Three books for Black History Month
Three for Black History Month There is no shortage of black history books to read year round, but three recently published tomes offer an intriguing array of subject matter that is perfect for February, officially designated Black History Month. Let the Children
March (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is a picture book written by Monica Clark-Robinson and illustrated by Frank Morrison that tells the story of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade in Alabama in 1963 that led to the desegregation of the city. A timeline of events fills the inside front and back covers and includes important and impressive facts about what children risked to affect change, such as: “May 2: D Day. The Birmingham Children’s Crusade begins. By the end of the day, 973 young marchers are jailed.” Smoketown: The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance (Simon & Schuster), by Mark Whitaker, reveals that from the 1920s through the 1950s, the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh were a glittering bastion of black arts and culture, important journalism, and home to athletes and sports figures like Negro League pitcher Satchel Paige and Cumberland “Cum” Posey Jr., manager and part owner of the Homestead Grays. Playwright August Wilson grew up in Pittsburgh, as did jazz pioneers Earl Hines and Mary Lou Williams. Whitaker is a former managing editor at CNN Worldwide and bureau chief for NBC News.
So You Want to Talk About Race (Seal Press), by Ijeoma Oluo, is a contemporary, often witty guide to race relations, in which the author answers questions many people might be afraid to ask about the current conversations happening in the mainstream media, on social media, and on college campuses. It is an accessible read on hot-button issues like cultural appropriation, white privilege, affirmative action, police brutality, microaggressions, and more.