On Her Own Ground by A'Lelia Bundles
The predecessor to the 2020 Netflix miniseries Self Made, On Her Own Ground tells the against-all-odds success story of Madam CJ Walker, America’s first female millionaire. Born on a plantation in Louisiana, Walker made her fortune in haircare, manufacturing and distributing a line of cosmetics designed for Black women’s hair. As her product swept the nation, Walker turned her attention to the civil rights movement, travelling the US to speak at conventions and donating massive amounts of her personal fortune to African American betterment funds. Written by Mme. Walker’s great-great-granddaughter A’Lelia Bundles, On Her Own Ground tells the unabridged history of one of America’s most influential Black women. It was named on the NY Times Notable Book list upon release in 2001 and was named 2001’s best book on Black Women’s history by the Association of Black Women Historians.
The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon
A staple of first year English coursework, Sam Selvon’s The Lonely Londoners tells a firsthand account of immigrant experience during the Windrush generation. Told through the point of view of Trinidadian immigrant Moses Aloetta, Selvon shares anecdotes of his and his fellow immigrants’ experiences searching for work, love, and home in an alien city. Written in vernacular English, The Lonely Londoners makes important steps towards decolonizing British literature by focusing largely on the daily struggles of immigrant life and the oppression faced daily by Caribbean immigrants. Selvon’s work is just as poignant today as when it was published and was recently included on the Big Jubilee Read list created to celebrate British literature on Queen Elizabeth’s platinum jubilee.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Color Purple is among the most critically acclaimed African American novels of the twentieth century. The book follows the story of Celie, an underprivileged girl living in the Southern United States tasked with rescuing herself and her sister, Nettie, from a series of abusive relationships, finding solace along the way in religion and music. The Color Purple has been adapted into a film starring Whoopi Goldberg, which was nominated for eleven academy awards, as well as a Broadway musical. A definitive part of the African American literary canon, The Color Purple is an essential addition to your Black History Month reading list.
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