{"id":11457,"date":"2022-03-11T16:18:42","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T16:18:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/?page_id=11457"},"modified":"2023-10-25T15:34:21","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T15:34:21","slug":"recommended-reading-list","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/recommended-reading-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Recommended Reading List"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/CBL-NO-THE.png\" alt=\"CBL NO THE\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"1487\" width=\"2762\" title=\"CBL NO THE\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<button tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Menu\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/button>\n\t<nav aria-label=\"Main\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\">\n\t\t<ul id=\"menu-main\"><li id=\"menu-item-9393\"><a href=\"\/mission-statement\">About<\/a><ul>\t<li id=\"menu-item-9382\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/mission-statement\/\">Mission Statement<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-9381\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/what-we-do\/\">What We Do<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-9392\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/founder\/\">About the Founder, Dr. Brenda M. Greene<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-9390\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/staff\/\">Staff, Affiliated Faculty, and Advisory Board Members<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-9389\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/sponsors-partners\/\">Sponsors, Partners, and Supporters<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-9391\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/testimonials\/\">Testimonials<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10149\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/donate\/\">Donate to CBL<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-9383\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/nbwc\/\">NBWC<\/a><ul>\t<li id=\"menu-item-9394\"><a href=\"\/nbwc\">About the National Black Writers Conference (NBWC)<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-9385\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/nbwc-faq\/\">NBWC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-12626\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">17th NBWC Registration Begins December 2023<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-12522\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/nbwc-2024-program-participants\/\">17th NBWC Speakers-At-A-Glance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-9970\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/events\/\">Events<\/a><ul>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10838\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/CBL-Calendar-of-Events-2023-2024-10-19-23.pdf\">Events (Download the 2023-24 Calendar as a PDF)<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10836\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/events\/\">Events on Eventbrite<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10842\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/events-calendar\/\">Events (View On Google Calendar)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-10140\"><a href=\"#\">Programs &#038; Lists<\/a><ul>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10011\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/re-envisioning-our-lives-through-literature\/\">Re-Envisioning Our Lives Through Literature (ROLL) Program<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10010\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/john-oliver-killens-reading-series\/\">John Oliver Killens Reading Series<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10109\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/writers-on-writing\/\">Writers on Writing Radio Program<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10012\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wild-seeds-retreat\/\">Wild Seeds Retreat for Writers of Color<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10013\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/dr-edith-rock-writing-workshop-for-elders\/\">Dr. Edith Rock Writing Workshop for Elders<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10108\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/introduction-to-fiction\/\">Fiction Writing Workshop<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10014\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/monthly-book-club\/\">Monthly Book Club<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-11459\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/recommended-reading-list\/\" aria-current=\"page\">Recommended Reading List<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-10143\"><a href=\"#\">Publications + Journals<\/a><ul>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10142\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/killens-review-of-arts-letters\/\">Killens Review of Arts &#038; Letters<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10141\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/tales-of-our-times-anthology\/\">Tales of Our Times (Anthology)<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10537\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/musings\/\">Musings (A MEC College Student Blog)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-10855\"><a href=\"#\">Students\/Youth<\/a><ul>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10856\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/musings\/\">Musings (A MEC College Student Blog)<\/a><\/li>\t<li id=\"menu-item-10857\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/re-envisioning-our-lives-through-literature\/\">Re-Envisioning Our Lives Through Literature (ROLL) Program<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li id=\"menu-item-9379\"><a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/contact\/\">Contact Us\/Donate<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#\" aria-label=\"Search Icon Link\"><\/a><form  action=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/\" method=\"get\" role=\"search\"><label for=\"is-search-input-12218\">Search for:<input type=\"search\" id=\"is-search-input-12218\" name=\"s\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"Search here...