In 2026 the nation commemorates 100 years since Black history first received federal acknowledgment.
The movement was founded by historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the son of formerly enslaved parents and the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Woodson believed that denying people their history denied them of their humanity. To counter this, he established Negro History Week to align with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, figures he viewed as deeply representative of Black freedom. He aimed to embed Black history into schools, churches, and libraries nationwide, reshaping how the nation understood its past. Over decades, the observance grew in influence, and in 1976 it was officially expanded to Black History Month, affirming Woodson’s enduring belief that Black history is not separate from American history, but essential to it.
Join us in celebrating and honoring the contributions of Black writers throughout history with our book recommendations below.
1937
Janie Crawford, an independent Black woman in the 1930s, searches for her own voice and identity through three marriages and a journey back to her roots.
1952
A nameless Black narrator journeys from the Deep South to Harlem, confronting racism and shifting power structures in a society that refuses to truly see him.
1979
A Black woman is repeatedly pulled from her life in California to the antebellum South, where she must save a white plantation owner’s son.
1987
A formerly enslaved woman living in Ohio is haunted by the traumatic memories of her past and by the ghost of her baby who died unnamed.
2003
An interracial family living in a university town navigates clashing ideologies, family tensions, and cultural battles on both sides of the Atlantic.
2016
Two half-sisters born in Ghana are separated by the slave trade, with one remaining in Africa and the other sent to America. Their descendants’ stories unfold, revealing how slavery and colonization shape families.
2019
A young Black boy inspired by ideals of justice is sent to a brutal reform school where abuse and corruption are rampant.
2022
After their mother’s death, two siblings inherit a mysterious black cake and a recorded story revealing long-hidden family secrets.
2022
In 1973 Alabama, a newly graduated nurse works at a family planning clinic and is shocked to find 11 and 13 year old Black girls being pressured onto birth control.
2023
In 1972 Pennsylvania, the discovery of a buried skeleton uncovers decades of secrets in a struggling, tight-knit immigrant and Black community.
2023
In a dystopian America, prisoners compete as gladiators on a live-streamed show for their freedom. As Loretta Thurwar nears her final matches, she faces deadly opponents, rigged fights, and mounting protests.
2024
When Jim learns he will be sold away from his family, he escapes and joins Huck on a perilous raft journey down the Mississippi, highlighting Jim’s intelligence and humanity.
2024
In 2017 at the University of Arkansas, senior Millie takes an unusual job offered by a visiting professor to jumpstart her post-grad plans.
2025
Junie, enslaved on an Alabama plantation, accidentally binds her late sister’s spirit to the world. To free her she must confront the plantation’s dark secrets and fight for freedom.
2025
Chiamaka, a Nigerian travel writer in America, reflects on past loves and life choices during the pandemic, while her friends and family face heartbreak, and unexpected hardships.
2025
Roman returns home after his father’s suspicious accident to find his family in danger. He must protect them and uncover the truth about their mother’s disappearance before it’s too late.
2026
During the Civil War, enslaved people at Magnolia Row fight for freedom and justice in the shadow of the plantations, setting in motion a rebellion that will be remembered.
2026
In 1995, Tati uncovers her family’s hidden past, tracing seven generations of Dupree women whose lives are shaped by a mysterious legacy that binds them to daughters only.
Books Coming Soon in 2026
February 10
In postwar Germany, Ethel follows a group of mixed-race children, hoping to fulfill her desire for a family. Ozzie faces racism as a Black soldier abroad, and Sophia confronts a secret while integrating a Maryland boarding school.
February 24
Vernice and Annie, childhood friends from Louisiana, take wildly different paths—Vernice rises through college and marriage into wealth, while Annie searches for her estranged mother.
April 7
After some setbacks, bestselling author Remy and successful teacher Simone meet by chance and navigate heartbreak and loss together, discovering the healing power of friendship.
June 16
Sasha Cruz, a driven casting agent with no time for love, becomes determined to track down the stranger she met on a Paris-bound flight.
