February is Black History Month. This month, we at the UW Tacoma Library are highlighting resources that acknowledge, honor, and celebrate the lasting legacies of Black creators. The works below highlight many — but not all — of the struggles faced by Black people throughout the history of the U.S., as well as the triumphs that arise at the intersections of identity.
We not only want to shed light on history, but also look toward the future. We acknowledge that we should not only look at these resources now, but throughout our personal, educational and professional lives.
This week we are bringing you book recommendations by some of our library staff. We hope you enjoy and take the opportunity to try a new book!
Recommendations:
(v.) by Anastacia-Renee
Suggested by Erika Bailey, Data and Digital Scholarship Librarian
“Powerful poetry from a PNW poet about the initiations of black girlhood/womanhood, queerness, and self love. She also has a (free!) virtual exhibit at the Frye Art Museum right now”
(v.) is available in print from the UW Libraries.
Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr.
Suggested by Justin Wadland, Interim Director, UW Tacoma Library / Associate Dean, University Libraries
“Blending biography, literary criticism, and history, this book seeks to “think with James Baldwin about this troubled period in American history.” It explores Baldwin’s engagement with issues of race, history, and democracy in the United States throughout the Civil Rights Movement and afterward, surfacing the ways that his life and literary work speak to the present. The book has urged me to look at the current moment in new, more profound ways.”
Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own is available online from the UW Libraries.
Binti and Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Suggested by Johanna Jacobsen Kiciman, Instruction and Research Services Librarian
“Africanfuturism and africanjujuism at their finest, these pieces of speculative fiction by Nigerian-American author Okorafor highlight Black excellence and push the boundaries of systems of science, magic, and potential.”
Binti: The Complete Trilogy is available online and Akata Witch is available in print from the UW Libraries.
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Suggested by Johanna Jacobsen Kiciman, Instruction and Research Services Librarian
“The imagined letters between Justyce, a young adult navigating high school and police bias, and Dr. Martin Luther King; Justyce interrogates Dr. King’s beliefs while discovering his own.”
Dear Martin is available in print from the UW Libraries.
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Suggested by Serin Anderson, Collections & Budget Librarian
“First published in 1979, Kindred is the story of a modern African-American woman sucked back in time to pre-Civil War slavery. The book invokes a sense of emotional weight that’s difficult to describe but eminently worthy of experiencing.”
Kindred is available online from the UW Libraries.
Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson