AALBC
Check out the African American Literature Book Club, the AALBC is a widely recognized source of author profiles, book and film reviews, book recommendations, event information, discussion forums, writer resources, interviews, articles, videos, and more.
NCTE BookList
NCTE Booklist
The following list contains selected works recommended by Black Caucus members. There are many other books by African Americans which we encourage you to read; this is a starter list and not intended to be all inclusive of other excellent works by African Americans. Join in and continue to enrich your lives after February by reading books by African Americans.
Podcasts by Topic: Race and Racism
- All My Relations All My Relations is closing the representation gap of Native communities. Host Matika Wilbur and Adrienne Keene discuss issues Native people are facing while sharing personal experiences with regards to relationships, culture and identity. Each week, the cohosts invite guests to provide different perspectives on these topics and debunk misperceptions about Native people.
- Code Switch NPR’s Code Switch breaks down race and identity and its impact on the world. Hosted by journalists of color, this podcast uses storytelling to help listeners understand how race shapes politics, pop culture and many mediums in ways we’ve never realized. Each episode dissects race issues and cultural shifts, tackling the uncomfortable conversations head on.
- Everyday Conversations on Race for Everyday People This is the podcast for you if you've ever wanted to have a conversation about race but were afraid of saying the wrong thing. Bringing people together for open, comfortable discussions about race, guests from different backgrounds come together to get the conversations going.
- Identity Politics Tune in as co-hosts Ikhlas Saleem and Makkah Ali talk about race, gender and being Muslim in America. Every week, they invite guests to come by and share personal stories about navigating America as Black Muslim women while highlighting politics, pop culture, racism and Islamophobia.
- Invisibilia Another NPR gem that deconstructs human behavior, beliefs and assumptions, each episode combines storytelling and science on topics of race, relationships and many more.
- Latinos Who Lunch Artist Favyfav and art historian Babelito discuss race, gender and class issues in the Latinx community. Listen as their Spanglish voices bring a comedic effect to pressing topics such as identity, history and family. Aside from the humor, the duo is bringing Latinx culture to the forefront.
- Long Distance This documentary podcast series highlights the Filipino voice. Explore a collection filled with tales about art, food, culture and many more topics as told by Filipinos. Long Distance sheds a light through storytelling and paints a reflective image of this community.
- POD save the People Activist DeRay McKesson provides insight into social justice, politics and activism. In each episode, activists, experts and national leaders break down issues and news that is sometimes overlooked. Tune in every Tuesday to stay informed on what’s happening in America.
- Scene on Radio Scene on Radio focuses on many American issues. But of particular note is their 14-part series called "Seeing White" which takes a deep dive into white supremacy, white privilege and what it means to Black in America. The series works to challenge the policies and traditions put in place in our history as viewed through a bigger lens.
- Still Processing New York Times journalist Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris provide a daily dose of what’s going on in the news while giving us a peek into their own lives. Whether they’ve having a conversation about their visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture or breaking down what it meant for Nike to partner with Colin Kaepernick, this duo is sure to get you thinking about all things culture.
- Yo, is this Racist? If you ever questioned a situation and thought to yourself, "Is this racist?" chances are this podcast has the answer. This weekly series showcases viewers' submitted voicemails and emails (and of course answers the big question). You’ll be surprised by the honest submissions and laugh along as the pair tackles important issues head-on with humor.
Black Studies Databases: eBooks, Videos, etc.
- Black Thought and Culture This link opens in a new windowFull-text non-fiction writings by major American black leaders. Includes letters, speeches, essays, etc.
- Black Studies Center This link opens in a new windowScholarly articles, periodicals, and primary sources related to African Studies and the African Diaspora. Coverage: 1827 - 2003
- Black Studies in Video This link opens in a new windowDocumentaries, newsreels, interviews and archival footage surveying the evolution of black culture in the United States. Includes films covering history, politics, art and culture, family structure, social and economic pressures, and gender relations.
Melanin Book Exchange Club
Books: African-American Read-In Recommendations
These titles were recommended by Arrupe College Faculty, Staff, and liaison librarian for the annual event. Some may be repeated on the left of this screen.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 0345350685Publication Date: 1987-10-12
The Beautiful Struggle by Call Number: F189.B153 C63 2009ISBN: 9780385527460Publication Date: 2009-01-06
An American Marriage by Call Number: PS3610.O63 A84 2018ISBN: 9781616208776Publication Date: 2018-02-06
Becoming by
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America, she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private. A deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations.
