New Nonfiction Books to Read for Black History Month
History is always rewriting itself as new evidence comes to light, new connections are drawn by scholars, and new voices add to or challenge the prevailing narratives. This Black History Month we are highlighting some recently published (in 2021–22) nonfiction titles by Black authors covering the civil rights movement, the Black church, jazz, early Black cinema and Broadway, and more to enhance our understanding of the past.
Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
A "choral history" of African Americans covering 400 years of history in the voices of 80 writers each of whom has contributed an entry about one five-year period to create a dynamic multivoiced single-volume history of black people in America.
South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry
This intricately woven tapestry of stories of immigrant communities, exploitative opportunists, enslaved peoples, unsung heroes and lived experiences shows the meaning of American is inextricably linked to the South—and understanding its history and culture is the key to understanding our nation as a whole.
All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles
The story of how three generations of Black women have passed down a family treasure—a sack filled with a few precious items given from an enslaved woman to her daughter in 1850s South Carolina.
Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
A powerful new history of the Black church in America as the Black community's abiding rock and its fortress.
Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World by Wil Haygood
Explores the history of Black cinema and how it has served as a reflection of social realities and events, from the early racist films of D.W. Griffith to today’s groundbreaking work of Black moviemakers and stars.
I've Been Here All the While: Black Freedom on Native Land by Alaina E. Roberts
Perhaps no other symbol has more resonance in African American history than that of "40 acres and a mule;" the lost promise of Black reparations for slavery after the Civil War. Roberts draws on archival research and family history to upend the traditional story of Reconstruction.
Young Crusaders: The Untold Story of the Children and Teenagers Who Galvanized the Civil Rights Movement by V.P. Franklin
Filling a gap in the scholarship of American history, V. P. Franklin crafts the first full-length history of the children and teen activists who participated in and led key protests during the civil rights movement.
Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way by Caseen Gaines
The triumphant story of how Shuffle Along, the first Broadway show with an all-Black cast and creative team, became the musical sensation of 1921, paving the way for people of color on stage and screen and changing musical theatre—and the world—forever.
Soundtrack to a Movement: African American Islam, Jazz, and Black Internationalism by Richard Brent Turner
Explores how jazz helped propel the rise of African American Islam during the era of global Black liberation
Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs
A tribute to the mothers of Malcolm X, James Baldwin and Martin Luther King, Jr. which share insights into the prejudices they endured, their commitment to education and their anti-racism advocacy.
Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.