February is Black History Month, a great time to enjoy the countless works of Black authors worldwide and here in Canada. Need somewhere to start? Explore the titles on this list!
Invisible Boy: A Memoir of Self-Discovery by Harrison Mooney
This powerful memoir considers the controversial practice of transracial adoption from the perspective of families torn apart and children stripped of their culture, all to fill evangelical communities' demand for babies.
Everfair by Nisi Shawl
What might have come of Belgium's disastrous colonization of the Congo if the native populations had learned about steam technology a bit earlier? Fabian Socialists from Great Britain join forces with African-American missionaries to purchase land from the Belgian Congo's "owner," King Leopold II. This land, named Everfair, is set aside as a haven, an imaginary utopia for native populations of the Congo and escaped enslaved people returning from America.
Black & White by Stephen Dorsey
The anticipated debut by a biracial community leader and citizen activist explores his lived experience of systemic racism in North America and the paths forward. As a bilingual, biracial man straddling Black and white, English and French Canada, Stephen Dorsey lives in a world of dualities. In his deeply personal and insightful debut, he offers readers intimate and unfiltered access to his lived experience of anti-Black racism worldwide.
Disorientation: Being Black in the World by Ian Williams
Inspired by the essays of James Baldwin, in which the personal becomes the gateway to larger ideas, Williams explores such things as the unmistakable moment when a child realizes they are Black, the ten characteristics of institutional whiteness, how friendship forms a bulwark against being a target of racism; the meaning and uses of a Black person's smile; and blame culture.
Until We Are Free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada edited by Rodney Diverlus, Sandy Hudson and Syrus Marcus Ware
Until We Are Free highlights some of the best writing on the biggest issues facing the Black community in Canada. It describes the latest developments in Canadian Black activism, organizing efforts through social media, Black-Indigenous alliances, and more.
The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin
Even though the avatars of New York City have temporarily managed to stop the Woman in White from invading—and destroying the entire universe in the process—the mysterious capital "E" Enemy has more subtle powers at her disposal. A new candidate for mayor wielding the populist rhetoric of gentrification, xenophobia, and "law and order" may have what it takes to change the very nature of New York itself and take it down from the inside.
The Impeachment of Abraham Lincoln by Stephen L. Carter
President Abraham Lincoln survived the assassination attempt at Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865. Two years later, he is charged with overstepping his constitutional authority during and after the Civil War and faces an impeachment trial. Twenty-one-year-old Abigail Canner is a young black woman with a degree from Oberlin and is assigned to the firm in charge of Lincoln’s defence. Here is a vividly imagined work of historical fiction that captures the emotional tenor of post-Civil War America.
Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada's Black Beauty Culture by Cheryl Thompson
Analyzing advertisements and articles from media that focus on Black communities in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary, Cheryl Thompson explains the role local Black community media played in the promotion of Black-owned beauty products; how the segmentation of beauty culture occurred in Canada; and how Black beauty culture became mainstream.
Any Known Blood by Lawrence Hill
A racially mixed African-Canadian-American man journeys to uncover his family's history, from their present-day lives in the predominantly white suburbs of Oakville, Ontario, to their roots as enslaved people in nineteenth-century Virginia.
From Underground Railroad to Rebel Refuge: Canada and the Civil War by Brian Martin
Despite all we know about the Civil War, its causes, battles, characters, issues, impacts, and legacy, few books have explored Canada's role in the bloody conflict that claimed more than 600,000 lives. Twenty thousand Canadians went south to take up arms on both sides of the conflict, while thousands of enslaved people, draft dodgers, deserters, recruiters, plotters, and spies fled northward to take shelter in Canada.
