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Essential classics by black authors

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Stories that shaped history: Classic books by Black authors

It’s hard to know where to start out when reviewing the works of famous African-American authors. That’s why we highlight a few of one of the best classic books by Black authors.

This roundup covers each fiction and nonfiction, spanning multiple genres, so that you’re sure to seek out your next favorite book on this list.

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou

Dr. Maya Angelou attends her 82nd celebration with family and friends on May 20, 2010 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo: Steve Exum/Getty Images)

This stunning autobiography is maybe the best-known work of Maya Angelou (1928–2014), the Black American poet and civil rights activist, however it is definitely the primary in a seven-volume series. One of the true American classics, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings chronicles the primary 17 years of Angelou’s life.

“Go and Say It on the Mountain” by James Baldwin

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American author James Baldwin (1924-1987) during an interview on the Whitehall Hotel in Bloomsbury Square, London. (Photo: Jenkins/Getty Images)

Go and Say It on the Mountain is a coming-of-age novel and classic book by the eloquent American activist and creator James Baldwin (1924-1987). It is loosely based on his childhood growing up in Harlem. You may know Baldwin higher from his essays, but this piece of classic literature was his first book.

“Kindred” by Octavia Butler

A must-read for science fiction fans written by Black women, Kindred uses a time-travel plot to delve into questions on race, ancestry and the American experience. This science-fiction masterpiece is one in every of many by Octavia Butler (1947-2006), a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient and one of the crucial inventive Black writers of all time.

“The Souls of Black Folk” by WEB Du Bois

Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868 – 1963), 82-year-old anthropologist and publicist, co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), nominated because the candidate of the American Labor Party for senator from New York. (Photo: Keystone/Getty Images)

One of the earliest black-themed books on this list, The Souls of Black Folk is a 1903 collection of essays by Harvard-educated scholar and creator W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963). In it, Du Bois shares his sociological reflections on the experiences of Black Americans on the turn of the century.

“The Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison

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Portrait of author Ralph Ellison, creator of “The Invisible Man”, March 25, 1952. (Photo: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Winner of the 1953 National Book Award, “The Invisible Man” tells the story of an unnamed narrator who comes of age and participates within the Harlem Renaissance. In this and other works, creator and literary critic Ralph Ellison (1913-1994) explores race, identity, and the struggle to be seen as greater than a stereotype.

“The Passage” by Nella Larsen

One of many classic books by black authors, “Passing” tells the story of a black American woman who reconnects with a childhood friend and is shocked to learn that the friend passes for white. Nella Larsen (1891-1964) wrote this book and one other, but that does not stop her from being amongst probably the most respected African-American authors in history.

“Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches” by Audre Lorde

Written by famed Black poet and thinker Audre Lorde (1934-1992), “Sister Outsider” is a series of essays confronting homophobia, racism, sexism, and their intersection within the lives of Lorde and her contemporaries. This and far of Lorde’s work is important to understanding the deep roots of black feminism today.

“Beloved” by Toni Morrison

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CHICAGO – OCTOBER 20: Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner Toni Morrison gesticulates while talking to speak show host Oprah Winfrey throughout the annual Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner on October 20, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Carl Sandburg Literary Award is awarded annually to an creator whose significant achievements have increased society’s awareness of the written word. Photo: Frank Polich/Getty Images)

If you’ve got checked out classic books by black authors before, you’ve got almost actually heard of this 1988 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, which depicts post-Civil War America from the angle of a supposedly haunted family of formerly enslaved people. “Beloved” is a wonderful introduction to the impressive achievements of literary icon Toni Morrison (1931–2019).

“Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston

This influential novel chronicles the tumultuous love life and supreme awakening of a black woman named Janie. Although Their Eyes Were Watching God was not well received upon its release, its creator, Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960), became one of the crucial successful black women writers of the primary half of the twentieth century.

“The Street” by Ann Petry

“The Street,” the primary novel by a black woman to sell over 1,000,000 copies, chronicles single mother Lutie Johnson’s fruitless seek for the American Dream in Nineteen Forties Harlem. The debut novel by author Ann Petry (1908–1997) was actually a terrific success, immediately cementing her place within the pantheon of classic black authors.

“Citizen: An American Lyric” by Claudia Rankine

This modern classic by the American poet Claudia Rankine (born 1963) defies categorization. He brings together many kinds of writing and media to create a moving portrait of the present state of Black America. Citizen was released in 2014, just 10 years ago, but that is long enough for readers and critics to acknowledge it as a classic.

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas, theGrio.com
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 03: Author Angie Thomas attends “The Hate U Give” Atlanta Red Carpet Show at Regal Atlantic Station on October 3, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for twentieth Century Fox)

Published in 2017, the novel tells the story of a black teenager whose life changes when she witnesses the police unjustly shooting her childhood friend. Written by creator Angie Thomas (b. 1988) after the murder of Oscar Grant, The Hate U Give is an age-appropriate have a look at race relations Black teens.

