Books you Should add to your Reading List
Arizona Coffea Editorial Team
Reading books by Black authors is not just about diversifying your reading list; it's about broadening your perspective, understanding different experiences, and amplifying voices that have historically been marginalized. Here are a few books that we suggest you add to your collection.
Unmasking AI goes beyond the headlines Big Tech produces about existential threats. It is the amazing tale of how Buolamwini discovered what she refers to as "the coded gaze"—evidence of implicit prejudice and exclusion in tech products—and how, by establishing the Algorithmic Justice League, she sparked a movement to stop AI hazards. Using an intersectional perspective, she examines how racism, sexism, colorism, and ableism can coexist and leave large segments of the human race "excoded," making them susceptible in a world quickly embracing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. She reminds us that computers are reflections of the goals and constraints of the people who design them. Get your copy here!
Nikki, who is still as vibrant and relevant as ever, gives us a close-up, poignant, and insightful glimpse into her past and the secrets of her own heart. She lets us into her confidence in A Good Cry, recalling the violence that characterized her parents' marriage and her early years while also conveying the thrill and danger of growing older. She honors the individuals who have brought purpose and happiness into her life: her grandparents, who adopted her and saved her life; the poets and intellectuals who have impacted her; and the students who have surrounded her. In addition, Nikki honors Maya Angelou, a close friend, and the many years of companionship, poetry, and laughter around the kitchen table that they had until Angelou passed away in 2014. Get your copy here!
Examine the information and listen to the experiences of Black women in business who have overcome workplace discrimination. This book provides Black women in business with a road map for overcoming a toxic workplace and claiming their due position. I'm Not Yelling equips you with the information and tactics necessary to overcome challenges like imposter syndrome and systemic racism. Get your copy here!
This important collection includes poems that explore joy, love, origin, race, resistance, and praise. It follows in the footsteps of Dudley Randall's The Black Poets and E. Ethelbert Miller's In Search of Color Everywhere. Jacqueline A. Trimble compares the ecstasy of the "Black woman" to peacock plumes, tassels, indigo, and foxes. Through food—from fried chicken gizzards to Cuban rice and beans—Tyree Daye, Nate Marshall, and Elizabeth Acevedo explore what it means to be "home." Intimate reflections about love and dedication from Clint Smith and Cameron Awkward-Rich envelop us. Elizabeth Alexander describes it as "butter melting in small pools" and Patricia Spears Jones as holding a "jewel in her hand." This Is the Honey is brimming with happy, heartfelt imagery, upbeat music, and a revolutionary movement. Get your copy here!
The Shift looks at how we might weather the transitional seasons with the kind of bravery that comes from knowing exactly what God has planned for your life. Get your copy here!
Courtney B. Vance aims to alter the course in this book. Through the sharing of his own most formative experiences, Courtney B. Vance addresses themes of bereavement, relationships, identity, and race in addition to the professional knowledge of renowned psychologist Dr. Robin L. Smith (also known as "Dr. Robin"). Black guys can get guidance from Courtney and Dr. Robin in regaining mental health, managing life's ups and downs, and analyzing fractured pieces to find entire, full-hearted living. Taking care of oneself is revolutionary. It's time to transform Black community mental health. Get your copy here!
The Black Joy Project, an expansion of the eponymous real-world endeavor, is the idea of activist and educator Kleaver Cruz. For Black people of various origins and identities, it has emerged as a source of renewal and healing. The Black Joy Project is an essential addition for any book lover, art enthusiast, or freedom fighter. It is long delayed and nevertheless still worth the wait. And raises the question: How do you define Black Joy?