Black History Month Reading List

February is Black History Month!

The Paris-Bourbon County Library celebrates diversity and inclusion every day of the year. During certain months or weeks, we join forces with the rest of the world to highlight important topics, peoples, and events. February is Black History Month and each year we look forward to putting together a series of programs for our community. Due to the pandemic, we are unfortunately not able to have in-person programs this year. That doesn’t mean that all of us can’t celebrate and learn about Black history. It just means we have to do it differently. Consider checking out one of the following authors from our materials collection (we also have many digital options).

Note: The list below is not everything that the Paris-Bourbon County Library has in its collection; however, this list can serve as a starting point for your own empowering journey. And remember, if we don’t have what you are looking for, we do take requests and can often quickly get items through Inter-library Loan.

Adult Authors:

Esme Addison: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Addison%20Esme

Maya Angelou: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Angelou%20Maya

James Baldwin: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Baldwin%20James

Paul Beatty: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Beatty%20Paul

Brit Bennett: https://pbcat.org?Author=Bennett%20Brit

Octavia Butler: https://pbcat.org?Author=Butler%20Octavia

Ta-Neshi Coates: https://pbcat.org?Author=Coates%20TaNeshi

Alyssa Cole: https://pbcat.org/?Autor=Cole%20Alyssa

Brittney Cooper: https://pbcat.org?Author=Cooper%20Brittney

Eric Jerome Dickey: https://pbcat.org?Author=Dickey%20Eric

W.E.B. DuBois: https://pbcat.org?Author=DuBois%20W.E.B

Danielle Evans: https://pbcat.org?Author=Evans%20Danielle

Roxane Gay: https://pbcat.org?Author=Gay%20Roxane

Yaa Gyasi: https://pbcat.org?Author=Gyasi%20Yaa

Tiffany Haddish: https://pbcat.org?Author=Haddish%20Tiffany

Rachel Howzell Hall: https://pbcat.org?Author=Hall%20Rachel

Alex Haley: https://pbcat.org?Author=Haley%20Alex

Nalo Hopkinson: https://pbcat.org?Author=Hopkinson%20Nalo

Zora Neale Hurston: https://pbcat.org?Author=Hurston%20Zora

Samantha Irby: https://pbcat.org?Author=Irby%20Samantha

Marlon James: https://pbcat.org?Author=James%20Marlon

N.K. Jemisin: https://pbcat.org?Author=Jemisin%20N%20K

Beverly Jenkins: https://pbcat.org?Author=Jenkins%20Beverly

Tayari Jones: https://pbcat.org?Author=Jones%20Tayari

Ibram X. Kendi: https://pbcat.org?Author=Kendi%20Ibram

Victor D. Lavalle: https://pbcat.org?Author=Lavalle%20Victor

Asha Lemmie: https://pbcat.org?Author=Lemmie%20Asha

Attica Locke: https://pbcat.org?Author=Locke%20Attica

James McBride: https://pbcat.org?Author=McBride%20James

Toni Morrison: https://pbcat.org?Author=Morrison%20Toni

Walter Mosley: https://pbcat.org?Author=Mosley%20Walter

Margot Lee Shetterly: https://pbcat.org?Author=Shetterly%20Margot

Alice Walker: https://pbcat.org?Author=Walker%20Alice

Jesmyn Ward: https://pbcat.org?Author=Ward%20Jesmyn

Colson Whitehead: https://pbcat.org?Author=Whitehead%20Colson

Isabel Wilkerson: https://pbcat.org?Author=Wilkerson%20Isabel

Young Adult Authors

Elizabeth Acevedo: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Acevedo%20Elizabeth

Tomi Adeyemi: https://pbcat.org?Author=Adeyemi%20Tomi

Dean Atta: https://pbcat.org?Author=Atta%20Dean

Dhonielle Clayton: https://pbcat.org?Author=Clayton%20Dhonielle

Tracy Deonn: https://pbcat.org?Author=Deonn%20Tracy

Sharon Draper: https://pbcat.org?Author=Draper%20Sharon

Akwaeke Emezi: https://pbcat.org?Author=Emezi%20Akwaeke

Lamar Giles: https://pbcat.org?Author=Giles%20Lamar

Jordan Ifueko: https://pbcat.org?Author=Ifueko%20Jordan

Justina Ireland: https://pbcat.org?Author=Ireland%20Justina

Tiffany D. Jackson: https://pbcat.org?Author=Jackson%20Tiffany

Angela Johnson: https://pbcat.org?Author=Johnson%20Angela

George M. Johnson: https://pbcat.org?Author=Johnson%20George

Leah Johnson: https://pbcat.org?Author=Johnson%20Leah

John Lewis: https://pbcat.org?Author=Lewis%20John

L.L. McKinney: https://pbcat.org?Author=McKinney%20L%20L

Bethany C. Morrow: https://pbcat.org?Author=Morrow%20Bethany

Walter Dean Myers: https://pbcat.org?Author=Myers%20Walter

Ben Philippe: https://pbcat.org?Author=Philippe%20Ben

Jason Reynolds: https://pbcat.org?Author=Reynolds%20Jason

Justin A. Reynolds: https://pbcat.org?Author=Reynolds%20Justin

Nic Stone: https://pbcat.org?Author=Stone%20Nic

Mildred D. Taylor: https://pbcat.org?Author=Taylor%20Mildred

Angie Thomas: https://pbcat.org?Author=Thomas%20Angie

Renee Watson: https://pbcat.org?Author=Watson%20Renee

Ashley Woodfolk: https://pbcat.org?Author=Woodfolk%20Ashley

Nicola Yoon: https://pbcat.org?Author=Yoon%20Nicola

Ibi Zoboi: https://pbcat.org?Author=Zoboi%20Ibi

Children’s Authors

Kwame Alexander: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Alexander%20Kwame

Derrick Barnes: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Barnes%20Derrick

Tonya Bolden: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Bolden%20Tonya

JaNay Brown-Wood: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Brown%20JaNay

Grace Byers: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Byers%20Grace

Matthew A. Cherry: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Cherry%20Matthew

Jerry Craft: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Craft%20Jerry

Christopher Paul Curtis: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Curtis%20Christopher

Zetta Elliott: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Elliott%20Zetta

Sharon Fields: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Fields%20Sharon

Nikki Grimes: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Grimes%20Nikki

Langston Hughes: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Hughes%20Langston

Varian Johnson: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Johnson%20Varian

Ellen Levine: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Levine%20Ellen

Kwame Mbalia: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Mbalia%20Kwame

Patricia McKissack: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Mckissack%20Patricia

Sharee Miller: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Miller%20Sharee

Kadir Nelson: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Nelson%20Kadir

Nnedi Okorafor: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Okorafor%20Nnedi

Jewell Parker Rhodes: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Rhodes%20Jewell

Ilyasah Shabazz: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Shabazz%20Ilyasah

Ntozake Shange: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Shange%20Ntozake

James Otis Smith: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Smith%20James

Javaka Steptoe: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Steptoe%20Javaka

Natasha Tarpley: https://pcat.org/?Author=Tarpley%20Natasha

Carole Boston Weatherford: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Weatherford%20Carole

Jacqueline Woodson: https://pbcat.org/?Author=Woodson%20Jacqueline