5 books by black authors – a way to pay tribute to Black History

Look at the books you've read recently - then ask yourself, are they all written by people of the same ethnicity as you? Broadening your knowledge isn't just about reading lots of books. It's about reading books that challenge your thoughts, preconceptions, and knowledge gaps from a diverse set of authors that reflect our country’s ethnic mix.

Here are some great examples:

Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson -- Bryan is one of the most dynamic speakers I’ve ever seen. In Just Mercy, he shares the stories of our broken justice system and the innocent people who are victims. I couldn’t put the book down.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou – I had the chance to interview Maya years ago on the topic of money. That deep voice and her wisdom about financial advisors still echos. Of her first book, The Guardian says, “The first volume of Maya Angelou's autobiography is proof of her inner strength and a testament to the power of words.

The caged bird "sings of freedom", writes Maya Angelou in her poem "Caged Bird.” The book vividly depicts Angelou's "tender years" from the ages of three to 16, partly in the American south during the depression-wracked 1930s, while also offering timeless insights into the empowering quality of books.

Freshwater, Akwaeke Emezi -- “A stunning and disorienting story about a broken woman trying to overcome the pain of her human life while straddling ‘the other side.’ It interweaves Igbo religious myth with a story of overcoming mental illness — floating between the corporeal and metaphysical. ... Freshwater is unlike any novel I have ever read. Its shape-shifting perspective is radical and innovative, twisting the narrative voices like the bones of a python.” — The Toronto Star

Hunger, a Memoir of (My) Body, Roxane Gay -- “At a time when there is no shortage of recommendations for women on how to discipline or make peace with their bodies, Roxane Gay’s book, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, stands out precisely because she begins it by declaring that she hasn’t overcome her ‘unruly body and unruly appetites.’” — The Atlantic

Little Leaders, Vashti Harrison -- My own daughter loves when I read books about notable women of color. “Harrison’s book focuses on great black women, and it’s lovely to see Lorna Simpson and Gwen Ifill ascend to the ranks of Marian Anderson and Bessie Coleman. Harrison wants readers to imagine themselves in such august company; her adorable illustrations depict all of these figures as a little black girl, an everygirl, in a variety of costumes and backdrops.” — The New York Times

Want more? Here's a review of 50 great books by HuffPo’s Caroline Bologna and 25 books by contemporary Black authors by Penguin Random House.