Black History & Memoirs by various authors

c.2025, various publishers    

$28.99 – $35.00   various page counts

Summer is done, school’s back in session, fall is here, and it’s time to get serious. And guess what? You can still do that, and enjoy reading these great history books…

First off, think about your ancestors and all they did. Now read, “The Black Family Who Built America: The McKissacks, Two Centuries of Daring Pioneers” by Cheryl McKissack Daniel with Nick Chiles (Black Privilege Publishing / Atria, $28.99).

The story starts in West Africa, when Moses McKissack I was captured and enslaved in North Carolina. He became a craftsman and passed his talents down to his children. Ultimately, this inheritance became a powerhouse business of builders and tradespeople who collectively left their mark on some of America’s most iconic buildings, churches, and more. Readers who love architecture will especially love this book.

And if you enjoy that kind of story, then you’ll want “Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy” by Tre Johnson (Dutton, $30). 

Throughout history, Black Americans have been resilient and adaptive, and have always found ways to celebrate their culture. In this book, Johnson calls attention to the sometimes-unnoticed “brilliance” of Black leaders in stories that are personal, profound, and inspirational. Readers will rejoice.

More brilliance is found in “Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler” by Susana M. Morris (Amistad, $29.99). The great writer has been gone for nearly two decades, but this look at her life will bring her genius back to the forefront. Morris shows how Butler’s work was shaped and from where her stories sprang.

There were always important lessons inside her tales, and they are more relevant now than ever. Read this biography, then go back and enjoy Butler’s work anew.

Here’s an essential read about someone whose life and death embodied change: “Tell Her Story: Eleanor Bumpurs & The Police Killing that Galvanized New York City” by LaShawn Harris (Beacon Press, $35) is the story of a much-loved neighborhood grandmother, and her murder in her own home by white police officers.

Harris lived across the street from Bumpurs, and he knew her well when he was a child. This is a personal account of her life and her death, and how it spawned a movement. Yes, this book might make you want to stand up and act.

And finally, try “The Strangers: Five Extraordinary Black Men and the Worlds That Made Them” by Ekow Eshun (Harper, $25). 

What do Black men have to do to stand out, to avoid being categorized as a lone member of a whole? In this book, Eshun looks at five Black men who did just that – and his representative choices will surprise you. Truly, each biographical profile is fascinating and impressive, and readers will want to think about their own list of “Extraordinary Black Men.”

Want more? Then head to your favorite bookstore or library and ask for help finding the biography or history book you most want to read now. The staff there can show you books to teach, inspire, or that are just plain fun.