February is Black History Month, a time to honor Black history, as well as the achievements of Black people. One area in which Black people have been making strides throughout the last century is literature.
“The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett
Having grown up in Mallard, a town in Louisiana that is almost entirely populated by fair-skinned Creoles, the Vignes sisters are identical twins with opposite lives. Ten years after running away, Desiree returns with her daughter to the town she’d once been dying to leave. Meanwhile, halfway across the country, Stella “passes” as a white woman. Spanning three decades and two generations, Brit Bennett’s sophomore release paints a stunning portrait of a family whose lives drift apart, then intersect again.
“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas
When 16-year-old Starr Carter’s best friend is killed over a busted taillight, she is suddenly thrust out of her reclusive latchkey kid routine and into the spotlight as both a witness and activist. On top of that, she struggles to reconcile existing in both Black and White spaces and bridging her two worlds. Thomas’s writing is thought-provoking and painfully real. She’s the author of other novels taking place in fictional Garden Heights, including “Concrete Rose”.
“Love is a Revolution” by Renee Watson
Renee Watson’s 2021 novel follows Nala, a plus-sized Black teenager who looks forward to spending her summer with her best friend, Imani. But when she meets the “very woke” Tye, her plans are quickly derailed as she leads him to believe she is an activist. Her white lies aren’t without consequences, however, and her fake activism impacts her relationship with Imani and Tye. Watson’s books come highly recommended by OHS librarian Stacy Udo.
“Redwood Court” by DeLana R.A. Dameron
Mika, the youngest daughter of the working-class Tabor family, spends most of her days in the care of older family members. Her grandparents, who were children in the Jim Crow era. Her parents, who work long and hard to ensure she and her sister experience the magic of a family vacation. Her sister, whose interests are starkly different than most in their community. Featuring a cast of brilliant characters and poetic prose, “Redwood Court” is Dameron’s fantastic debut.
“If Beale Street Could Talk” by James Baldwin
Deemed “a major work of American fiction” by The New Republic, James Baldwin’s 1974 novel offers a frank, yet powerful look at the actions of our justice system. “If Beale Street Could Talk” centers on Tish and Fonny, a young Black couple in Harlem expecting their first child. Fonny, an artist, finds himself imprisoned after being falsely accused of rape. Throughout Fonny’s imprisonment, Tish remains committed to loving him, to freeing him and to having his baby.