Nonfiction for Black History Month & Beyond

1.
Who Hears Here?: On Black Music, Pasts and Present (Phono: Black Music and the Global Imagination) (Volume 1)
Who Hears Here?: On Black Music, Pasts and Present (Phono: Black Music and the Global Imagination) (Volume 1) 4.33 avg rating — 6 ratings
2.
Bad Feminist
Bad Feminist 3.92 avg rating — 117,717 ratings
3.
Becoming
Becoming 4.44 avg rating — 1,160,607 ratings
4.
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood 4.49 avg rating — 778,796 ratings
5.
The Fire Next Time
The Fire Next Time 4.55 avg rating — 115,155 ratings
6.
A Promised Land
A Promised Land 4.32 avg rating — 263,454 ratings
7.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks 4.13 avg rating — 787,073 ratings
8.
Outliers: The Story of Success
Outliers: The Story of Success 4.19 avg rating — 845,801 ratings
9.
Black Man, White House: An Oral History of the Obama Years
Black Man, White House: An Oral History of the Obama Years 3.56 avg rating — 400 ratings
10.
Hidden Figures
Hidden Figures 3.96 avg rating — 112,015 ratings
11.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents 4.53 avg rating — 156,134 ratings
12.
How to Be an Antiracist
How to Be an Antiracist 4.37 avg rating — 118,330 ratings
13.
March: Book One (March, #1)
March: Book One (March, #1) 4.35 avg rating — 56,873 ratings
14.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking 3.96 avg rating — 614,704 ratings
15.
The Last Black Unicorn
The Last Black Unicorn 3.84 avg rating — 68,456 ratings
16.
The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation
The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation 4.08 avg rating — 8,668 ratings
17.
Call Us What We Carry
Call Us What We Carry 4.26 avg rating — 25,690 ratings
18.
There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé
There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5,687 ratings
19.
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body 4.17 avg rating — 118,957 ratings
20.
I Am Not Your Negro
I Am Not Your Negro 4.47 avg rating — 7,326 ratings
20.
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain
You Can't Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain 3.84 avg rating — 23,540 ratings
22.
Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America
Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America 4.44 avg rating — 1,229 ratings
23.
Notes of a Native Son
Notes of a Native Son 4.37 avg rating — 23,282 ratings
24.
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream 3.83 avg rating — 168,481 ratings
25.
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance 3.94 avg rating — 229,613 ratings
26.
What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures
What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures 3.85 avg rating — 104,002 ratings
27.
Light For The World To See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope
Light For The World To See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope 4.30 avg rating — 2,280 ratings
28.
Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the Present
Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840 to the Present 4.45 avg rating — 77 ratings
29.
The Music of Black Americans: A History
The Music of Black Americans: A History 4.28 avg rating — 93 ratings
30.
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference 4.01 avg rating — 844,262 ratings
31.
Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America's Struggle for Equality
Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America's Struggle for Equality 4.44 avg rating — 712 ratings
32.
The Complete Collected Poems
The Complete Collected Poems 4.44 avg rating — 13,863 ratings
33.
The Tuskegee Experiments: Forty Years of Medical Racism
The Tuskegee Experiments: Forty Years of Medical Racism 3.90 avg rating — 10 ratings
34.
Just as I Am
Just as I Am 4.51 avg rating — 11,198 ratings
35.
Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Celebration of the Negro National Anthem; 100 Years, 100 Voices
Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Celebration of the Negro National Anthem; 100 Years, 100 Voices 4.33 avg rating — 9 ratings
36.
March: Book Three (March, #3)
March: Book Three (March, #3) 4.64 avg rating — 21,409 ratings
37.
March: Book Two (March, #2)
March: Book Two (March, #2) 4.49 avg rating — 28,882 ratings
38.
Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey
Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey 4.20 avg rating — 359 ratings
39.
100 Amazing Facts About the Negro
100 Amazing Facts About the Negro 4.29 avg rating — 326 ratings
40.
Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo"
Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" 4.05 avg rating — 32,081 ratings
41.
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot
Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot 4.36 avg rating — 60,790 ratings
41.
A Black Women's History of the United States
A Black Women's History of the United States 4.29 avg rating — 3,589 ratings
41.
The Negro's Civil War
The Negro's Civil War 4.22 avg rating — 176 ratings
44.
Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., And The Southern Christian Leadership Conference
Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., And The Southern Christian Leadership Conference 4.34 avg rating — 2,245 ratings
44.
The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History
The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History 4.43 avg rating — 2,335 ratings
44.
Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves
Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves 4.36 avg rating — 6,485 ratings
47.
The Life And Words Of Martin Luther King Jr.
The Life And Words Of Martin Luther King Jr.
by: Ira Peck
4.14 avg rating — 108 ratings
48.
Blues People: Negro Music in White America
Blues People: Negro Music in White America 4.15 avg rating — 2,386 ratings
49.
Long Walk to Freedom
Long Walk to Freedom 4.36 avg rating — 92,326 ratings
50.
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela 4.06 avg rating — 453 ratings
51.
Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales
Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales 3.91 avg rating — 1,615 ratings
52.
His Day Is Done: A Nelson Mandela Tribute
His Day Is Done: A Nelson Mandela Tribute 4.19 avg rating — 692 ratings
53.
The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt
The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt 4.11 avg rating — 314 ratings
54.
Nelson Mandela I Am Prepared to Die
Nelson Mandela I Am Prepared to Die 4.39 avg rating — 31 ratings
55.
No Easy Walk to Freedom
No Easy Walk to Freedom 4.17 avg rating — 391 ratings
56.
From Jubilee to Hip Hop: Readings in African American Music
From Jubilee to Hip Hop: Readings in African American Music 3.33 avg rating — 3 ratings
57.
Manteca! an Anthology of Afro-Latin@ Poets
Manteca! an Anthology of Afro-Latin@ Poets 4.73 avg rating — 22 ratings
58.
The Songs of Blind Folk: African American Musicians and the Cultures of Blindness
The Songs of Blind Folk: African American Musicians and the Cultures of Blindness 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings
59.
Say It Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches
Say It Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches 4.43 avg rating — 47 ratings
60.
Ebony Magazine and Lerone Bennett Jr.: Popular Black History in Postwar America
Ebony Magazine and Lerone Bennett Jr.: Popular Black History in Postwar America 4.32 avg rating — 19 ratings
60.
Say It Loud: Great Speeches on Civil Rights and African American Identity
Say It Loud: Great Speeches on Civil Rights and African American Identity 4.32 avg rating — 31 ratings
62.
A Black Women's History of the United States
A Black Women's History of the United States 4.29 avg rating — 3,589 ratings
63.
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture 4.43 avg rating — 22,350 ratings
63.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Jake Gaither, Florida A&M, and the History of Black College Football
Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Jake Gaither, Florida A&M, and the History of Black College Football 4.43 avg rating — 42 ratings
63.
Surrender, White People!: Our Unconditional Terms for Peace
Surrender, White People!: Our Unconditional Terms for Peace 4.17 avg rating — 1,209 ratings
66.
Unseen: Unpublished Black History from The New York Times Photo Archives
Unseen: Unpublished Black History from The New York Times Photo Archives 4.62 avg rating — 260 ratings
66.
So You Want to Talk About Race
So You Want to Talk About Race 4.49 avg rating — 107,277 ratings
68.
Difficult Women
Difficult Women 3.95 avg rating — 30,033 ratings
68.
Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies
Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies 4.05 avg rating — 1,782 ratings
70.
Black Art: A Cultural History (Second Edition)
Black Art: A Cultural History (Second Edition) 4.01 avg rating — 85 ratings
70.
