UPDATED: 10:30 a.m. ET, Sept. 6, 2020 —
At NewsOne, we believe that the child who reads is the child who leads. In keeping with that idea, we decided to take a look at the state of reading for Black youth, right before school starts.
MORE: 15 Acclaimed And Unapologetically Black Authors
Research has found that the proportion of young people who are daily readers drops has dropped dramatically in recent years. According to some studies, since 1984, the percentage of 13-year-olds who are weekly readers dropped from 70% to 53%. Even worse, the percentage of 17-year-olds who are weekly readers fell from 64% to a startling 40%. And the percentage of 17-year-olds who never or hardly read tripled during the same period, from 9% to 27%. It’s jarring news.
We tapped our brother and sister sites Hello Beautiful and The Urban Daily to get their reading recommendations. Here are a few titles they said had an impact on them and that every Black youth should read.
50 Books Every Black Teen Should Read was originally published on newsone.com
1. “Assata: An Autobiography” by Assata Shakur
“Assata: An Autobiography” by Assata Shakur
2. “Moonwalk” by Michael Jackson
“Moonwalk” by Michael Jackson
3. “Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison
4. “Visions for Black Men” by Na’im Akbar
“Visions for Black Men” by Na’im Akbar
5. “The Coldest Winter Ever” by Sister Souljah
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“The Coldest Winter Ever” by Sister Souljah
6. “Dreams from My Father” by Barack Obama
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Dreams from My Father” by Barack Obama
7. “Sag Harbor” by Colson Whitehead
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Sag Harbor” by Colson Whitehead
8. “Monster” by Walter Dean Myers
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Monster” by Walter Dean Myers
9. “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe
10. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston
11. “When Chickenheads Come Home To Roost” by Joan Morgan
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“When Chickenheads Come Home To Roost” by Joan Morgan
12. “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” as told to Alex Haley
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“The Autobiography of Malcolm X” as told to Alex Haley
13. “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison
14. “Interiors: A Black Woman’s Healing…in Progress” by Iyanla Vanzant
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Interiors: A Black Woman’s Healing…in Progress” by Iyanla Vanzant
15. “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison
16. “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker
17. “Blues People” by Amiri Baraka
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Blues People” by Amiri Baraka
18. “Our Kind of People” by Lawrence Otis Graham
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Our Kind of People” by Lawrence Otis Graham
19. “Picking Cotton” by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Picking Cotton” by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino
20. “What is the What” by Dave Eggers
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“What is the What” by Dave Eggers
21. “Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center” by bell hooks
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center” by bell hooks
22. “Soledad Brother” by George Jackson
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Soledad Brother” by George Jackson
23. “Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America” by Nathan McCall
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America” by Nathan McCall
24. “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz
25. “Good To Great” by Jim Collins
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Good To Great” by Jim Collins
26. “Purple Cow” by Seth Godin
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Purple Cow” by Seth Godin
27. “Down These Mean Streets” by Piri Thomas
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Down These Mean Streets” by Piri Thomas
28. “Flyy Girl” by Omar Tyree
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Flyy Girl” by Omar Tyree
29. “Summer Of My German Soldier” by Bette Greene
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Summer Of My German Soldier” by Bette Greene
30. “A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“A Raisin in the Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry
31. “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn
32. “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou
33. “Miles: The Autobiography” by Miles Davis
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Miles: The Autobiography” by Miles Davis
34. “Invisible Life” by E. Lynn Harris
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Invisible Life” by E. Lynn Harris
35. “Kaffir Boy” by Mark Mathabane
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Kaffir Boy” by Mark Mathabane
36. “Kindred” by Octavia Butler
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Kindred” by Octavia Butler
37. “Letter to My Daughter” by Maya Angelou
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Letter to My Daughter” by Maya Angelou
38. “Manchild in the Promised Land” by Claude Brown
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Manchild in the Promised Land” by Claude Brown
39. “Mis-Education of the Negro” by Carter G. Woodsen
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Mis-Education of the Negro” by Carter G. Woodsen
40. “If Beale Street Could Talk” by James Baldwin
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“If Beale Street Could Talk” by James Baldwin
41. “Nile Valley Contributions To Civilization” by Tony Browder
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Nile Valley Contributions To Civilization” by Tony Browder
42. “I Am Not Sidney Poitier” by Percival Everett
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“I Am Not Sidney Poitier” by Percival Everett
43. “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell
44. “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Rich Dad, Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki
45. “Roots” by Alex Haley
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Roots” by Alex Haley
46. “Sula” by Toni Morrison
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Sula” by Toni Morrison
47. “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho
48. “Who Am I Without Him?” by Sharon Flake
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Who Am I Without Him?” by Sharon Flake
49. “Twelve Years a Slave” by Solomon Northup
Source:Michael Patton Photography
“Twelve Years a Slave” by Solomon Northup
50. “Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine” by Bebe Moore Campbell
“Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine” by Bebe Moore Campbell
