Everyone has a desire to feel seen. For Black women? That desire is significantly magnified. Since books are the gift that keeps on giving, here are 21 titles that unquestionably help Black women not only feel seen but also heard and celebrated. They are all penned by brilliant Black women, from tenured university professors to former ESSENCE editors to our Forever FLOTUS.
In this mix live treasured classics by literary legends who have physically left us such as Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison, and more contemporary reads from the likes of Mikki Kendall and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. There’s even a book that just officially hit the shelves last week. From memoirs to novels to poetry, this carefully curated selection is right on time for Women’s History Month and National Reading Month.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Chronicling her humble beginnings on the South Side of Chicago, to her days as an Ivy League college student to making history as the first Black United States First Lady, this history groundbreaking memoir has sold more than 17 million copies worldwide.
The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
This book’s protagonist, Winter, is street smart, gorgeous and learning how to navigate the harsh realities of drugs, money and maintaining a family business, all while coming of age in NYC.
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Prolific writer Adichie argues that gender inequality hinders everyone in society and demonstrates how, for her fellow Nigerian women and readers of all kinds, in this book.
In the Spirit by Susan L. Taylor
A collection of inspirational and iconic monthly columns by the Editor-in-Chief Emerita of Essence who was once considered the most influential Black woman in journalism.
When Chickenheads Come Home To Roost by Joan Morgan
Penned by the veteran journalist and author who coined the term, hip-hop feminism, this book is a series of essays covering a range of social issues like the blatant misogyny in hip-hop to the dangerous label of being a strong Black woman.
What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage
Through humorous yet compassionate storytelling, this book explores class, family, love and the realities of living with HIV in the 1990s as a Black woman.
Single. Black. Mother. by Jamilah Lemieux
Twenty-one intimate testimonies offer necessary and long overdue insight from an array of Black single mothers, who are too often misunderstood and maligned, about the realities of their parenting journey.
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
An exploration of self-hatred, beauty standards informed by White supremacy and the trauma of Black girlhood in the first novel by the incomparable Morrison.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
One of the defining novels of the Harlem Renaissance, this book follows a woman’s memorable journey to independence and self-love.
Longing to Tell: Black Women Talk About Sexuality and Intimacy by Tricia Rose
Rose bravely creates dialogue surrounding Black women and our rarely discussed sexuality (beyond the misconceptions) by presenting the testimonies of Black women who span a broad range of ages, education levels and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
A powerful novel that later became a beloved film, this book chronicles one Southern woman’s story of survival, sexuality, and sisterhood.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
A moving memoir of overcoming trauma and racism through literature and character by one of the most important wordsmiths of our time.
The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor
Interconnected stories of seven Black women, who are all quite different yet all so alike in their struggles and their community.
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
A critical look at how mainstream feminism painfully, and perhaps intentionally, overlooks how race, class and gender intersect, creating unique challenges for marginalized women.
Kindred by Octavia Butler
A science fiction classic from a trailblazer in the genre that links the horrors of slavery to modern race relations.
72 Hour Hold by Bebe Moore Campbell
A gripping novel exploring mental illness, the complexity of mother/daughter bonds and romantic relationships through the nuanced lens of Black women.
Naked edited by Ayana Byrd and Akiba Solomon
A moving anthology from a spectrum of Black women on a few important topics most of us know a lot about: our over-policed hair, skin and bodies.
Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan
The critically acclaimed novel, and later a blockbuster film, about four Black women who share an endearing sisterhood and lovingly support each other through career challenges, dating, divorce, motherhood and personal growth.
Homegirls and Handgrenades by Sonia Sanchez
As the title suggests, in this collection of poetry Sanchez passionately weaves together themes of gender, race and politics.
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Not Enuf by Ntozake Shange
When giving a voice to the voiceless (in this case seven nameless Black women) is delivered in a timeless literary work that is part poetry and part monologue, it can look something like this.
Krik? Krak! By Edwidge Danticat
Featuring nine compelling short stories plus an epilogue, this collection is primarily written from the perspective of different Black women narrators living in Haiti and New York City.