\" autocomplete=off \/><\/label><button type=\"submit\">Search Button<\/button><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"id\" value=\"12218\" \/><\/form><\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/nav>\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tCBL List of Recommended Books by Black Authors\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/jim-crow.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"250\" height=\"372\" \/>Since 2002, the mission of Center for Black Literature has been-and continues still-to expand, broaden, and enrich the public&#8217;s knowledge and aesthetic appreciation of the value of\u00a0Black\u00a0literature. In keeping with its mission, the staff at CBL began compiling a reading list of titles that we and our colleagues turn to for fortitude, inspiration, and uplift. These titles provide impactful narratives that reflect the rich, wide ranging literary genres in which Black writers use their voices to express their experiences and to center on the political and social consciousness that represents varied Black experiences, in America, the Caribbean, and abroad.<\/p>\n<p>Eddie S. Glaude Jr., the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor and chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University, and an honoree of CBL&#8217;s 16th National Black Writers Conference, stated: <strong><em>&#8220;I think all great literature helps us understand what happens between the two momentous breaths we have. You have two momentous breaths, the first one and the last one. What happens in between? All great literature, to my mind, offers a window to understanding what it means to make your way through time and space.&#8221;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Literature as a reflection of society is a forceful tool. During today&#8217;s challenging times of the health pandemic and the recent mass protests and demonstrations against this country&#8217;s long history of police brutality and institutional racism, there have been an outpouring of emotions, from anger to grief, all galvanizing calls for political change. In the past few years, there has also been an overwhelming surge of interest in literature on the subjects of race and Black identity in America, and with that, renewed support of Black authors and sales at Black-owned bookstores.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PLEASE NOTE:<\/strong> The Center&#8217;s listing only scratches the surface of an ever-growing literary landscape of Black writers; thus, we invite recommendations from our colleagues, friends, and supporters. Kindly feel free to send your recommendations and suggestions for consideration to us at <a href=\"mailto:info@centerforblackliterature.org\"><strong>info@centerforblackliterature.org<\/strong><\/a>. For information on some of these and additional titles, please visit the African American Literature Book Club at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.AALBC.com\">AALBC.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Nonfiction<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><em>The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness <\/em><\/strong>by Michelle Alexander, 2010<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide <\/em><\/strong>by Carol Anderson, 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>James Baldwin: Collected Essays <\/em><\/strong>by James Baldwin, Library of America, 1998<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Black Detroit: <\/em><em>A People&#8217;s History of Self-Determination <\/em><\/strong>by Herb Boyd, 2017<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>SOS-Calling All Black People: A Black Arts Movement Reader<\/em><\/strong> by John H. Bracey Jr., Sonia Sanchez, and James Smethurst, 2014<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>A Taste of Power: A Black Woman&#8217;s Story<\/em><\/strong> by Elaine Brown, 1993<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>She Took Justice: The Black Woman, Law, and Power &#8211; 1619 to 1969<\/em><\/strong> by Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><i>Open Letters to America: Essays <\/i><\/strong>by Kevin Powell, 2009<\/li>\n<li><strong><i>2020: The Year That Changed America<\/i><\/strong>, edited by Kevin Powell&#8217;s Writing Workshop, 2021<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Between the World and Me<\/em><\/strong> by Ta-Nehisi Coates, 2015<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Matter of Black Lives: Writings from The New Yorker<\/em><\/strong>, edited by Jelani Cobb and David Remnick, 2021<\/li>\n<li><cite id=\"CITEREFMorgan1999\"><i><strong>When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: My Life As a Hip-Hop Feminist <\/strong><\/i><em>by Joan Morgan, 1999<\/em> <i><br \/>\n<\/i><\/cite><\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work <\/em><\/strong>by\u00a0Edwidge Danticat, 2011<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Meaning of Freedom: And Other Difficult Dialogues<\/em><\/strong> by Angela Y. Davis and Robin D. G. Kelley, 2012<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Souls of Black Folk: Introduction