Holler, Child (2023) by LaToya Watkins

“Throughout Holler, Child, we see love lost and gained, and grief turned to hope. Much like LaToya Watkins’s acclaimed debut novel, Perish, this collection peers deeply into lives of women and men experiencing intimate and magnificent reckonings—exploring how race, power, and inequality map on the individual, and demonstrating the mythic proportions of everyday life.” (Penguin Random House)

Chain-Gang All-Stars (2023) by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

“Moving from the Links in the field to the protesters to the CAPE employees and beyond, Chain-Gang All-Stars is a kaleidoscopic, excoriating look at the American prison system’s unholy alliance of systemic racism, unchecked capitalism, and mass incarceration, and a clear-eyed reckoning with what freedom in this country really means.” (Penguin Random House)

Temple Folk (2023) by Aaliyah Bilal

"With an unflinching eye for the contradictions between what these characters profess to believe and what they do, Temple Folk accomplishes the rare feat of presenting moral failures with compassion, nuance, and humor to remind us that while perfection is what many of us strive for, it’s the errors that make us human." (Simon & Schuster)

Ordinary Notes (2023) by Christina Sharpe

“... Ordinary Notes explores profound questions about loss and the shapes of Black life that emerge in the wake. In a series of 248 notes that gather meaning as we read them, Christina Sharpe skillfully weaves artifacts from the past [...] with present realities and possible futures, intricately constructing an immersive portrait of everyday Black existence..." (Macmillan Publishers)

suddenly we (2023) by Evie Shockley

“In her new poetry collection, Evie Shockley mobilizes visual art, sound, and multilayered language to chart routes towards openings for the collective dreaming of a more capacious 'we'." (Wesleyan University Press)

When Crack Was King (2023) by Donovan X. Ramsey

"Weaving together riveting research with the voices of survivors, When Crack Was King is a crucial reevaluation of the era and a powerful argument for providing historically violated communities with the resources they deserve.” (Penguin Random House)

I Saw Death Coming (2023) by Kidada E. Williams

“In I Saw Death Coming, Kidada E. Williams offers a breakthrough account of the much-debated Reconstruction period, transporting readers into the daily existence of formerly enslaved people building hope-filled new lives." (Bloomsbury)

A Thousand and One (2023) by A.V. Rockwell

“After unapologetic and fiercely loyal Inez kidnaps her son Terry from the foster care system, mother and son set out to reclaim their sense of home, identity, and stability, in a rapidly changing New York City.” (IMDb)

The Color Purple (2023) by Blitz Bazawule

“A woman faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.” (IMDb)

They Cloned Tyrone (2023) by Juel Taylor

“A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy in this pulpy mystery caper.” (IMDb)

American Fiction (2023) by Cord Jefferson

“A novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.” (IMDb)

Rustin (2023) by George C. Wolfe

“Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.” (IMDb)

Origin (2023) by Ava DuVernay

“The unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.” (IMDb)

All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (2023) by Raven Jackson

“A decades-spanning exploration of a woman's life in Mississippi and an ode to the generations of people, places, and ineffable moments that shape us” (IMDb)

Rye Lane (2023) by Raine Allen-Miller

“Two youngsters reeling from bad breakups connect over an eventful day in South London.” (IMDb)

America in Black (TV Series 2023), BET

“Follows the people, issues and stories that matter to Black America.” (IMDb)

Content Creators

Dahana @dahanadcr

Dahana is a young creator who posts about her art and fashion on TikTok(@dahanadcr) and Instagram.

Taylor Cassidy @taylorcassidyj

Cassidy is a digital creator that shares Black History from non-traditional perspectives. She is best known for her TikTok (@taylorcassidyj)

Zay Dante @zaydante

Dante is an internet creator that posts comedy videos on Tik Tok and Instagram. He is best known for his Tik Tok (@zayydante).

Zoe @libraryofzoe

Zoe is a content creator that shares book recommendations and reviews on Tik Tok(@zoes_reads) and Instagram. She also has an online book club (@voidwomenbookclub).

Podcasts

Therapy for Black Girls with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford

“The Therapy for Black Girls podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible version of ourselves.” (iHeartPodcasts)

The Read with Kid Fury and Crissle

“Join Kid Fury and Crissle for their weekly podcast covering hip-hop and pop culture's most trying stars. Throwing shade and spilling tea with a flippant and humorous attitude, no star is safe from Fury and Crissle unless their name is Beyoncé. (Or Blue Ivy.)” (Podcast website description)

Black Wall Street Today with Blair Durham

“The Black Wall Street Today Show is a Black Business and Entrepreneurship radio show and podcast hosted by Virginia Tech alumnae Blair Durham, co-founder and co-President of Black BRAND, and occurs live in the studios of the historic and prestigious HBCU Hampton University. This interview styled show is a media hub for everything Black business, politics, culture, and news.” (Apple Podcasts)

Code Switch with Gene Demby and Shereen Marisol Meraji

“What's CODE SWITCH? It's the fearless conversations about race that you've been waiting for. Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race with empathy and humor. We explore how race affects every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, food and everything in between.” (NPR)

Black Woman Leading with Laura Knights

“This podcast amplifies the needs and experiences of Black women leaders in the workplace with a holistic focus on three core areas -- leadership development, mental wellness, and relationship management. Our ultimate aim is to help Black women learn, heal, and grow in their leadership capacity.” (Apple Podcasts)