13 nonfiction books worth reading during Black History Month (or anytime)

Last week I shared some fiction books I think are worth reading this month. I’m picky about fiction, but these 10 are ones I’d recommend to anyone.

Today I’m going to share a similar list of nonfiction books by Black authors. I culled these from the many books I’ve read over the years. These stand out as my favorite.

The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton

I first learned about Anthony Ray Hinton in the book Just Mercy, in which the author recounts his successful attempt to help Hinton get off of death row after he was wrongfully convicted. It is hard to comprehend someone spending 30 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and it’s amazing to see that he emerged from prison with his sanity and hope in humankind intact.

Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir by Kwame Onwuachi

I can’t remember how I ran across this book, but it was a fascinating look not only at race in the context of the restaurant industry, but it also just talked a lot about food. The restaurant industry is a difficult place to work no matter what, and this book chronicles Onwuachi’s attempt to find his place.

Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

I watched the film version of this book before I read the book. The film was almost too painful to watch, and I will never forget the visceral reactions of the Black men and women sitting around us in the theater. The book is just as compelling, as it tells the story of a free Black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South.

Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela

This is a long one (a long walk if you will), but well worth the listen.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

I can still remember where I was when I was listening to this audiobook: in our kitchen in South Carolina, standing at our little island. The author reads it, and it made me completely rethink my thoughts about diet culture and body image.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

This book is written in the form of letters from a father to his son. It looks at American history with a focus on race and while I can’t imagine how non-White people feel reading it, I found it helped me put myself in the shoes of people who are very different from me.

The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism by Jemar Tisby

If you are a Christian, and especially a Christian in the South, this should be required reading. Also,

Jemar Tisby, PhD

is on Substack, and you should follow him!

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

I knew almost nothing about the prison industrial complex until I read this book, and it was not an encouraging read, but I think it’s a necessary one. My views on prison were changed as a result of this book.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass

Another narrative of a former slave, this one is more famous than Solomon Northup’s, but both are worth reading.

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

This is probably one of my top ten favorite books, full stop. I am ashamed to say I didn’t even know what the Great Migration was until I read this book. It follows three people during this period of history when Jim Crow laws were still in effect in the South and many Blacks moved up north or out west.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

Yes, there are two Isabel Wilkerson books on this list, because they are both incredible. This one is about race, but it looks more at the way American culture is actually a caste system.

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

I read this one after reading Hunger because I found myself very interested in memoirs from individuals who struggle with body image issues. This one comes from a male perspective.

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry

This is part memoir, part travel diary, and it tells stories about the history of the South that I had never heard, despite having lived in the South for 25 years and reading a lot of books.

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I’d love to know if you’ve read any of these books. Are there any you’d add to the list?