by John Edgar Wideman <\/em><\/strong>by W. E. B. Du Bois,<br \/>\nLibrary of America, 2009<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Wretched of the Earth <\/em><\/strong>by Frantz Fanon, 2005 (1963)<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black America<\/em><\/strong> by James Forman Jr., 2017<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Begin Again: James Baldwin&#8217;s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0by Eddie S. Glaude Jr., 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul <\/em><\/strong>by Eddie S. Glaude Jr., 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature<\/em><\/strong> by Farah Jasmine Griffin, 2021<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Black Book with Forward and Preface by Toni Morrison<\/em><\/strong> by Middleton Harris, with Morris Levitt, Roger Furman, and Ernest Smith, 2019 (1974)<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Ain&#8217;t I a Woman? Black Women and Feminism <\/em><\/strong>by bell hooks, 1981<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Pre-Post-Racial America: Spiritual Stories from the Front Lines<\/em><\/strong> by Sandhya Rani Jha, 2015<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story<\/em><\/strong> by Nikole Hannah-Jones, 2021<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>The African Presence and Influence on the Cultures of the Americas<\/strong><\/em> by Brenda M. Greene, 2010<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Some of Us Did Not Die: New and Selected Essays <\/em><\/strong>by June Jordan, 2002<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019<\/em><\/strong> by Ibram X. Kendi, 2021<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>How to Be an Antiracist<\/em><\/strong> by Ibram X. Kendi, 2019<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America<\/em><\/strong> by Ibram X. Kendi, 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir<\/em><\/strong> by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele, 2018<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America<\/em><\/strong> by Kiese Laymon, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change <\/em><\/strong>by John Lewis, 2012<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches<\/em><\/strong> (Crossing Press Feminist Series) by Audre Lorde and Cheryl Clarke, 2007<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination<\/em><\/strong> by Toni Morrison, 1992<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations <\/em><\/strong>by Toni Morrison, 2019<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>by Khalil Gibran Muhammad, 2010<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>We Are Worth Fighting For: A History of the Howard University Student Protest of 1989<\/em><\/strong> by Joshua M. Myers, 2019<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Born a Crime: Stories of a South African Childhood<\/em><\/strong> by Trevor Noah, 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>A Promised Land<\/em><\/strong> by Barack Obama, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Becoming<\/em><\/strong> by Michele Obama, 2018<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>So You Want to Talk About Race<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>by Ijeoma Oluo, 2019<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Breathe: A Letter to My Sons <\/em><\/strong>by Imani Perry, 2019<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry <\/em><\/strong>by Imani Perry, 2018<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor<\/em><\/strong> by Layla Saad, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>My Vanishing Country: A Memoir<\/em><\/strong> by Bakari Sellers, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race<\/em><\/strong> by Margot Lee Shetterly, 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0by Clint Smith, 2021<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption<\/em><\/strong> by Bryan Stevenson, 2014<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Flyboy 2: The Greg Tate Reader<\/em><\/strong> by Greg Tate, 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation <\/em><\/strong>by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>What It Is: Race, Family, and One Thinking Black Man&#8217;s Blues <\/em><\/strong>by Clifford Thompson, 2019<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race<\/em><\/strong>, edited by Jesmyn Ward<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Men We Reaped<\/em><\/strong> by Jesmyn Ward, 2013<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents<\/em><\/strong> by Isabel Wilkerson, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America&#8217;s Great Migration <\/em><\/strong>by Isabel Wilkerson, 2010<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Inner Light in a Time of Darkness <\/em><\/strong>by Alice Walker, 2006<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Be a Father to Your Child: Real Talk from Black Men on Family, Love, and Fatherhood<\/em><\/strong>, edited by April R. Silver, 2008<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Meditations and Ascensions: Black Writers on Writing<\/em><\/strong> by Brenda M. Greene, 2008<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Fiction<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><i>Youngblood<\/i> (1954); <i>And Then We Heard the Thunder<\/i> (1962); <i>Sippi<\/i> (1967); <i>Slaves<\/i> (1969); <i>The Cotillion; or, One Good Bull Is Half the Herd<\/i> (1971); <i>A Man Ain&#8217;t Nothin&#8217; But a Man: The Adventures of John Henry<\/i> (1975); <i>The Great Black Russian: A Novel on the Life and Times of Alexander Pushkin<\/i> (1989); <i>The Minister Primarily<\/i> (2021), posthumously published novel &#8212; all by <strong>JOHN OLIVER KILLENS<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><em>I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings<\/em> by