celebrate their works during a crucially important month of the year. Here are the books you should add to your reading list.
Noble Prize winner Toni Morrison pens a beautiful yet tragic story in her debut novel, The Bluest Eye. She tells the story of Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl living in Lorain, Ohio, who wishes she had blue eyes. As Pecola’s wish comes true, everything around her falls apart. Morrison re-evaluates the pressure we put on beauty standards and explores themes of class, race, and gender. It is a book everyone should read once in their life. You can purchase Morrison’s novel for $12.69 here.
Ever since its debut in 1952, Invisible Man has shaken the literary world. Award-winning author, Ralph Ellison, follows an unnamed narrator who navigates through a racist society he cannot find a place in. Ellison confronts several cultural and societal obstacles African Americans face. Though this book was written several years ago, it remains just as important and relevant. You can read Ellison’s Invisible Man for just $13.71.
Activist and acclaimed author, Toni Cade Bambara, highlights the importance of community in her second novel, The Salt Eaters. Set in a small southern town called Claybourne, Bambara writes about Velma Henry’s public healing ceremony. Threads of feminism, civil rights, and anti-war movements linger throughout this brilliant novel. It is experimental in its style and cleverly crafted. Challenge and enlighten your mind with Bambara’s The Salt Eaters for $15.95.
Alice Walker’s The Color Purple stresses the importance of friendship and girlhood and sheds light on issues that are hard to confront. The novel follows the lives of sisters Celie and Nettie, who were separated when they were young. Although separated, they do their best to stay loyal to one another. Walker illuminates the value of female friendship and family in this beautifully written novel. Step on Walker’s journey and get a copy of The Color Purple for $14.62.
Legendary writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou delivers a beautifully painstaking memoir in I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. In her first autobiography, Angelou illustrates the hardships of growing up as a Black woman. She writes about tragic and traumatic events that follow her into adulthood and draws attention to the obstacles of growing up as a woman in a male-dominated society. Read Angelou’s powerful coming-of-age story and buy I Know Why The Caged Birds Sings here for only $7.99.
Each one of these authors have imprinted a permanent footprint in the world of literature that cannot be washed away. Their novels will enlighten, inspire, and move you in their own way.
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