“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker

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NEW YORK – DECEMBER 01: (USA TABS AND HOLLYWOOD REPORTER OUT) Author Alice Walker attends the Broadway opening of “The Color Purple” on the Broadway Theater on December 1, 2005 in New York City. (Photo: Peter Kramer/Getty Images)

Alice Walker’s (born 1944) timeless American classic tells the story of Celie, a black woman who survives an abusive relationship and finds her own meaning in life. You may recognize the title from the 1985 and 2023 film adaptations (the latter is predicated on the stage musical of the identical name).

“Up From Slavery” by Booker T. Washington

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Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee University (Photo: Library of Congress)

In this Reconstruction-era memoir, American educator Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) shares his experiences of being born into slavery within the antebellum period, becoming emancipated at age nine, and growing up to seek out that racism didn’t disappear with slavery. legal.

“Native Son” by Richard Wright

The first novel by creator Richard Wright (1908-1960), “Native Son”, is a tragic story a few 20-year-old black man who by accident kills a white woman and suffers greatly for this crime.

We rejoice the black literary tradition

We hope this guide has helped you in your seek for one of the best books ever written by black authors. If you are still in search of recommendations, take a look at our archive of every little thing that you must learn about existing and upcoming ones books by black writers.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Tina Knowles will tell her story in her memoir “Matriarch,” scheduled for release next year

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NEW YORK (AP) — Tina Knowles will release a memoir next spring with a title that will not surprise her many admirers.

Fashion designer and Beyoncé’s motherSolange Knowles and “bonus daughter” Kelly Rowland have signed a take care of Random House Publishing Group to publish “Matriarch,” which the publisher calls in part the story of a “determined, self-possessed, self-aware and wise woman” who raised and inspired a number of the great artists of our time.

The book’s premiere is scheduled for April 22.

“I have always been a storyteller and I learned that from my mother,” Tina Knowles said in a press release Tuesday. “When I had my own family, I believed that my daughters needed to know where they came from to know where they were going.”

“I call this book ‘The Matriarch’ because I am inspired by the wisdom that women pass on to each other from generation to generation – and the inner wisdom that we long to discover within ourselves. Even at 70, I’m still learning valuable lessons that I would have learned in my 40s or even 20s. So I decided to tell my story because I know what it means for me, my daughters and future generations of women.”

Tina Knowles was recently honored as Glamor magazine’s Woman of the Year, and Beyoncé was amongst those in attendance on the ceremony in New York. “Matriarch” will be published by Random House’s One World imprint, which also includes Ta-Nehisi Coates, Trevor Noah and Cathy Park Hong.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Johns Hopkins begins work on a building in honor of Henrietta Lacks

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In her short life, Henrietta Lacks inadvertently modified the face of medicine. Now the girl whose donated cells proceed to tell and advance medical research can even change the face of Johns Hopkins, because the institution begins work on a building named after her. On Monday, several of Lacks’ descendants joined representatives from Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine at a groundbreaking ceremony on the corner of Ashland and Rutland Avenues in Baltimore.

“Today we make a concrete commitment to ensure that Henrietta Lacks’ name is as immortal as her cells,” said Ron Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins University, based on the report from the institution. “When the Henrietta Lacks Building is built, it will be a vibrant, multidisciplinary place of learning, discovery and dialogue that will facilitate community-oriented medical research and support the next wave of progress in research and the promotion of research ethics. We look forward to a building that does justice to the transformative legacy of Henrietta Lacks, and we sincerely thank the members of the Lacks family for their generosity in lending this building her name.”

As documented in the best-selling book “The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks“Lacks’ history with Johns Hopkins is controversial. After starting treatment at this institution, a 31-year-old mother of five children was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Despite treatment, she died in October 1951. However, a sample of cells taken during Lacks’ biopsy proved resistant, and never only survived but additionally multiplied, a previously unseen phenomenon. Intrigued by the rarity of Lacks’ genetic material, biologist and cancer researcher George Gey, who was collecting and studying cells from cancer patients in the hospital on the time, made the samples freely available to other global researchers.

Lacks’ cells, because the cells named “HeLa” (representing the primary two letters of her name) would prove to be the idea for future medical research and innovation. In the years because the tissue was collected, its cells have been used in research on the human genome, in the treatment of cancer and HIV/AIDS, and even in currently available vaccines against polio and Covid-19, Johns Hopkins reports. Yet for all their value in the medical world, for a long time Lacks received no recognition or any compensation for her surviving family; that’s, until researcher and writer Rebecca Skloot uncovered Lacks’ story and investigated, with John Hopkins’ input, the bioethical issues surrounding the unauthorized harvesting of her precious cells.

“At several points over these decades, we discovered that Johns Hopkins could have – and should have – done more to inform and engage with the family members of Henrietta Lacks out of respect for them, their privacy and their personal interests,” he added. the institution finally relentedcommitting to cement Lacks’ legacy along with her family. In 2013, Johns Hopkins partnered with the Lacks family and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to create contract based on consent for the use of Lack’s genetic material in NIH-funded research. Two members of the Lacks family currently serve on the committee, one of whom is Henrietta Lacks’ granddaughter, Jeri Lacks Whye, who attended Monday’s groundbreaking.

