10 Books By Black Writers That Reckon With Racism

Demand for books about race and anti-racism is on the rise. Here, 10 titles by black authors that reckon with the subject.

Last week, Black Lives Matter protests against racism and police brutality erupted in all 50 states of America and around the world after the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis on May 25 after a police officer used his knee to pin Floyd by his neck.

It is among the latest in a string of killings of unarmed black people, from Ahmaud Arbery, who was pursued and shot by white residents while out jogging in Georgia in February, to Breonna Taylor, who was shot at least eight times by Louisville police who broke into her apartment on a "no-knock" warrant in March.

For readers who want to learn more about the long history of racial violence that spurred the movement, here are 10 books by black authors that reckon with racism – including novels, essays and poetry, though it is not a remotely exhaustive list – from the 1920s Harlem Renaissance to young adult and millennial bestsellers.

This article first appeared in The Straits Times.

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