Maya Angelou, 2002 (1969)<\/li>\n<li><em>If Beale Street Could Talk <\/em>by James Baldwin, 2013 (1974)<\/li>\n<li><em>The Sellout <\/em>by Paul Beatty, 2015<\/li>\n<li><em>The Vanishing Half <\/em>by Brit Bennett, 2020<\/li>\n<li><em>Butler: Kindred, Fledgling, Collected Stories <\/em>by Octavia E. Butler<em>, <\/em>Library of America, 2020<\/li>\n<li><em>The Water Dancer <\/em>by Ta-Nehisi Coates, 2019<\/li>\n<li><em>Washington Black<\/em> by Esi Edugyan, 2018<\/li>\n<li><em>A Gathering of Old Men<\/em> by Ernest J. Gaines, 1992<\/li>\n<li><em> The<\/em> <em>Wide Circumference of Love<\/em> by Marita Golden, 2017<\/li>\n<li><em>Confessions in B-Flat<\/em> by Donna Hill, 2020<\/li>\n<li><em>The Ways of White Folks<\/em> by Langston Hughes, 1990 (1934)<\/li>\n<li><em>Their Eyes Were Watching God<\/em> by Zora Neale Hurston, 1937<\/li>\n<li><em>The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois<\/em> by Honor\u00e9e Fanonne Jeffers<\/li>\n<li><em>The Fifth Season<\/em> by N. K. Jemisin, 2017<\/li>\n<li><em>My Monticello: Fiction<\/em> by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson<\/li>\n<li><em>The Known World <\/em>by Edward P. Jones, 2003<\/li>\n<li><em>An American Marriage<\/em> by Tayari Jones, 2018<\/li>\n<li><em>The Good Lord Bird<\/em> by James McBride, 2013<\/li>\n<li><em> Gathering of Waters <\/em>by Bernice L. McFadden, 2012<\/li>\n<li><em>Brown Girl, Brownstones<\/em> by Paule Marshall, 1959<\/li>\n<li><em>The Shadow King <\/em>by Maaza Mengiste, 2019<\/li>\n<li><em>The Bluest Eye<\/em> by Toni Morrison, 1970<\/li>\n<li><em>Song of Solomon <\/em>by Toni Morrison, 1977<\/li>\n<li><em>Beloved<\/em> by Toni Morrison, 1987<\/li>\n<li><em>Stand Your Ground <\/em>by Victoria Christopher Murray, 2015<\/li>\n<li><em>Wench<\/em> by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, 2010<\/li>\n<li><em>Ann Petry: The Street, The Narrows<\/em>, Edited by Farah Jasmine Griffin, Library of America, 2019<\/li>\n<li><em>The Color Purple<\/em> by Alice Walker, 1982<\/li>\n<li><em>Sing, Unburied, Sing<\/em> by Jesmyn Ward, 2017<\/li>\n<li><em>The<\/em> <em>Nickel Boys <\/em>by Colson Whitehead, 2019<\/li>\n<li><em>The Underground Railroad<\/em> by Colson Whitehead, 2016<\/li>\n<li><em>You Made Me Love You: Selected Stories, 1981-2018<\/em> by John Edgar Wideman, 2021<\/li>\n<li><em>Another Brooklyn: A Novel <\/em>by Jacqueline Woodson, 2016<\/li>\n<li><em>The Man Who Lived Underground<\/em> by Richard Wright, Library of America, 2021<\/li>\n<li><em>Purple Hibiscus<\/em> by\u00a0Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2003<b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/li>\n<li><em> Half of a Yellow Sun<\/em> by\u00a0Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2006<b><br \/>\n<\/b><\/li>\n<li><em>Americanah<\/em> by\u00a0Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2013<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><strong>Poetry<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><i>Does Your House Have Lions?<\/i><\/strong> by Sonia Sanchez, 1997<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou<\/em><\/strong>, 1994<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Crave Radiance: New and Selected Poems 1990-2010<\/em><\/strong> by Elizabeth Alexander, 2010<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>SOS: Poems, 1961-2013<\/em><\/strong> by Amiri Baraka, 2014<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Annie Allen: Poems<\/em><\/strong> by Gwendolyn Brooks, 1949<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Tradition <\/em><\/strong>by Jericho Brown, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Collected Poems of Sterling A. Brown <\/em><\/strong>by Sterling A. Brown, edited by Michael Harper, 1996<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Playlist for the Apocalypse: Poems<\/em><\/strong> by Rita Dove, 2021<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Head Off &amp; Split<\/em><\/strong> by Nikky Finney, 2011<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Love Child&#8217;s Hotbed of Occasional Poetry: Poems &amp; Artifacts<\/em><\/strong> by Nikky Finney, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude<\/em><\/strong> by Ross Gay, 2015<\/li>\n<li><em><strong>The Collected Poetry of Nikki Giovanni<\/strong>, 1968-1998<\/em>, 2003<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin<\/em><\/strong> by Terrance Hayes, 2018<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Weary Blues<\/em><\/strong> by Langston Hughes, 2015 (reprint)<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Holding Company: Poems<\/em><\/strong> by Major Jackson, 2012<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Olio<\/em><\/strong> by Tyehimba Jess, 2016<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Voyage of the Sable Venus: And Other Poems<\/em><\/strong> by Robin Coste Lewis, 2017<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>We Want Our Black Bodies: Poems<\/em><\/strong> by jessica Care moore, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Citizen: An American Lyric<\/em><\/strong> by Claudia Rankine, 2014<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Shake Loose My Skin: New and Selected Poems<\/em><\/strong> by Sonia Sanchez, 2000<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Life on Mars: Poems <\/em><\/strong>by Tracy K. Smith, 2011<\/li>\n<li><strong>Native <\/strong><em><strong>Guard<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>by Natasha Trethewey, 2006<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton, 1965-2010 <\/em><\/strong>by Kevin Young and Michael Glaser, 2012<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><strong>Young Adult and Children<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><em>Cornrows <\/em><\/strong>by Camille Yarbrough, 