Black History Month 2023

Books about Black History Month for Children and Teens

“Hey You!: An Empowering Celebration of Growing Up Black” by Dapo Adeola

“What Does Brown Mean to You” by Ron Grady

“I Am Amazing!” by Alissa Holder and Zulekha Holder-Young

“Little Black Boy: Oh, the Things You Will Do!” by Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Larry C. Fields III

“Little Black Girl: Oh, the Things You Will Do!” by Kirby Howell-Baptiste

“Black: The Many Wonders of My World” by Nancy Johnson James

“Black Gold” by Laura Obuobi

“Dear Black Child” by Rahma Rodaah

“Shine Bright” by Kheris Rogers

“Hold Them Close : A Love Letter to Black Children” by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow

Books about Black History Month for Adults

“Power Hungry: Women of the Black Panther Party and Freedom Summer and Their Fight to Feed a Movement” by Suzanne Cope
Two unsung women whose power using food as a political weapon during the civil rights movement was so great it brought the ire of government agents working against them.

“Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad”
by Matthew F. Delmont
This history of World War II as told from the African American perspective looks at the bravery and patriotism of the one million black men and women who served in the face of unfathomable racism.

“African Founders: How Enslaved People Expanded American Ideals” by David Hackett Fischer
In this sweeping, foundational work, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David Hackett Fischer draws on extensive research to show how enslaved Africans and their descendants enlarged American ideas of freedom in varying ways in different regions of the early United States.

“A Worthy Piece of Work: The Untold Story of Madeline Morgan and the Fight for Black History in Schools”
by Michael Hines
The story of a teacher and an activist in World War II-era Chicago whose efforts to teach Black History in schools became a model for teachers, schools, districts and cities across the country.

“I Can’t Wait to Call You My Wife: African American Letters of Love and Family in the Civil War Era”
by Rita Roberts
This book honors the voices of African Americans of the Civil War era through their letters, inviting readers to engage personally with the Black historical experience.