10 Banned Books with Black Protagonists

Published on 17 August 2023 at 14:44
When we see ourselves in the books we read, we feel recognized, valued, and valid. Book bans in the United States often target stories with minority protagonists. When this happens, we have less opportunities to see ourselves in literature, and majority readers lose the chance to experience a story through another person's eyes. To combat the banning of books with Black characters and plots that relate to race in America, I've assembled a list of 10 books that are either facing bans presently or have in the past.
 
Happy reading!

Disclaimer: It's important to support authors even as we seek access to free books. That's why we use libraries and other reputable sources rather than using "reading hacks" like buying a book, reading it, and returning it to get our money back. These hacks hurt authors who work hard to bring us meaningful stories.

Image Desccription: A light-skinned Black woman sits in the center of a leather couch. She is deeply engrossed in the book in her lap. She is wearing a black fedora, tan tank top, light-wash jeans, and dark tennis shoes. Her dark, curly hair reaches past her shoulders and falls over one eye. A well-stocked bookshelf stands behind the couch.

Photo Credit: Seven Shooter/Unsplash via Webador

10 Banned Books with Black Protagonists

 

  1. All American Boys (Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely): Covering the topics of race relations and police brutality, this book includes descriptions of a police beating. You can read this book for free on the Internet Archive, listen to it on AudioBookLabs, or buy it through Kiely's website.
  2. Beloved (Toni Morrison): Set in rural Ohio, this book discusses slavery, the Civil War, and the effects of each. You can read this book for free on Open Library, listen to it on Learn Out Loud, or buy it from Penguin Random House.
  3. Dear Martin (Nic Stone): Justyce McAllister writes letters to Martin Luther King Jr. as he processes race relations and who they impact him. Read this book for free through the Internet Archive or buy it on Amazon.
  4. Go Tell It On The Mountain (James Baldwin): Set in Harlem, this book was Baldwin's first major publication. Read it for free through the Internet Archive or buy it on Good Reads.
  5. Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison): Set in locations ranging from the Deep South to Harlem, this book discussing the racial divide in America was published for the first time in 1952. You can buy the book on Amazon, read it for free on the Internet Archive or listen for free on Learn Out Loud.
  6. Monday's Not Coming (Tiffany D. Jackson): Teenager, Claudia, looks into the disappearance of her friend, Monday. Read for free on Open Library or buy it on Amazon.
  7. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds): This nonfiction book explores the history and development of racist ideas in American culture and how to combat them. This book is hard to find from an online library, but Google Books will tell you the nearest public library that stocks it. If you'd like to buy it, you can find it on Amazon.
  8. The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison): About a little Black girl who prays her eyes will turn blue, this book won the 1993 Nobel Prize in Literature. Check Google Books for a library near you or listen to the audiobook on Learn Out Loud.
  9. The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas): A much newer publication, this book is hard to find on a free digital library, but you can get a taste for it by reading the first three chapters on Epic Reads listen to it on AudioBookLabs, or visit Angie Thomas' website for more information about the book and where to buy it.
  10. Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston): First published in 1937, this book puts a strong Black, female protagonist at the forefront. For such an old book, it's hard to find. Check Google Books for a library near you that stocks it or listen to it on the Internet Archive. You can listen to an excerpt on the official Zora Neale Hurston Website.

 

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