1979<strong><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><em><strong>The Shimmershine Queens<\/strong><\/em> by Camille Yarbrough, 1996<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Woke: A Young Poets Call to Justice<\/em><\/strong> by Mahogany L. Brown, Elizabeth Acevedo, Olivia Gatewood, Theodore Taylor III, and Jason Reynolds, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>New Kid <\/em><\/strong>by Jerry Craft, 2019<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Virginia Hamilton: Five Novels<\/em><\/strong>, Library of America, 2021<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Deshawn Days<\/em><\/strong> by Tony Medina, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, 2003<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Sulwe<\/em><\/strong> by Lupita Nyong&#8217;o and Vashti Harrison, 2019<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Black Brother, Black Brother <\/em><\/strong>by Jewel Parker Rhodes, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>The Boy in the Black Suit<\/em><\/strong> by\u00a0Jason Reynolds, 2015<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You<\/em><\/strong> by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi, 2020<\/li>\n<li><strong><em>Feathers<\/em><\/strong> by Jacqueline Woodson, 2007<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tContact Us\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<p><strong>Center for Black Literature <\/strong>(CBL)<br \/>at Medgar Evers College, CUNY<br \/>1534 Bedford Avenue | 2nd Floor<br \/>Brooklyn, New York 11216<br \/>(Click <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/contact\/\">HERE<\/a> for the Postal Mailing Address)<strong>Main Phone:<\/strong> (718) 804-8884<br \/><strong>Main Office:<\/strong> <a href=\"mailto:info@centerforblackliterature.org\">info@centerforblackliterature.org<\/a><\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tDonate to CBL Today!\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<p>To carry out our literary programs and special events, we depend on financial support from the public. Donations are welcome year-round. Please click <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rfcuny.org\/eventpayment\/events\/index?college=medgar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong> to donate. Thank you!<em><br \/>&#8230;<br \/><\/em>The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College is supported in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.<em><br \/><\/em><\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tWe&#8217;re Where You Are!\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t<link itemprop=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\"\/>\n\t\t<a itemprop=\"sameAs\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/centerforblackliterature\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Facebook\" aria-label=\"Facebook\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<link itemprop=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\"\/>\n\t\t<a itemprop=\"sameAs\" href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/center4blacklit\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Twitter\" aria-label=\"Twitter\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i>\ud835\udd4f<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<link itemprop=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\"\/>\n\t\t<a itemprop=\"sameAs\" href=\"http:\/\/www.instagram.com\/center4blacklit\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Instagram\" aria-label=\"Instagram\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<link itemprop=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\"\/>\n\t\t<a itemprop=\"sameAs\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bitly.com\/cblyoutube\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"YouTube\" aria-label=\"YouTube\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<link itemprop=\"url\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\"\/>\n\t\t<a itemprop=\"sameAs\" href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/cblemailblasts\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Email\" aria-label=\"Email\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer external\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tGet The Latest News!\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<p>Sign-up to receive news about our programs!<\/p>\t\t\n\t<p>Copyright \u00a9 2023, Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About Mission Statement What We Do About the Founder, Dr. Brenda M. Greene Staff, Affiliated Faculty, and Advisory Board Members Sponsors, Partners, and Supporters Testimonials Donate to CBL NBWC About the National Black Writers Conference (NBWC) NBWC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 17th NBWC Registration Begins December 2023 17th NBWC Speakers-At-A-Glance Events Events (Download the 2023-24 &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/recommended-reading-list\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Recommended Reading List<\/span> Read More \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"disabled","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"disabled","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"disabled","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11457","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Recommended Reading List - Center for Black Literature<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/centerforblackliterature.org\/recommended-reading-list\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Recommended Reading List - Center for Black Literature\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"About Mission Statement What We Do About the Founder, Dr. Brenda M. 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