Black History Month Books Recommended by the Birmingham Public Library

Birmingham, Ala. - Looking for good books to read during Black History Month? Or have you been given a school assignment to read a book on the topic of African American history or social justice?

The Birmingham Public Library along with other members of the Jefferson County Library Cooperative (JCLC) have several books available for checkout under the topic "Black History" (click on the catalog here)

My personal favorites are Dear Martin by Nic Stone and BPL's collection of books about Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Central Library has a display that includes books on both Black History and the Negro Baseball League on the first floor. There are also several books on display on the third floor of the Central Library.

Here are some recommendations of good books to read on the topic of Black History and social justice - recommended by Gus Jones, head of the Central Library Fiction Department. Happy reading!

Good reads - African American Nonfiction Books (recommended by Gus Jones)

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness - Michelle Alexander

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou

Hidden Figures - Margot Lee Shetterly

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

The Autobiography of Malcolm X - Malcolm X

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass - Frederick Douglass

Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America - Michael Eric Dyson

Becoming - Michelle Obama (BPL also has a young readers edition of Becoming)

Roots: The Saga of an American Family - Alex Haley

Up from Slavery - Booker T. Washington

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl - Harriet Ann Jacobs