Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Black Voices, Bold Stories: Must-Read African American Books
16
items This list celebrates the brilliance, resilience, and creativity of Black authors—past and present. From literary classics to modern memoirs and powerful poetry, these books offer stories that reflect Black joy, pain, strength, and truth. Whether you’...
Sections
5
Contemporary Black Voices
Timeless Black Literature
Memoir + Real Stories
Culture, Race & Identity
Poetry + Creative Soul
Contemporary Black Voices
Modern stories from authors redefining culture, identity, and power.
A stunning novel about twin sisters who choose different racial identities and the lifelong impact of that decision.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
A sharp, witty take on race, privilege, and performative allyship through the lens of a young Black babysitter.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
A sensual, poetic story about grief, love, and reclaiming your joy.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
Timeless Black Literature
Books that shaped Black literary tradition and continue to inspire
A lyrical and powerful coming-of-age story about love, independence, and finding your voice.
Their Eyes Were Watching God: Hurston, Zora Neale
A foundational text in Black thought and American history—powerful, political, and deeply reflective.
The Souls of Black Folk
A semi-autobiographical exploration of faith, family, and Black identity in America.
Go Tell It on the Mountain (Vintage Intl)
Memoir + Real Stories
Honest, bold, and unfiltered stories from Black lives and legacies.
Intimate, inspiring, and authentic—Michelle Obama’s story of growing, leading, and thriving in her truth.
Becoming: Obama, Michelle: 9781524763138
A raw, lyrical memoir exploring weight, trauma, Black masculinity, and survival.
Heavy - Kiese Laymon
Funny, vulnerable essays from the creator of Insecure on being smart, introverted, and unapologetically different.
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl: Rae
Culture, Race & Identity
Books that challenge systems and explore what it means to be Black in America.
I love how the book explains how the medical world is truly like and the effect it had on the slaves
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on ...
An essential read on mass incarceration and systemic racism in the U.S. justice system.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration
A remix of history told through a lens that’s real, relevant, and made for the next generation.
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You Remix
A collection of essays and speeches from one of the most powerful Black feminist voices in history
Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde
Poetry + Creative Soul
Rhythmic, raw, and revolutionary—these poets don’t hold back.
A moving and powerful poem that captivated the world during the 2021 inauguration.
“The Hill We Climb” - Amanda Gorman
Poetry meets visual art and real-life microaggressions in this genre-breaking masterpiece.
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
A motivational spoken-word piece meant for dreamers, creators, and those learning to believe in themselves.
For Every One by Jason Reynolds