Stories matter. They change our minds and teach us empathy. Stories help us to understand ourselves and those unlike ourselves; experiences we can never truly understand, even though we must try. If we want to make the world a place where human beings can do things like go jogging, relax at home, drive a car, or go shopping without taking a bullet or having their windpipe crushed as they call out for their mother, we must try. We must learn. We must listen to the stories. Because black stories matter.
Sure, it’s true that some stories are more helpful than others. For every Uncle Tom’s Cabin, there’s a Birth of a Nation. Every day, you have to decide what you’re going to feed your brain and body. What kinds of stories you’re going to consume. What kind of person you are and who you’re going to be.
I read as many books as I can. I try to watch all the things I can. Because I am greedy and gluttonous when it comes to stories in all their myriad forms. I’ve put together this list of stories that I wanted to share with you. They are mostly books that educated me, expanded my perception, and illuminated the experiences of people whose lives are very different than mine. They are stories that took my brain, reshaped it like Silly Puddy, imprinted images on it and stuck it back inside my head, forever changed. They made me aware of a history I did not learn in school and motivated me to learn more about things like the Tulsa Race Massacre and the Tuskegee Airmen. Stories that proved how incredible and resilient people can be, how ugly history can be, and that we can all do something to help.
They are stories that revealed to me my white privilege and made me understand it; made me see when I could’ve used it to make the world a tiny bit better, but didn’t.
This is by no means a complete list. I still have a lot of learning and a lot of reading to do. I am still trying to do and be better. I hope you find something here that helps you to undo some of that old wiring and work toward something greater.
Books
Nonfiction
How to be Black by Baratunde Thurston
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Freedom Summer: The Savage Season of 1964 That Made Mississippi Burn and Made America a Democracy by Bruce Watson
Becoming by Michelle Obama
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
I am Raymond Washington by Zach Fortier
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
March by John Lewis and Nate Powell
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Fiction
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
Room to Swing by Ed Lacy
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
In Time of Need by Shakirah Bourne
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler
Wakulla Springs by Andy Duncan
Your House Will Pay by Steph Cha
The Goddam White Man by David Lytton
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
Incognegro by Mat Johnson
Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun – Sarah Ladipo Manyika
Watch
TV Series
Dear White People
Watchmen
Black Lightning
Luke Cage
Orange is the New Black
The Wire
Key & Peele
When They See Us
Atlanta
Black-ish
Who Killed Malcolm X?
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike
Film
13th
Dolemite is My Name
Get Out
BlacKKKlansman
Sorry to Bother You
Black Panther
12 Years a Slave
Mississippi Burning
Hidden Figures
The Color Purple
Selma
Straight Outta Compton
Boyz N the Hood
Red Tails
If Beale Street Could Talk
Malcolm X
Da 5 Bloods
Get on Up
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Not a black story, but a true story, and I think it’s important to see how the black defendant is treated compared to the white dudes.)
The Central Park Five
Stand Up Comedy
Afraid of the Dark, Trevor Noah
Son of Patricia, Trevor Noah
Contrarian, D.L. Hughley
Comedy Comisado, Hannibal Buress
Michael Che Matters, Michael Che
The Standups with Gina Yashere (Netflix)
The Standups with Deon Cole (Netflix)
Mike Yard (YouTube)
Bonus: Greer Barnes. He doesn’t have an hour long special on any streaming service, but he does have an album on Spotify, as well as plenty of clips online, such as this one:
Since I’ve got you here, if you can donate, please do. There are many organizations that are helping real people with real stories. Look around and find one that resonates with you. My husband and I like Black Lives Matter and the Southern Poverty Law Center. But, there are several others. Do some Googling and online research. Listen to black voices. Read a book. Watch a movie. Anything other than doing nothing besides asking black people to educate you. That’s just lazy virtue signalling. Educate yourself. Most importantly, VOTE.
I still have some books on my to-read pile, so I might add to this list. If you have any suggestions, drop me a line.