Book Recommendations by HBCU Alumni Authors

“Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora is a natural choice for an HBCU syllabus because it’s essentially an encyclopedia of Black food. This colorful masterpiece blends history, essays, and a sprinkle of poetry with striking photos and art and layers them with a wide variety of recipes to tell the story of Black food. The book is also a great fit because the author attended Xavier University of Louisiana, an HBCU in New Orleans — a city where the Black influence on food is undeniable.”

“Sister Outsider is an honest and powerful exploration of the realities that Black women face. Lorde’s gentle yet pointed writing is timeless and creates a sense of urgency but also hopefulness.”

“Aside from When Crack Was King, I think every HBCU student should read Black Futures by Kimberly Drew and J. Wortham. At a point in time when students are inundated with so many heady titles, Black Futures stands apart for its mix of journalism, photography, illustration, and poetry, all centered on to the beauty and complexity of the Black experience. You could open it every day and find something new to love.”

“One of my favorite quotes about history is from a novelist: If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday. It is because of that quote that I recommend The First Ladies. Inside a novel, we were able to bring history to life with two important women from the past: Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune. These two not on demonstrated what could be accomplished when a Black woman and a white woman work together for the greater good, but the two took so many actions that impact our lives today. So much of the foundation for the civil rights movement was set by Mrs. Roosevelt and Mrs. Bethune. Today, we live under the results of their efforts. Their friendship and lives can serves as a blueprint for how we can move forward in this country.”

“I don’t believe there’s a person alive who hasn’t been impacted in a positive way by a teacher. And Deborah Roberts, the ABC journalist brings this fact to life through these essays. Everyone, especially young people considering a career in education should read this book to truly understand the impression they can make and the influence they will have on the future. At a time when teachers and public education is under such attack, this book serves as a reminder that teachers change lives and so much of our future is within their hands. This book lifts teachers — there’s nothing better than that.”

“The book that I would add is Between the World and Me by Ta-nehisi Coates. This book, written from Ta-Nehisi to his son Samori, touches upon so many aspects of what it is like to forge your own path as an American born into a Black body and to bring another Black body into the world.  The intimate conversation that each reader gets access to also provides insight into Ta-Nehisi’s upbringing, in Baltimore, his voracious appetite for reading and writing, his time at Howard University, his time in Paris all while shining a light on the historic disembodiment of Black bodies built into what he describes as the American Dream by the Dreamers.  The book gives a nod to the great authors like Baldwin and Morrison, while also highlighting being a writer and journalist. I connected to this book on so many levels and strongly believe it is a “must read” for all!”

“Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer!! I’m a big fan of short story collections; I believe economizing language is an important skill to study. More importantly, ZZ Packer’s writing is especially evocative, funny, relatable, authentic, and there’s such a beautiful rhythm to it. On a more personal note, her writing makes me feel seen. Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is a collection I think about often when I sit down to write my own stories. I imagine my fellow HBCUers would be inspired by it, too.”