A Black History Month Reading List

I attended a small Catholic university in downtown Pittsburgh when I first started college. One of my favorite classes was Multiculturalism. The professor introduced me to a new way of thinking. She encouraged the class to question what we see on television, what we read in magazines, and what we hear on the news. Some of the most important questions to ask are, “From whose perspective is this story being told? And are all the players equally represented?” Let’s review A Black History Month Reading List.

I transferred to Belmont University here in Nashville to complete my degree in English. One of my favorite classes at Belmont was African-American Literature. We studied poetry, stories, and plays written by African-American authors, such as Alice Walker, Phillis Wheatley, Chinua Achebe, Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, August Wilson, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Richard Wright. I read the words, and the secret thoughts of characters and authors I never knew existed changed me. I realized how vital it is for each person to find their voice – and how necessary it is for us to listen.

The celebration of Black History month started in 1926 and became widely accepted in 1976. You may wonder why we honor this observance. Well, I know at least one of the reasons for this unique celebration. It’s because we need to be intentional about listening to our African-American brothers and sisters’ stories, past and present. Their stories are our stories, indeed American stories, and our perspectives about our significant world change by taking the time to learn these stories. We see African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Caucasian Americans – all Americans – all people, even ourselves, differently yet more the same. Now more than ever, we must listen to each other’s stories to come together as a human family.

And we might be surprised as we read the words of those who were once silenced to find our voice.

– Tamara Fyke

Book Recommendations

Picture Books:

• Happy to Be Nappy by bell hooks
• Salt in His Shoes:  Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris & Rosalyn Jordan
• The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes:  The Story of Dr. Patricia Bath by Julia Finley Mosca
• Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller
• Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringgold

Books:

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
• The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
• Race Matters by Cornel West
• The Sweeter the Juice: A Family Memoir in Black and White by Shirlee Taylor Haizlip

1. The Philadelphia Inquirer – Black Lives Matter Movement goes to school to teach students about social justice
2. Education Week –  The important Political History of Black History Month

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