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“Black is the Body: Stories From My Grandmother’s Time, My Mother’s Time, and Mine” by Emily Bernard
Your mother dealt with things you can’t imagine. It was a different time when she was your age, with societal issues you’d never tolerate and rules you wouldn’t abide. Same with your grandma: scrapbooks, history books and museums are the only places you’ll see what she lived. So what will your children know?
"Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book" by W. Kamau Bell & Kate Schatz
You're almost out. Out of energy, ideas, motivation, totally depleted from all you've been doing lately. Seeing racism, acting against inequality, speaking out against it, fighting for your friends and family, it all takes a toll and when you're just plain tired, you need something to help you focus. You need "Do the Work!" by W. Kamau Bell & Kate Schatz to energize you.
Books about Black Women's Body Image by various authors
The last two apps you downloaded were for diets. Ugh. Friends say that you're perfect but you'd like to lose your flabby arms, your thick thighs, and a few inches from your belly. You imagine what you'd be like if you were a size 6. You wonder if you could wear skinny boots again. But before you download another app, read these books about Black women's health and body image...
"Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest" by Ian Zack
The first note had your foot tapping. It didn't stop until the set was over or the LP needed flipping. The song moved you; those words meant everything. And the singer of those tunes? She was the entire reason those notes were worth listening to. In the new book "Odetta" by Ian Zack, you'll find out why so few know her name.
"We're Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy"
Things could always be worse. You didn't sleep well last night, your day started earlier than usual, and traffic, ugh; then you forgot your lunch and lost a bag of chips in a vending machine, and you never did catch up. You had a rotten day but look on the bright side: you're above ground and breathing and, as in "We're Better Than This" by Elijah Cummings with James Dale, someone had your back.
“The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir” by D. Watkins
Everything has a price. You say you’ll never sell your granddad’s watch, your dream car, or that collectible you coveted because it’s priceless – until it’s not, because everything is for sale. But in “The Cook-Up” by D. Watkins, it may cost your entire life.
“The Code of the Righteous Warrior” by Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller
These days, you just don’t know what to expect. Things used to be laid out nice and easy: a real man took care of business, he settled disagreements with his fists, and he was head of his household. But it’s a new world now with new expectations, and in “The Code of the Righteous Warrior” by Rev. Dr. Alyn E. Waller, you’ll know how to get through it.
“I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons” by Kevin Hart
You can pretend all you want. Hide your head in the sand and say it ain’t so. Cover your ears and yell “LaLaLaLaLa” until everyone thinks you’re five years old. You can deny, deny, deny, but listen up: some things are factual, so read “I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons” by Kevin Hart, and you may learn something.
“Called to Rise” by Dallas Police Chief (Ret.) David O. Brown (with Michelle Burford)
Your life is entirely wrapped up in your job. You never aimed for that to happen, but it’s okay: what you do for a living has become your passion and therefore, you do it well. Life and work balance for you, but in the new book “Called to Rise” by David O. Brown (with Michelle Burford), you’ll see the balance tip.
“Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, A Monumental American Man” by Tonya Bolden
You’re not backing down. There’s a line in the sand and nobody’s crossing it on your watch. When something isn’t right and you can fix it, you’re going to defend it, too, even if it costs you. As you’ll see in “Facing Frederick” by Tonya Bolden, if you lived in the mid-1800s, you’d be in good company.
“Man on the Run” by Carl Weber
Catch me if you can. You might have said that once, giggling. You may have yelled it at a game one afternoon. You said it, maybe, in a flirtatious manner on some romantic evening. Run, run, run, catch me if you can because, as in “Man on the Run” by Carl Weber, this chase may keep a man out of prison.
“Becoming a Hair Stylist” by Kate Bolick
Sometimes, you feel like you could just dye. Or curl, or cut, or braid. Some days, you want a change in style, a different ‘do, maybe something like you’ve seen in a magazine. Or you want to be the person who makes that happen, so read “Becoming a Hair Stylist” by Kate Bolick and see if you have what it takes.
“What Set Me Free” by Brian Banks (with Mark Dagostino)
You saw it happen. Every second of it, every sound, it’s burned in your memory. You can recall how it made you feel, how time seemed to slow down, how there was no room for anything else in your mind. It happened. Or – as in the new book “What Set Me Free” by Brian Banks (with Mark Dagostino) – did it?
“The Long Haul” by Finn Murphy
From here to there. That’s where you need to move your stuff: from Point A to Point B. Take it out of one place and put it in another, possibly many miles away. And it’s not like you can wiggle your nose or wave a magic wand to do it, either; you need someone who knows what he’s doing. In “The Long Haul” by Finn Murphy, there’s somebody like that out there.
“Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File” by John Edgar Wideman
Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t escape your father. For most of your life, you were known as Little Him. Junior. Insert-your-father’s-name-here’s kid. You’re a chip off the ol’ block, maybe named after your Pops, forever known as your Dad’s offspring. But, as John Edgar Wideman indicates in “Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File,” that doesn’t mean that the supposed sins of a father should be laid at the feet of his child.
“A Craftsman’s Legacy” by Eric Gorges
Necessity is not the mother of invention. Childhood. There you are: that’s the mother of invention. When you were a kid, if you didn’t have something and you didn’t have the funds to buy it, you cobbled it together from whatever you could find – and it worked. But have you lost that initiative, the imagination, the joy in creating? As in “A Craftsman’s Legacy” by Eric Gorges, do you need to return to working with your hands?
“Soul Survivor: A Biography of Al Green” by Jimmy McDonough
Difficult. We all know someone like that, who could charitably be called a challenge. Someone who swims against the current, who rubs people the wrong way, who makes you growly. In the new book “Soul Survivor: A Biography of Al Green” by Jimmy McDonough, ruffled feathers can come from surprising places.
"Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson's Journey to the Stars" by Gary Golio, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
It's almost time for lights out. Just before that, though, you have a ritual: you wash your face, brush your teeth, put on your jammies, crawl into bed, and get a bedtime story. Then it's lights out until morning but before your good-night kiss tonight, ask for one last thing. Ask for "Dark Was the Night" by Gary Golio, illustrated by E. B. Lewis.
sadiyah.evangelista@gmail.com
Your boss is a VIP: a Very Important Person. Nothing gets done without approval from the Executive Suite and nothing is unnoticed; there’s a finger on the pulse of your company at all times, which is probably how The Boss got to the top. And in the new book “Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?” by Alyssa Mastromonaco (with Lauren Oyler), you’ll see what it’s like to work for a guy who’s more than just the president of any corporation…
“Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” by Zora Neale Hurston, edited with an introduction by Genevieve West, foreword by Tayari Jones
Everybody has that place. You know, that place where everyone knows you, they know what you want, and they get it for you before your coat’s half off. It’s where you can catch up on gossip and good news, where you take shelter and get sympathy. In “Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick” by Zora Neale Hurston, you also get a front seat.