“While this building will bear her name, it will also provide a space for further research, learning and inspiration for future generations,” Lacks Whye said in a statement. “We appreciate more than the scientific contributions her cells have made possible. We also acknowledge the story of a Black woman who didn’t live to see the world her cells helped create – a story that has been hidden for too long. We hope this building will continue to shine a light on her legacy.”

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At Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Theodore DeWeese, dean of the college of medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to just do that, stating: “Today just isn’t about these immortal cells, necessary as they’re. Today it’s about immortalizing the name of the girl from whom these cells come. The idea is that her name and unconscious role will all the time be remembered by all students, all residents, all other interns, management and staff entering the building that shall be built on this plot.

“(Henrietta Lacks) is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in science and medicine, and we truly hope that this building will be an important reflection on the importance of her life to this world,” DeWeese added.

Designed by Black architect Victor Vines The future building bearing Lacks’ name, situated on the Johns Hopkins campus in East Baltimore, shall be a 34,000-square-foot facility adjoining to the university’s Deering Hall, the longtime home of the Berman Institute of Bioethics. According to Johns Hopkins, the brand new building “will support multiple programs of the Berman Institute, Johns Hopkins University and the School of Medicine, and will house flexible programs and teaching space for educational, research and community use.”

“With the new building, the scope and depth of our work will expand,” said Jeffrey Kahn, director of the Berman Institute, adding, “and the dedication to Henrietta Lacks serves as an important reminder of the need for ethics, equity, responsible science, and community-engaged research.”

As for the inspiration behind the design, architect Vines described the concept as “veil-like (and) delicate, (yet) strong, bold and beautiful, which we thought this person was.” The building’s evocative features include “a grand staircase leading up through the building towards the sky, where I believe Henrietta Lacks is today,” added Vines, who collaborated with each Johns Hopkins and the Lacks family on the design concept.

For JaBrea Rodgers, Lacks’ great-granddaughter, this architectural tribute continues to disclose the complete significance of Lacks’ long-overlooked legacy. “Today we recognize not only her cells, but her humanity,” she said of the laying of the cornerstone. “My great-grandmother was a mother, wife and friend. While we cannot change the injustices of the past, we can make its legacy known and celebrated. As we look to the future of this building, may it be a symbol not only of scientific progress, but also of the continuing journey towards recognizing the humanity behind every discovery.”

Construction on the Henrietta Lacks Building at Johns Hopkins is anticipated to be accomplished in 2026.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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It’s official: Rihanna is for kids

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Rihanna and her family are stepping into the vacation spirit. This week, the Fenty mogul released a brand new Savage x Fenty campaign featuring two special guests — her children, RZA and Riot Rose. Posing along with her two-year-old and 14-month-old sons, Rihanna showed off the brand’s latest Christmas rompers at Instagram.

“We are officially one of those families that fits the holidays,” she captioned the post.

Since giving birth to her sons, Rihanna has been using her motherly instinct in her works, expanding her collections to incorporate kid’s sizes and more. However, it is not only her children who participate in her latest projects.

Recently, while promoting the discharge of her latest Fenty x Puma Avanti sneaker colorway, the mother of two invited a handful of her favorite kids’ social media influencers for a special press conference.

During the special event, the Fenty tycoon conducted quite a few interviews and conversations with young people, during which he gave and received advice. In an interview with seven-year-old E! News correspondent Francesca, who expressed hope of becoming “the next Rihanna,” the star encouraged her to dream greater.

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“Oh no, you must be better than Rihanna. Rihanna? It’s late. Before you grow up, I’ll be vintage. “Antique,” ​​she joked. “Aim for the celebrities. Don’t aim at me. Aim beyond me. You shall be incredible. I need (the following generation) to all the time be greater, higher, smarter and alter the world in ways we couldn’t.

Just because the star followed her sons’ example when designing her brand’s kid’s sneakers, she also learned self-confidence by talking to seven-year-old Miles “Relaxation therapy”. Admitting that she doesn’t all the time feel confident, Rihanna asked Miles to share his secret.

“Being kind and brave,” he said, adding that it is a balance of pondering and never pondering on a regular basis. “Just look at everything around you,” he advised within the cute clip. “Because then you can barely think because you are watching.”

Outside of her work within the Fenty universe, Rihanna, like all other mom, is attempting to juggle all of it — a lot in order that she admits Halloween took her by surprise this yr. Previously known for her extravagant Halloween costumes, she teased that her family will probably try to maintain a low profile this yr.

“(Halloween) consumed me very quickly,” she said Entertainment Tonight, revealing that she won’t be making lavish costumes this yr. “We won’t be making family costumes this yr.

“I chose the easiest costume: a ghost,” she added, holding her sons’ costumes near the vest in a moment where you possibly can discover with the mother. “I don’t want to say it because if Amazon doesn’t deliver, I’ll have to come up with something else.”


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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