15 Black Women Authors I’ve Read and Recommend

Spanning the 20th and 21st Centuries, classic to contemporary

Photo by Ohmky on Unsplash

I read a lot — about 50 books a year, give or take — and this includes authors of different genders, age, and race, incl. black women. And in light of everything, it seemed like as good of time as any (and let’s be real: there’s no bad time!) to celebrate them.

I know that this is very small in the grand scheme of where we need to go — as individuals, and as society; that “reading more writers of color” is scratching the surface of the sort of effort we should all put in.

But at the same time: evolving requires empathy. And part of empathy is gained in understanding and absorbing others’ perspectives; showing our support by listening to and honoring their voices — and experiences.

So, in alphabetical order by last name (but with a few faves called out), here are my picks:

Elizabeth Alexander

American poet, essayist, playwright, and the president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Elizabeth Alexander has published over a dozen books, including her memoir, New York Times Bestseller The Light of the World, as well as essay collection The Black Interior.

“The story seems to begin with catastrophe but in…