Some day, there might be an appropriate time and place for my own thoughts on the experience we are collectively, currently sharing.

Now is not that time.

Now is the time to look to Black leaders, activists, teachers, storytellers, and listen.

The caveat is this: we must be quick-studies. If the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor (and these are only a few recent murders) have demonstrated anything, it’s that we do not have time. This is a matter of life and death.

Below are a selection of books detailing the Black experience in America. Some, I’ve loved and learned from; some, I’ve put on my own to-read list. I chose from a mix of genres—fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Also, I’ve linked each book to a black-owned bookstore. These are not affiliate links. I only encourage you to use the power of your dollar to support these businesses in an actionable demonstration of solidarity.

Black lives matter. Please join me in reading, listening, absorbing as many stories and as much wisdom as we can, in order to better understand how to serve usefully as white allies.

And now, let me introduce the key speakers.

Fiction

Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston

Purchase from Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books here.

Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison

Purchase from Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery here.

Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison

Purchase from Pyramid Books here.

The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison

Purchase from Harriett’s Bookshop here.

The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead

Purchase from Frugal Bookstore here.

Non-Fiction

All About Love: New Visions, by bell hooks

Purchase from Loyalty Books here.

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism, by Robin Diangelo*

Purchase from The Key Bookstore here.

*Robin Diangelo is not black. She writes as a white ally. The Key Bookstore has a fantastic White Ally Book List. You can access that here.

So You Want To Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo

Purchase from Mahogany Books here.

Black Boy, by Richard White

Purchase from Hakim’s Bookstore here.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou

Purchase from Harriett’s Bookshop here.

New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander

Purchase from Afriware Books here.

Becoming, by Michelle Obama

Purchase from The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill here.

Poetry

The Good Woman: Poems & A Memoir, by Lucille Clifton

Purchase from The Lit. Bar: Bookstore & Chill here.

The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, by Langston Hughes

Purchase from Black Stone Bookstore & Cultural Center here.

What are you reading?

This list is nowhere near definitive. Remember, I’m learning too! Do you have any recommendations to add to the list? Please leave them in the comments below. I’d love to hear them!