Non-fiction titles for Black History Month 2023
by Brandon King
Take a look at our recommended adult non-fiction titles for Black History Month 2023.
See also:
- Fiction titles for Black History Month 2023
- Non-fiction titles for Black History Month 2022
- More for Black History Month
This Thread of Gold: A Celebration of Black Womanhood, by Catherine Joy White
For centuries, Black women have been written out of the dominant narrative, their stories untold, their art appropriated. Many of them found ways to resist. Some of these acts of resistance happened in secret, in kitchens, churches, through trusted networks. Others were projected onto a global stage through art, politics and activism. Catherine Joy White's book is an attempt to correct the historical record and to inspire a generation of readers.
From Malinda Russell, the author of the earliest known cookbook by a Black woman to Nǧritude - a literary, cultural and intellectual movement aimed at raising Black consciousness across Africa and its diaspora, Catherine features women from across time and space, liberating them from stereotypes ('strong Black woman') allowing them emotional nuance, individual motivation and richness of expression.
Empire Windrush: Reflections on 75 Years of the Black British Experience, by Onyekachi Wambu
In June 1948 the SS Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, carrying with it the hopes and dreams of hundreds of young men and women from the Caribbean. It was both a point of departure and a historic transformation, a moment which influenced generations of writers and artists and produced much poetry, prose, fiction, journalism and influential essays. In this collection, journalist and writer Onyekachi Wambu collates some of the best and most significant writing from the 75 years following the arrival of Empire Windrush.
LeBron, by Jeff Benedict
LeBron is unquestionably the greatest basketball player of the 21st century. Off the court, LeBron's political activism, outspoken stance on racism and social injustice have helped build a social media presence that includes 117 million followers on Instagram and 51 million followers on Twitter. He is an international brand worth billions of dollars. He doesn't just have huge endorsement deals with some of the biggest corporations in the world; LeBron sits on boards of directors and has an equity stake in the companies he sponsors.
To tell this epic story, Benedict has done exhaustive research, digging through thousands of pages of primary source documents, articles, books and hundreds of hours of video footage. He's also conducted hundreds of interviews with the people who were intimately involved with LeBron from the beginning of his life to the present.
A Visible Man, by Edward Enninful
I set out to bring the 'othered' to the table. We're here to inspire and give people something to dream about as well as a sense of the possible here and now. 'A Visible Man' traces an astonishing journey into one of the world's most exclusive industries. Edward Enninful candidly shares how as a Black, gay, working-class refugee, he found in fashion not only a home, but the freedom to share with people the world as he saw it. Written with style, grace and heart, this is the story of a visionary who changed not only an industry, but how we understand beauty.
Migrations: A History of Where We All Came From
Discover how the migration of peoples has shaped the modern world. This book details the movement of people and cultures around the world - from the early migrations of Homo erectus out of Africa 50,000 years ago to modern refugee movements and migrations. Through striking photographs, evocative illustrations, and intimate first hand accounts, 'Migrations' explores famous (and infamous) movements in history, from the Middle Passage and Trail of Tears to the California Gold Rush and the Windrush generation.
Reclaiming, by Yewande Biala
Yewande Biala's covers a wide breadth of topics from the specific microaggressions black women encounter on dating apps to navigating a career that may seem impossible. Every step of Yewande's writing affirms that maintaining your sense of self in a world that is not supportive of you is difficult, but not impossible.
Black Sheep: A Story of Rural Racism, Identity and Hope, by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys
Sabrina Pace-Humphreys is a 44-year-old mother of four and grandmother of two, an award-winning businesswoman, an ultrarunner, a social justice activist and a recovering alcoholic. She is a mixed-raced woman, the daughter of a white Scottish Roman Catholic woman and a Black Church of England man. When she was two, her parents separated and Sabrina, her mother and her white-presenting younger sister moved to a small market town where no-one looked like her.
From as young as she can remember, she was the subject of verbal and physical racist abuse. In 'Black Sheep', Sabrina reveals how she got from there to here: about growing up in a home, a school and a town where no-one looked like her and her subsequent struggle to understand and find her identity.
Black Girl, No Magic, by Kimberly McIntosh
When stories about Black women are limited, there's a tendency to platform the inspirational. Yet when it comes to finding kaleidoscopic stories for - and by - black women, they are few and far between. Through Kimberly's personal stories, the essays in black girl, no magic explore race, class, the meritocracy myth, sex, desire, dating, friendship, the modern family and drugs.
Out of the Sun: Essays at the Crossroads of Race, by Esi Edugyan
History is a construction. What happens when we bring stories consigned to the margins up to the light? How does that complicate our certainties about who we are, as individuals, as nations, as human beings? As in her fiction, the essays in 'Out of the Sun' demonstrate Esi Edugyan's commitment to seeking out the stories of Black lives that history has failed to record.
Looking for something new to read? Take a look at our recommendations for all ages.