Recent Books on Black History

Posted on: February 16, 2024

In celebration of Black History Month, here’s a selection of new and noteworthy books that explore topics related to Black history.

Libarary catalog record for the book Twice as Hard, by Jasmine Brown

Twice as Hard: The Stories of Black Women Who Fought to Become Physicians, from the Civil War to the 21st Century

By Jasmine Brown

“No real account of black women physicians in the US exists, and what little mention is made of these women in existing histories is often insubstantial or altogether incorrect. In this work of extensive research, Jasmine Brown offers a rich new perspective, penning the long-erased stories of nine pioneering black women physicians beginning in 1860, when a black woman first entered medical school.” – Beacon Press (publisher)

The Making of Black Lives Matter: A Brief History of an Idea (Updated Edition)

By Christopher J. Lebron

“…Examines the racialized violence that defines US history: from the overt violence of slavery to the racial segregation of Jim Crow legislation, from white supremacist lynchings to the covert white privilege of society today. Lebron never sets out to provide a historical assessment of Black Lives Matter but contextualizes the movement within black political and ethical thought, while lauding the achievements of people who have maintained their morals and dignity in the face of oppression and violence.” – Times Higher Education 

I Love My People

By Kim Singleton

“…A poetic tribute to African American history-makers and culture-shakers, complete with nostalgic photography and vibrant, playful illustration. This book captures Black joy in all its resilient splendor.” – 1517 Media (publisher)

Desegregating Comics: Debating Blackness in the Golden Age of American Comics

edited by Qiana Whitte

“…Essential reading for those seeking a more complex and revisionist history of the Black image in comics in the first half of the twentieth century. It includes leading voices in media, literature, gender, and Black studies who unearth the collaborative efforts in the industry to reshape visual and narrative renderings of spectacular blackness and speculations of blackness.” –Deborah Elizabeth Whaley, author of Black Women in Sequence: Re-inking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime 

More information

Find more JMU Libraries books on Black history in our online catalog. And don’t miss our Centering and Celebrating Black History Month page with many more resources to explore. 

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