Inspiring reads for Black History Month 2024

For 2024, Black History Month is focused on the theme of reclaiming narratives.

This theme is not just about revisiting the history of Black communities, but also about taking ownership of the stories that represent Black culture, contributions and identity.

One key aspect of this annual event involves the potential to inspire and educate the next generation with fresh perspectives on Black history, celebrating excellence in all its forms.

To achieve this goal, it’s vital to provide learning materials that reflect the diversity of the student body. However, the current financial climate in higher education means that exploring and acquiring new resources may be more challenging for some libraries.

In response, we’ve curated a handpicked list of eBooks from the Kortext Open Resources Collection to celebrate Black History Month.

We’ve chosen five free-to-access books that explore representations of and construct new narratives about Black history and culture from the 17,000+ titles available in our ever-growing collection.

1. Riché Richardson, Emancipation’s Daughters: Reimagining Black Femininity and the National Body

This work discusses iconic Black women leaders who have contested racial stereotypes and constructed new narratives of black womanhood. Drawing on literary texts and cultural representations, Richardson shows how five emblematic Black women – from Mary McLeod Bethune to Beyoncé – have challenged white-centred definitions of American identity.

2. Felice D. Blake, Black Love, Black Hate: Intimate Antagonisms in African American Literature

Black Love, Black Hate examines representations of intraracial conflicts in Black literature, exploring literary criticism’s focus on Black solidarity. Blake looks at how literature serves as an alternative public sphere for Black voices, enabling crucial discussions and combatting racism without perpetuating oppressive hierarchies in the context of a predominantly white society.

3. Lester K. Spence, Knocking the Hustle: Against the Neoliberal Turn in Black Politics

Spence writes about how a growing wealth gap is forcing individuals to think of themselves in entrepreneurial terms and is transforming institutions like schools and churches into businesses. This book considers the impact on African American communities, challenging the notion of ‘hustling’ as empowering and arguing that instead it perpetuates existing inequality.

4. Heidi Safia Mirza, Young, Female and Black

This text addresses the myth that young black women consistently underachieve both at school and in the labour market. In a comparative study of research and writing from America, Britain and the Caribbean, Mirza revisits our understanding of what is meant by educational underachievement, the black family and – in particular – black womanhood in Britain.

5. Dominique Haensell, Making Black History: Diasporic Fiction in the Moment of Afropolitanism

Making Black History suggests that Afropolitanism may be best approached as a distinct historical and cultural moment that allows us to see how Africa is represented in the predominantly Western cultural landscape of the 21st century. As such, Haensell examines contemporary African or Black Diaspora fiction written and received in this context.

To access these books, and more, sign in to your Kortext account and select ‘Collections’. Then search by author, title or keywords using the search box at the top of the page.

You don’t have to be an existing Kortext customer to benefit from our Open Resources Collection. To find out more, talk to us today.