The Hate U Give – Angie Thomas, (Sehar Macan-Markar ’22, Assistant Opinions Editor)

In this novel about the racism that Black people have to face at such a young age, the main character Starr witnesses her childhood friend Khalil shot by a police officer. Starr faces many challenges throughout the book, such as having to testify, enduring media scrutiny and feeling as if there are multiple versions of herself, one for at home and one for her predominantly white school.

Homegoing -Yaa Gyasi (Carly Calhoun ’21, Copy Editor)

This book details the lives of two sisters in Ghana who are separated, and their respective lineages, leading all the way from Ghana to California, from the 1600s to the 21st century.

The Office of Historical Corrections: A Novella and Stories – Danielle Evans (Tayler Washington ’22, Opinions Editor)

This short story collection tackles race and culture in America. The stories that Evans writes don’t look at race alone but how race and privilege can play into parts of our lives that we don’t even think about.

On Beauty – Zadie Smith (Cara Smith ’21, Copy Chief)

This novel follows the lives of a mixed-race family in the U.S, exploring the nature of beauty and the presence of conservative and liberal values within academia.

Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center – bell hooks (Devin Yingling ’22, News Editor)

This book looks at political power and theory through an intersectional lens. hooks explores the meaning behind sisterhood and empowerment in a concise but powerful work of radical political theory.

Blanche on the Lam – Barbara Neely (Christine DiSanti ’21, Assistant News Editor)

Blanche on the Lam is a mystery novel that follows Blanche White, an amateur sleuth who solves a murder while working as a maid for a wealthy, white family. It is one of the first mystery novels to feature a Black protagonist, and the novel has a really interesting central mystery, as well as commentary on gender, race and class in the South. 

Meaty: Essays – Samantha Irby (Nenagh Sheehan ’21, Assistant Features Editor)

I took Black Women Writers sophomore year with Dr. Aisha Lockridge, and this was my favorite book we read. Each essay is about a different point in Samantha Irby’s life and the hardships she had to go through like taking care of her mom and her own personal health problems. For example, she has Crohn’s disease and discusses how doctors would not take her seriously as a Black woman when she would describe her symptoms. She also wrote about growing up in a predominantly white town in Evanston, Illinois. 

Hood Feminism – Mikki Kendall (Jackie Collins ’21, Editor in Chief)

Mikki Kendall dubs this book, “Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot,” referring to the feminist movement and its lack of inclusion for BIPOC women. This book is intersectionality at its core.

The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett (Dr. Spinner, Contributing Faculty Adviser)

I’m a sucker for books with twin characters, and this riveting, and wrenching, novel about the Vignes twins, Stella and Desiree, did not disappoint. But it’s more than a novel about twins. It’s about race and skin tone and stratification and passing. Let’s just say when I reached the powerful conclusion, I called my own twin and told her she had to read this book. 

Citizen: An American Lyric – Claudia Rankine (Giana Longo ’22, Features Editor)

Poetry is one of the ways that we are able to put ourselves in the situations of others with experiences we may not share. Claudia Rankine’s poems describe what it is like to live in the U.S. and be mistreated because of race and relay the stories of those who have to live in fear and who know violence.

Bitter Root – David F. Walker, Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene (Eddie Daou ’22, Assistant News Editor)

Bitter Root is a fictional comic book series about a family of Black monster hunters set in Harlem in the 1920s. It deals with social issues alongside traditional sci-fi elements in an interesting way, with well drawn art too. It has an important space in the comics industry in general, being a book from an independent publisher with an all-Black creative team writing and drawing.

The Nickel Boys – Colson Whitehead (Nick Karpinski ’21, Multimedia Editor)

In this novel, Colson Whitehead details Nickel Academy, a crooked and grotesque boarding school. The school offers a glimpse into the racist underbelly that the U.S. has tried so desperately to hide.

Born a Crime – Trevor Noah (Sam Jenkins ’21, Social Media Manager)

In his memoir, Trevor Noah of “The Daily Show,” recounts his childhood in South Africa where being of mixed race was against the law at the time. He talks about his struggles with feeling he doesn’t belong to any group, and the reader also learns a lot about Noah’s personal life and South African culture in the process.

Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela – Nelson Mandela (Ryan Mulligan ’21, Managing Editor)

This autobiography helped me overcome my fear of thick books, as Nelson Mandela thoroughly lays out the events of a life riddled with injustice in a way that is personal, transparent and that somehow feels tangible. It is a how-to on social and political activism from one of the most famous activists the world has ever seen.

Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe (Maggie Brennen ’22, Assistant Opinions Editor)

This book depicts pre-colonial life in what is now Nigeria and the arrival of Europeans in the late 19th century. It breaks stereotypes of Africans being “uncivilized” before they were colonized by Europe by showing a tribe’s well-developed legal system and peaceful way of life.

The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America, and the Politics of Patriotism – Howard Bryant (Tyler Nice ’23, Assistant Sports Editor)

I read this book during a first-year seminar class with Dr. Brian J. Yates. Howard Bryant explores the long-standing and complex relationship between Black athletes and advocacy. From Paul Robeson and Muhammad Ali to Colin Kaepernick, the Black athlete has been tasked with this decision: speak up and stand up for “the heritage” but lose fans and endorsements, or remain silent and reap the rewards.

Between the World and Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates (Elaina Wall ’21, Assistant Features Editor)

In this book, Ta-Nehisi Coates writes a letter to his son about being a Black man in America. Coates provides recounts of personal experiences of individual and systemic racism throughout his lifetime. 

Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope – Karamo Brown (Celia Hegarty ’21, Copy Editor)

This memoir by “Queer Eye’s” Karamo Brown details his life journey from childhood to adulthood and the challenges he has faced as a Black, gay man in America. Brown explores how his life experiences have enabled him to help others on “Queer Eye” and beyond.

We Matter: Athletes and Activism – Etan Thomas (Riley Frain ’21, Sports Editor)

A former NBA power forward and now poet, Etan Thomas interviews an extensive list of famous athletes, coaches and sports writers in order to discuss the topic of athletes and activism, specifically Colin Kaepernick’s protests, the balance between politics and sport and the importance of athletes speaking out against the unjust.

We Will Not Cancel Us and Other Dreams of Transformative Justice – Adrienne Maree brown (Dr. Bhayroo, Faculty Adviser)

Half way through another gem from Adrienne Maree brown where she centers abolition, Black feminism and the contributions of working class people to the struggle for economic, political, climate justice and social justice. Also her podcasts with Roxane Gay are a must-listen.