Black history is not just a month; it’s a continued engagement with the past to give context to the present. It’s a living, breathing, constantly evolving thing and it’s every day. And so the work towards anti-racism must be every day. So for this Black History Month, we’re offering up a list of resources from past and present to help amplify voices and perspectives from Black culture and keep that work going, not just today, but in the future, too.
Read
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
This book examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to author Alex Haley
A story of strength and struggle that offers an intimate look into the civil rights icon’s life and legacy.
The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Following the only Black Employee at a publishing company, this debut novel is an entertaining page-turner.
The Nickle Boys by Colson Whitehead
It’s the kind of book that sticks with you well after putting it down —it draws inspiration from the Dozier School for Boys and pushes on the concept of naiveté.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
A powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis.
Full Dissidence: Notes from an Uneven Playing Field by Howard Bryant
Confront the dangerous narratives that are shaping the current dialogue in sports and mainstream culture.
Hidden Figures by Margo Lee Shetterly
The true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program.
Hair Story by Ayana Byrd
A humorous but informative chronicle of black hair in America looks back at the styles, myths, and grooming techniques adopted by African Americans throughout their history.
The Color of Law by Richard Rothstein
How the government and our courts upheld racist policies to maintain the separation of whites and blacks.
Black Firsts: 500 Years of Trailblazing Achievements and Ground-Breaking Events by Jessie Carney Smith
Revel and rejoice in the renowned and lesser-known, barrier-breaking trailblazers in all fields of life.
Watch
Documentary
I am not your Negro
A film exploring the history of racism in the United States through James Baldwin’s recollections of civil rights leaders and his personal observations of American history.
White Savior: Racism in the American Church Trailer
A documentary exploring the historic roots and ongoing relationship between racism and American Christianity.
Series
The Underground Railroad
A beautiful, painful, Emmy award-winning series about a young woman’s attempt to break free from slavery in the deep south.
Insecure
A TV series created by, and starring Issa Rae, which follows the awkward experiences of a contemporary African-American woman.
The Wonder Years
A coming-of-age comedy TV series inspired by the 1988 original, but reimagined as the tale of a black child in 60s Alabama.
Listen
Podcasts
1619
NYT – Reframing USA’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the center of its narrative.
Code Switch
Fearless conversations about race hosted by journalists of color, tackling the subject of race with empathy and humor.
Intersectionality Matters podcast
Hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American civil rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory.
Socials
@kingofoneself_100 – Learn something new about Black History
@blackaristocratart – Learn something new about Black Art History
@janayathefuture – Activist. Storyteller.
@misspackyetti – Activist. Educator. Writer.
Go & Support
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)
A Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C. The only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture.
Semicolon
A Black woman-owned bookstore and gallery space in Chicago.
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, LDF seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve racial justice in a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all Americans.
Charity Navigator
Explore other options to contribute financially.
