February is Black History Month — a time marked by the recognition of the Black experience in the United States both today and throughout history. Literature is one of the best mediums for expanding this recognition, immersing readers in stories of Black history and identity as they turn the page. These four works explore varying facets of that identity, providing a nuanced picture of narratives that speak to the Black experience.
“Homegoing” by Yaa Gyasi
“Homegoing,” published in 2016, is a novel that details a multi-generational story exploring the perverse effects of the trans-atlantic slave trade through the lineages of half-sisters Effia and Esi, who were separated at birth. Because Effia marries a British colonizer, her family line continues in Ghana throughout the novel, whereas Esi is sold into the slave trade, taking root in the United States.
Each chapter alternates between Effia and Esi’s lineages, telling stories about their various descendants. It moves rapidly through time, spanning locales from the Gold Coast of Africa to jazz-age Harlem — with these fictional histories providing a window into the everlasting personal, socioeconomic and geographic impacts of the slave trade. She makes a point throughout to note the historical gaps left by the more straight-line ways Black history is traditionally told, filling them with these gripping hypothetical narratives.
“Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019” by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
“Four Hundred Souls” is a nonfiction, community history that compiles the work of 90 African American writers, each of whom tackle a five-year period of African American history. Published in 2021, every writer uses a different style to explore their time window, ranging from short stories, historical essays, personal vignettes and more. The variety in stories mirrors that of the writers — with the book featuring works authored by those from contrasting backgrounds, like lawyers, journalists and poets. Given an extremely diverse selection of literature throughout, “Four Hundred Souls” is a wide-ranging exploration of Black stories both past and present.
The 400 year period it covers half-decade by half-decade is also thematically split into 10-year increments — with all following a common personal or historical idea and concluding with a poem. As a whole, the work makes for an equally informative and artistically moving literary journey.
“Blackout” by Angie Thomas, Dhonielle Clayton, Ashley Woodfolk, Nic Stone, Nicola Yoon and Tiffany D. Jackson
“Blackout,” published in 2021, is an anthology novel of six stories written by six Black authors revolving around romance, friendship and connection among Black teenagers during a power outage amidst a heatwave in New York City. The sextet are connected through time and place, showing the sharedness of Black experience — while still celebrating its differences through unique stories within the same cultural context.
For example, one vignette titled “Mask Off” is a queer romance where the two characters in focus are stuck on a subway car and uncover their feelings for each other, serving as an emotional standout. “Blackout” offers an exciting exploration of Black identity through modern interpersonal connection, juxtaposing the darkness of the blackout with the joy and light found in the protagonists’ tales of affection.
“The Color of Water” by James McBride (1995)
“The Color of Water” is James McBride’s autobiography and memoir, doubling as a touching tribute to his mother, Ruth McBride, who was born into an Orthodox Jewish family in Poland before arriving in the United States at two years old. Published in 1995, each chapter alternates focus between first-person accounts of McBride’s early life and the chronology of his mother’s, which is detailed through a series of interviews. As a single mother to 12 biracial children, Ruth McBride’s interviews outline the extreme social ostracization she faced in her life and time raising children in the United States.
Exploring the multifaceted nature of racial identity during a historical period characterized by racism, “The Color of Water” offers an extraordinary perspective on growing up biracial in the United States. Central to this memoir is the question of the function of race as a social construct within society. The work’s title was inspired by a defining interaction between McBride and his mother during his childhood. McBride asked if God was black or white, with his mother’s response becoming the titular quote.
“God doesn’t have a color. He is the color of water. Water doesn’t have a color.”
These four books, spanning a variety of genres, perspectives and insights on the Black experience provide a glimpse into Black history in the United States. Throughout this Black History Month, be sure to appreciate and digest the narrative and historical diversity offered by these excellent literary works.
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