The legacy of Black-authored books spans decades with enlightening stories involving education, romance, mystery, and resilience. Some of our greatest scribes include the late Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, and Octavia E. Butler, all of whom gave Black readers lessons on surviving the times despite the odds stacked against us. 

To honor these book laureates and more, here’s a list of titles that belong on your must-read list.

Assata Shakur - “Assata: An Autobiography”

In the memoir “Assata,” former Black Liberation Army activist and freedom fighter Assata Shakur recounts her upbringing, murder conviction, and 1979 prison breakout that caused her to go into exile in Cuba.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - “We Should All Be Feminists”

In her first essay-form book, “We Should All Be Feminists,” Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie invites readers to eliminate deep-rooted gender norms that make us believe that the practice of feminism is solely for women.

Frederick Douglass -  “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave”

Former slave-turned-anti-slave crusader Frederick Douglass details his escape and journey into intellectualism in his 1845 memoir, which was a bestseller and influential for providing a narrative of Douglass’ leadership.

Gloria Naylor - “Mama Day”

The mythical and spiritual combine in Gloria Naylor's “Mama Day,” where protagonist Cocoa understands her Willow Springs roots and the powerful matriarch of her family.

James Baldwin - “The Fire Next Time”

Author and social critic James Baldwin puts Americans on notice that racism won’t be eternally tolerated in his 1963 novel, predicting a national hellscape if inequality doesn’t meet its end.

Dr. Maya Angelou - “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”

In her 1969 autobiography, Dr. Maya Angelou recalls her difficult upbringing by immersing herself in the years between three and sixteen but frees herself by coming to terms with the past.

Ralph Ellison - “Invisible Man”

Ellison’s first novel and the only one published during his lifetime, the landmark book “Invisible Man” follows a nameless Black man who finds himself lost in early 20th-century racism and social bias.

Richard Wright - “Native Son”

Wright’s devastating 1940 novel “Native Son” centers on Bigger Thomas, a hopeful young Black man in Chicago, whose dreams turn into despair when he accidentally kills his employer’s white daughter, Mary Dalton.

Toni Morrison - “The Bluest Eye”

Claudia, the narrator in Toni Morrison's first novel, “The Bluest Eye,” describes how Pecola, a classmate, has a negative self-image due to the early 1940s European beauty standards.

Octavia E. Butler - “Parable of the Sower”

In “Parable of the Sower,” sci-fi literacy great Octavia E. Butler sees the future through protagonist Lauren Olamina, who challenges humans to alter their survivability as the earth undergoes climate change and social unrest.