Black History Month 2026 - Booklist for AdultsLike this list

24 items

• The Mis-education of the Negro

  Woodson, Carter Godwin, 1875-1950,

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  Seminal work by the historian and author known as the "Father of Black history" who created Negro History Week, now Black History Month, in 1926.

• Black AF History

  the Un-whitewashed Story of America

  Harriot, Michael,

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  "In Black AF History, Michael Harriot presents a more accurate version of American history. Combining unapologetically provocative storytelling with meticulous research based on primary sources as well as the work of pioneering Black historians,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Prose to the People

  a Celebration of Black Bookstores

  Mitchell, Katie (Katherine Anne),

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  "A stunning visual homage to Black bookstores around the country along with profiles and essays that celebrate the history, community, activism, and culture these spaces embody."

• The Black Civil War Soldier

  a Visual History of Conflict and Citizenship

  Willis, Deborah, 1948-

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  Author Deborah Willis "explores the crucial role of photography in (re)telling and shaping African American narratives of the Civil War, pulling from a dynamic visual archive that has largely gone unacknowledged".

• Combee

  Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War

  Fields-Black, Edda L.,

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  "This book offers the first full account of Harriet Tubman's Civil War service and the Combahee River Raid."

• We Refuse

  a Forceful History of Black Resistance

  Jackson, Kellie Carter,

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  A chronicle of varied Black responses to white oppression including work stoppages, armed revolt, "the restorative power of finding joy in the face of suffering", and 'the quiet strength of simply walking away".

• Black Arms to Hold You Up

  a History of Black Resistance

  Passmore, Ben,

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  Cartoonist Passmore chronicles the Black radical tradition from 1900 to the present.

• Picturing Black History

  Photographs and Stories That Changed the World

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  Collection of photographs and essays curated by scholars of a collaborative project between Getty Images, Ohio State University, and Miami University.

• A BLACK QUEER HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

  Snorton, C. Riley

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  "The first-ever Black history to center queer voices, this landmark study traces the lives of LGBTQ+ Black Americans from slavery to present day."

• Thank You (falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

  a Memoir

  Stone, Sly,

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  Memoir by the iconic Bay Area musician, songwriter, producer, and performer who passed away at age 82 in June, 2025.

• Never in My Wildest Dreams

  a Black Woman's Life in Journalism

  Davis, Belva, 1932-

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  Biography by the first Black woman to be hired as a television journalist on the West Coast. Davis passed away at age 92 in September, 2025.

• Sign My Name to Freedom

  a Memoir of a Pioneering Life

  Soskin, Betty Reid, 1921-

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  Local pioneer Soskin was celebrated as the oldest serving National Park Service ranger in the United States. She passed away at age 104 in December, 2025.

• Black Panther Woman

  the Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins

  Phillips, Mary Frances,

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  Biography about the writer, educator, activist, and former leading member of the Black Panther Party.

• Black Women Taught Us

  An Intimate History of Black Feminism

  Jackson, Jenn M.,

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  Jackson's book chronicles the legacies of Black women leaders from Harriet Jacobs to Audre Lorde and historic liberation movement works.

• We Are Each Other's Harvest

  Celebrating African American Farmers, Land, and Legacy

  Baszile, Natalie,

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  Anthology of "essays, poems, photographs, quotes, conversations, and first-person stories to examine black people's connection to the American land from Emancipation to today".

• Spell Freedom

  the Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement

  Weiss, Elaine F., 1952-

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  History of the voting rights education movement organized around Citizenship Schools led by Septima Clark, Esau Jenkins, and Myles Horton of the Highlander Folk School.

• HBCU Made

  a Celebration of the Black College Experience

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  Collection of essays written by alumni about their experiences at historically Black colleges and universities.

• Black Art

  a Cultural History

  Powell, Richard J., 1953-

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  Third edition of volume about black artistic achievements and popular culture.

• A Short History of Black Craft in Ten Objects

  Awake, Robell,

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  "Ten illustrated essays tell the stories of handcrafted objects and their makers, providing inspiration and insight into Black history and craftsmanship."

• Freedom Dreams

  the Black Radical Imagination

  Kelley, Robin D. G.,

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  Book by the noted historian and UCLA professor which "examines the radical utopian dreams held by 19th and 20th century Black political movements".