Black Lives Matter
Look, black boy
Caleb Rainey
811.6 /Rainey
Black Lives Matter, Read Woke, Black History
"In his debut poem collection Caleb 'The Negro Artist' Rainey explores racial tensions in America from the perspective of a young Black male."--
Dear Justyce
Nic Stone
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Stone Nic
Black Lives Matter, Young Adult
Incarcerated teen Quan Banks writes letters to Justyce McCallister, with whom he bonded years before over family issues, about his experiences in the American juvenile justice system. 13+.
Great sequel to Dear Martin for those boys who have not had the same opportunities as the Justyce McAllister's. -Victoria
Grown : a novel
Tiffany D. Jackson
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Jackson Tiffany
Black Lives Matter, Young Adult
"When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields? Before there was a dead body, Enchanted's dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey's charm and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he's dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted"--
Based very loosely on R.Kelly's allegations and conviction, this is a page-turning story of something author Tiffany D. Jackson experienced. Warning: this book describes sexual assault and kidnapping. Ages 14+ -Victoria
Punching the Air
Ibi Aanu Zoboi
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Zoboi Ibi
Black Lives Matter, Young Adult
From award-winning, bestselling author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam of the Exonerated Five comes a powerful YA novel in verse about a boy who is wrongfully incarcerated. The story that I thought was my life didn't start on the day I was born. Amal Shahid has always been an artist and a poet. But even in a diverse art school, he's seen as disruptive and unmotivated by a biased system. Then one fateful night, an altercation in a gentrifying neighborhood escalates into tragedy. "Boys just being boys" turns out to be true only when those boys are white. The story that I think will be my life starts today. Suddenly, at just sixteen years old, Amal's bright future is upended: he is convicted of a crime he didn't commit and sent to prison. Despair and rage almost sink him until he turns to the refuge of his words, his art. This never should have been his story. But can he change it' With spellbinding lyricism, award-winning author Ibi Zoboi and prison reform activist Yusef Salaam tell a moving and deeply profound story about how one boy is able to maintain his humanity and fight for the truth, in a system designed to strip him of both. Ages 12+
This book, written in verse is a masterpiece very loosely based on the exonerated 5 member Yusef Salaam, who co-authors the book. This book touched me to my core and brought the inhumanity of the school-to-prison pipeline blatantly into view. -Victoria
Don't touch my hair!
Sharee (Illustrator) Miller
jE Miller
Read Woke, Black Lives Matter, Picture Books
Aria loves her soft and bouncy hair, but must go to extremes to avoid people who touch it without permission until, finally, she speaks up. Includes author's note.
Sharee Miller's books are great! I particularly love this one. -Casey
Sadiq and the desert star
Siman Nuurali
jFICTION Nuurali Siman
Read Woke, Black Lives Matter, Early Chapter Books
Sadiq's father is going on a business trip, but before he goes he tells Sadiq a story of the Desert Star, which fits in perfectly with Sadiq's third grade class field trip to the planetarium, and inspires Sadiq to build a simple telescope to study the stars when his father returns.
Join Sadiq as he learns all about the solar system in this one! This is the first book in the Sadiq series. -Casey
White Fragility
Robin J. DiAngelo
305.8/DiAngelo
Nonfiction, Black Lives Matter
In this groundbreaking and timely book, antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo explores how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.
Every white person needs to read this book. It feels like the most helpful diversity training you will ever experience, and while sometimes the truth hurts, the sooner white people realize we live in a indoctrinated racist society and take steps to reverse it, the better. I love the directness of this book. It's very no nonsense--whether you like it or not, we exist in a racist society. Here's why and what you can do about it. It's very important and I strongly believe it's what everyone needs to get on board with understanding in order to move forward. -Mari
The women who caught the babies : a story of African American midwives
Eloise Greenfield
j811 Greenfield
Black Lives Matter, Nonfiction, Kids
Through historical information, poems, illustrations, and photographs, the author shows the ways in which African American midwives have helped families over the course of hundreds of years.
Added by Anne W
Young, gifted and black : meet 52 black heroes from past and present
Jamia Wilson
jBIOGRAPHY 920.996 Wilson
Black Lives Matter, Kids, Nonfiction, Biographies
This book brings together 52 iconic talents from the past and present and celebrates their inspirational achievements. Meet figureheads, leaders and pioneers such as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks, as well as cultural trailblazers and sporting heroes, including Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey and Serena Williams.
Added by Anne W
Little leaders : bold women in black history
Vashti Harrison
jBIOGRAPHY 920.996 Harrison
Black Lives Matter, Nonfiction, Kids, Biographies
Based on her popular Instagram posts, debut author/illustrator Vashti Harrison shares the stories of 40 bold African American women who shaped history.
Added by Anne W
Caleb Rainey is a local poet and founder of IC Speaks, a poetry group for high schoolers. This book will have you nodding, snapping and clapping line after line. His verse is raw, honest and spot on. Go see him live if you get the chance! -Victoria