Call Number: E909.O24 A3 2018ISBN: 9781524763138Publication Date: 2018-11-13
Between the World and Me by Call Number: E185.615 .C6335 2015ISBN: 9780812993547Publication Date: 2015-07-14
Freshwater by
An extraordinary debut novel, Freshwater explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self. It centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born "with one foot on the other side." Unsettling, heartwrenching, dark, and powerful, Freshwater is a sharp evocation of a rare way of experiencing the world, one that illuminates how we all construct our identities. Ada begins her life in the south of Nigeria as a troubled baby and a source of deep concern to her family.
Call Number: PR9387.9.E42 F74 2018ISBN: 9780802127358Publication Date: 2018-02-13
I Can't Date Jesus by
"In the style of New York Times bestsellers You Can't Touch My Hair, Bad Feminist, and I'm Judging You, a timely collection of alternately hysterical and soul-searching essays about what it is like to grow up as a creative, sensitive black man in a world that constantly tries to deride and diminish your humanity. It hasn't been easy being Michael Arceneaux. Equality for LGBT people has come a long way and all, but voices of persons of color within the community are still often silenced, and being black in America is...well, have you watched the news? With the characteristic wit and candor that have made him one of today's boldest writers on social issues, I Can't Date Jesus is Michael Arceneaux's impassioned, forthright, and refreshing look at minority life in today's America.
Call Number: E185.97.A69 A3 2018ISBN: 9781501178856Publication Date: 2018-07-24
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Call Number: PS 3551 .N464 Z466 1970ISBN: 9780394429861Publication Date: 1970-01-12
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Call Number: PS 3515 .U789 T639 1991ISBN: 0252017781Publication Date: 1991-10-01
This Mournable Body by
"Anxious about her prospects after leaving a stagnant job, Tambudzai finds herself living in a run-down youth hostel in downtown Harare. For reasons that include her grim financial prospects and her age, she moves to a widow's boarding house and eventually finds work as a biology teacher. But at every turn in her attempt to make a life for herself, she is faced with a fresh humiliation, until the painful contrast between the future she imagined and her daily reality ultimately drives her to a breaking point. In This Mournable Body, Tsitsi Dangarembga returns to the protagonist of her acclaimed first novel, Nervous Conditions, to examine how the hope and potential of a young girl and a fledgling nation can sour over time and become a bitter and floundering struggle for survival. As a last resort, Tambudzai takes an ecotourism job that forces her to return to her parents' impoverished homestead. It is this homecoming, in Dangarembga's tense and psychologically charged novel, that culminates in an act of betrayal, revealing just how toxic the combination of colonialism and capitalism can be."--Amazon.com.
Call Number: PR9390.9.D36 T45 2018ISBN: 9781555978129Publication Date: 2018-08-07
The Wedding Date by
"A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in a fun and flirty debut novel. Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist. On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend. From the best man's toast to the bouquet toss, Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible. But before they know it, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other. They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want."--
Call Number: PS3607.U48553 W43 2018ISBN: 9780399587665Publication Date: 2018-01-30
Electronic Books for Exchange
- Between the World and Me by Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 9780812993547Publication Date: 2015-07-14
The New Jim Crow: mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness by Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 9781595581037Publication Date: 2012
Suspicion Nation: the inside story of the Trayvon Martin injustice and why we continue to repeat it by Call Number: Online AccessISBN: 9781619023918Publication Date: 2014
Race and Anti-Racism
- Library Research Guide: Resources on Race & Anti-RacismThis is the beginnings of a list of resources available in the library collection on the topics of race, politics, economics, education, and justice. We will be adding to this list over the next few weeks, particularly in light of the fact that many of our print books on these topics are not available to library users while campus is closed. Under different circumstances, we would encourage library users to browse our stacks, visit our archives and special collections, and engage with information resources in and outside of the library collection to deepen their knowledge and understanding off these issues. This list of books, movies, and other online materials is meant to help fill the gap while we wait for our library building to reopen.