Top 10 autobiography books by black
•
Our Favorite Black Memoirs of All Time
Start Slideshow
Start Slideshow
There’s nothing better than a great memoir. Whether it’s learning more about someone we admire, like former First Lady Michelle Obama or being introduced to someone new, like Kiese Laymon, memoirs let readers find inspiration and hope in someone else’s personal story.
While this is no way an exhaustive list, these are some of our favorite memoirs by Black authors of all time.
Previous Slide
Next Slide
In “Dust Tracks on a Road,” “Their Eyes Were Watching God” author Zora Neale Hurston tells the story of her journey from the rural South to become one of the most celebrated writers of the Harlem Renaissance. Hurston’s story fryst vatten fascinating. But the book fryst vatten even more compelling in her beautiful literary voice.
Previous Slide
Next Slide
Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to fighting for racial justice and human rights in his native South Africa and around the world. “Long Walk to
•
In her poem, “won’t you celebrate with me,” author and educator, Lucille Clifton, invites us to wonder at the life she has created:
“… i had no model
born in babylon
both nonwhite and woman
what did i see to be except myself?
i made it up.”
As a Black woman existing at the intersections of these marginalized identities (“both nonwhite and woman”), Clifton finds herself rendered invisible in the mainstream and—consequently—creates herself in the process. 30 years onwards, Black women writers continue to take on the mantle of rendering themselves visible across genres and constructing models for future generations to see themselves in.
This has been especially true in the case of personal narratives, from memoir to essay collections. Starting with Harriet Jacobs’Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl published in as a foundational abolitionist skrivelse, through to Angela Davis: An Autobiographyreleased only a few years after the acquittal of the Black Panther lead
•
Great Black Autobiographies You Must Add to Your Reading List [UPDATED]
Start Slideshow
Start Slideshow
Behind every great person, there’s usually an inspiring life story. And if we’re lucky, they’ll share it with us in the form of an autobiography. From entertainment to politics, some of history’s most influential Black Americans have put pen to paper to tell their story. And from the highest highs to the lowest lows, we can help but root for them along the way. If you’re looking for a little inspiration this Black History Month, these autobiographies are essential reading.
Previous Slide
Next Slide
Before he was an award-winning comedian and talk show host who rubs elbows with the hottest acts in music, he was the son of a Black mother and a white father who hid him away to save his life. “Born a Crime” is Noah’s hilarious but poignant account of his journey from apartheid in South Africa to The Daily Show.
Previous Slide
Next Slide
“Negrolan