Roosevelt's Blues: African-American Blues and Gospel Songs on FDR
Roosevelt's Blues: African-American Blues and Gospel Songs on FDR 3.57 avg rating — 7 ratings
70.
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore
The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth & Harlem's Greatest Bookstore 4.36 avg rating — 2,066 ratings
73.
Black Litigants in the Antebellum American South (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture)
Black Litigants in the Antebellum American South (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture) 4.53 avg rating — 15 ratings
74.
At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance--A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power
At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance--A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power 4.47 avg rating — 3,602 ratings
74.
Begin with the Past: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture
Begin with the Past: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture 4.26 avg rating — 19 ratings
74.
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race 4.38 avg rating — 99,863 ratings
77.
The Untold History of Black Comic Books
The Untold History of Black Comic Books 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings
78.
Black Detroit: A People's History of Self-Determination
Black Detroit: A People's History of Self-Determination
by: Herb Boyd
3.76 avg rating — 335 ratings
78.
Tappin' at the Apollo: The African American Female Tap Dance Duo Salt and Pepper
Tappin' at the Apollo: The African American Female Tap Dance Duo Salt and Pepper 4.25 avg rating — 4 ratings
78.
Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America
Our Time Is Now: Power, Purpose, and the Fight for a Fair America 4.42 avg rating — 8,136 ratings
81.
People Get Ready!: A New History of Black Gospel Music
People Get Ready!: A New History of Black Gospel Music 4.06 avg rating — 32 ratings
82.
Remembering Jim Crow: African Americans Tell About Life in the Segregated South (with MP3 Audio CD)
Remembering Jim Crow: African Americans Tell About Life in the Segregated South (with MP3 Audio CD) 4.25 avg rating — 288 ratings
82.
How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice From White People
How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice From White People 4.03 avg rating — 3,465 ratings
84.
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know
Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don't Know really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 329,309 ratings
84.
In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives
In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives 4.08 avg rating — 1,349 ratings
84.
Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture
Twisted: The Tangled History of Black Hair Culture 4.26 avg rating — 4,529 ratings
87.
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants 3.97 avg rating — 189,407 ratings
87.
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor 4.33 avg rating — 30,142 ratings
89.
Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America
Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America 4.44 avg rating — 2,817 ratings
89.
Double Victory: How African American Women Broke Race and Gender Barriers to Help Win World War II
Double Victory: How African American Women Broke Race and Gender Barriers to Help Win World War II 3.90 avg rating — 106 ratings
91.
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness 4.38 avg rating — 72,275 ratings
92.
Strange Fruit, Volume I: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History (1)
Strange Fruit, Volume I: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History (1) 4.07 avg rating — 1,074 ratings
93.
The Black History of the White House
The Black History of the White House 4.16 avg rating — 425 ratings
94.
The Amazing Bud Powell: Black Genius, Jazz History, and the Challenge of Bebop
The Amazing Bud Powell: Black Genius, Jazz History, and the Challenge of Bebop 3.87 avg rating — 30 ratings
95.
The Black Seminoles: History of a Freedom-Seeking People
The Black Seminoles: History of a Freedom-Seeking People 4.11 avg rating — 44 ratings
96.
The Beast in Florida: A History of Anti-Black Violence
The Beast in Florida: A History of Anti-Black Violence 3.92 avg rating — 13 ratings
97.
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X
by: Les Payne
4.34 avg rating — 4,840 ratings
97.
Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films
Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films 4.22 avg rating — 417 ratings
99.
Emancipation Betrayed: The Hidden History Of Black Organizing And White Violence In Florida From Reconstruction To The Bloody Election Of 1920 (Volume 16)
Emancipation Betrayed: The Hidden History Of Black Organizing And White Violence In Florida From Reconstruction To The Bloody Election Of 1920 (Volume 16) 4.16 avg rating — 69 ratings
100.
A story untold: Black men and women in Athens history
A story untold: Black men and women in Athens history 4.20 avg rating — 10 ratings
Next