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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.

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

James Baldwin, James Baldwin birthday, James Baldwin books, black authors, theGrio.com
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.

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“Beloved” by Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison, thegrio.com
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

Alice Walker, purple, theGrio.com
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

Booker T. Washington, theGrio.com
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.

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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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Students of the South University win a lot with a short document

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Southern University


Recently there have been students from Southern University and A&M College honored A short documentary film for his or her work.

Loren Sullivan, Verbon Muhammad, Sydney Cuillar, Ashley Lovelace and Eric White, referred to as “Dream Team”, received Emmy Sportowe HBCU in 2025 during a ceremony in New York in New York.

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“This is not just a win – this is a call to act in order to invest in art,” said Sullivan, a senior from Chino Hills, California, who focuses on mass communication.

Sullivan is a member of the Human Jukebox Media team. Other filmmakers are recent graduates of the South University. Cuillar, Lovelace and White are a former office of student media members, while Muhammad is a former member of the Human Jukebox Media team.

He emphasizes the heritage of the “Human Jukebox” school marching team and its impact on sport and athletics at historically black universities and universities (HBCU).

The document was submitted as an entry in the Emmy Awards as part of the National HBCU Sports Broadcasting HBCU HBCU SPONTH competition by Coca-Cola Company and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences foundation.

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Film creators said that they plan to create scholarships for college kids of the University in southern place and transfer part of the subsidy to the human cabinet cabinet and the Mass Communication Department of the South University.

The document can be available on YouTube later this summer.

The school also announced that the Southern University School of Nursing famous The largest class of doctoral students of nursing in its history. Twelve students obtained a doctoral degree in nursing practice (DNP), and two students received a doctorate. in nursing. A graduate Darryl Davis was the first man to win a doctorate under the DNP program.

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(Tagstranslate) Emmy Award (T) The Hidden Sport (T) Human Jukebox Marching Band (T) Southern University

This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Tabitha Brown refers to negativity after he talked about the influence of the target boycott on black authors: “I pray for love to find you”

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Tabitha Brown will all the time be in favor of black authors, black corporations, content creators and creations, regardless of what haters can say.

After Backlash after she told about how the target boycott affects black authors on Tuesday, May 20, a 46-year-old web personality and the writer doubled her support of her peers in the film sent Instagram.

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“This is my prayer for you”, the founder of “Donny’s Reptipe” began in a movie, returned to all users flooding her comments and DM “uneducated” hate news.

“I pray for love to find you, true love. I pray that she finds you and keeps you tightly,” she continued. “I pray that somebody will love you sufficient to see you, see you whenever you do not feel good, see you whenever you need real support, to see you whenever you need sympathy to see you whenever you need kindness. I pray that somebody loves you sufficient to sacrifice your life.

In the video signature, Vegan influence on food explained that he was not withdrawing from his support in the near future.

“There is no hatred and ignorance that will stop me from using my platform and voice to support and raise small companies, black companies, black content creators, black authors,” said. “Take it with God because he gave me my voice, blessed me with a platform and I’m going to use it.”

Earlier on the same day, Brown devoted a moment to share an insight into how the destination boycott, began at the end of January after the retailer announced that he would withdraw the DEI initiative, influenced some of her peers. In the filmShe noticed that she had just received a plaque from the New York Times bestsellers on the occasion of her kid’s book “Hello Im, Sunshine”, and made her think about other black authors who try to move the titles from the shelves at the Big Box seller.

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“Target is a huge seller of books that sells our books, so because of the boycott, many books of our black authors did not sell well, because people did not buy books because they are sold in target,” explained Brown. “This influenced their sale. This affected their ability to be on the New York Times bestseller list. But the bigger problem is that it also affects the next contract.”

Although she noticed that she wanted boycotters to be “attentive” on the impact of not shopping in Target, she also encouraged people to support black authors through other channels “because if not, they may not display their number.”

She also turned to publishers, calling them not to consider selling the last five months for the “truth” of these authors.

“These numbers do not reflect … their truth,” said the actress. “They are talented writers with beautiful stories and they have something that they did not do on them.”

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When a boycott began for the first time, Brown was one of the first to defend black corporations. In January she received a bottle when she called for consumers to consider black corporations and black authors, trying to send a message to the seller.

In his film on Tuesday, Brown updates the followers of a boycott, saying that “he prays that it has soon ended and we receive resolution.”

A member of the cast

(Tagstranslate) Tabitha Brown

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Schools announced to the National Battle of the Bands

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HBCU Marching Band, Alabama State University, battle of the bands


Another national battle of bands will happen in Houston on August 23 at the NRG stadium.

According to Webber Marketing, he accomplished a press conference. The company is working With the unit of Harris – Houston Sports Authority and Lone Star Sports & Entertainment to bring the public the national battle of the Pepsi Battle of the Batts. It shall be the eleventh anniversary of the event.

Eight schools will present talents of musicians participating in the National Battle of the Bands.

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“Officially, there is the composition of the National Battle of Pepsi in Pepsi in Pepsi and we bring 8 most dynamic marching teams in the country to the NRG stadium in August!”

“We try to raise the platform and experience each year,” said Derek Webber, general director of Webber Marketing and executive producer of the National Battle of the Bands. “NBOTB is more than a performance. It’s a move that celebrates tradition, talent and impact of HBCU throughout the country.”

Recommended schools are:

  • Alabama A&M University – Marching Maroon & White
  • Albany State University – Marching Rams Show Band
  • Florida A&M University – “100” marching
  • Jackson State University – sound boom in the south
  • Langston University – Marching Pride Band
  • North Carolina A & T State University – Blue & Gold Marching Machine
  • Prairie view a & m university – Marching Storm
  • Texas Southern University – “Ocean of Soul”

The event will include several functions for the community except and in reference to NBOTB.

2025 nbotb Weeknitowe Wydłody includes:
  • Emerging Experience Conference: Powered by JPMorgan Chase, combining innovators and small business leaders. Free of charge with registration.
  • Fan experience (Saturday, August 23 at NRG Center from 12:00 – 15:30):
    Free, community -oriented event that enlivens the energy of the NBOTB weekend. The impressions of the fans are the following foremost activations:
  • Pepsi experience: Interactive experience with national performances of artists, live entertainment and the living market of suppliers and partners.
  • HBCU College & Career Fair: An event wealthy in resources that mix students with HBCU and profession possibilities through details about parties, representatives on the spot and lots of others.
  • Walk from the competition: Dynamic showcase of step and walking culture, celebrating black Greek letter organizations and HBCU tradition.
  • Nbotb cares community outreach: Transfer of initiatives corresponding to feeding the involvement of the homeless and youth.

To get details about the event, people can go to the website www.nationalbattleofthebands.com. Information can be available through social media: @Nationalbattleoftheofthebands on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and YouTube. @Nationalbotb on Twitter.

(Tagstotransate) Battle of the Bands

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This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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