African American Nonfiction
Enjoy these recent African American nonfiction titles published within the last two years and recommended by our librarians. (January 2024)
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Driving the Green Book
Podcaster Hall debuts with an illuminating history of the mid-20th-century guidebook that advised Black motorists where it was safe to sleep, eat, and refuel in cities and towns across the U.S. This historical travelogue inspires and educates. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Black AF History
Harriot ... offers a razor-sharp reassessment of American history. In a textbook format (including end-of-chapter quizzes and sidebars) meant to counter the “whitewashed” version of U.S. history often taught in schools, Harriot examines well-known events ... with a focus on the experiences and contributions of Indigenous and Black people (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Rest Is Resistance
Hersey, known as the Nap Bishop … emphasizes the importance of rest to racial- and social-justice work. (Booklist)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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An Amerikan Family
In this riveting group portrait, journalist Holley chronicles the Black Panther movement from the 1960s to the present through the lives of the Shakur family. Sweeping and sober, this is a vital chapter in the history of the struggle for racial justice. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Bell Hooks
This collection of seven interviews with prominent Black feminist, activist, and theorist bell hooks (1952-2021) ... reveals the evolution of hooks ’ thought from 1989 to 2017 as she reflected on important social and political issues of her time. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Madness
A thoroughgoing, often shocking exposé of segregation in the treatment (or nontreatment) of mental illness. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Quietly Hostile
Essayist Irby shows off her wit, empathy, and self-deprecating humor in this animated collection. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Black Women Taught Us
[T]his “intimate history” ably highlights the longstanding importance and contemporary relevance of Black feminism, as well as the challenges that remain in having its voices heard and acted upon properly. Galvanizing appraisals of Black women’s enduring search for freedom. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: No Longer Available
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Leslie F*cking Jones
This refreshingly uncensored book will appeal to Jones’ many fans and to anyone who appreciates the struggles Black female comics face on the road to success. Refreshingly candid, gritty, and real. (Kirkus)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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Black Folk
Historian Kelley delivers a poignant and celebratory chronicle of Black labor movements in America. Full of persuasive insights into Black working-class life and the legacy of communal care spearheaded by Black women, this is a powerful reimagining of the history of labor in the U.S. (Publishers Weekly)
Format: Book
Availability: Available
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