October is Black History Month in the UK! To celebrate, each of the scholars have put together two recommendations of books on different themes and topics in relation to Black History Month.
Black History Month was created to celebrate the art, culture, music, food, history, languages, sexualities, genders, expressions and intellectual contributions of the Black communities. It is an appreciation of Blackness, and a recognition of the roles played throughout history by Black people.
In the UK, Black History Month has typically been taught within formal education institutions with a focus on colonialism. Black stories are often omitted from curriculums, with history and literature primarily focusing on white narratives, despite the UK’s strong historical and cultural connection with nations across the world, especially African and Caribbean nations. It is widely argued that Black history should be taught year round, with a more balanced curriculum introduced into all aspects and levels of education. Until that standard is reached, Black History Month allows for the opportunity to draw attention to and recognise the triumphs and contributions of ethnic communities to British culture and society.
Black History Month is an excellent time to support Black communities and immerse ourselves in their culture. You don’t need to be Black to take part in Black History Month, and is a time to explore our own identities and memories in relation to Black history and culture. It is the perfect month to educate ourselves, question our own perspectives and address how we can draw on our own culture and experiences to understand how we might become an active participant in educating others on Black history.
When we consider Black History Month, we tend to think about America and Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, the Black Lives Matter protests of recent years, or the abolition of the slave trade. It is important that we remember these events, but it is important that we remember that Black History Month extends worldwide. The Black experience is not solely a Western one, nor is it only an English-speaking one. We would be remiss if we didn’t recommend (translated) texts to you from around the world.
Bernadine Evaristo – Girl, Woman, Other
Girl, Woman, Other follows 12 characters, most of them being Black British women, moving through the world and struggling to understand their place. Evaristo’s characters’ backgrounds could not be more different, following women from different social classes, different sexualities and gender identities, those with differing faiths and political leanings. It is a story of gender, of sexuality and understanding how they can be explored alongside Blackness and alongside womanhood. It is a story of diaspora and the search for belonging. A story of love and family, both blood relatives and found family. Girl, Woman, Other is an absolute must for anyone, a truly unique and heartfelt tale of community and history. Each page is laced with culture, from the descriptions of hair and food to the ways in which the characters interact with each other via social media. It’s a no-brainer why Andrea recommends this one so heavily!
Brit Bennett – The Vanishing Half
Andrea’s second recommendation is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. A story of Blackness, what it means to be Black within a community, and how Blackness is represented within white communities. Although Bennett’s novel has been regarded as dated by some, it is expertly constructed to emulate and critique the conservatism and the morals of 1950s and 60s America. The restrained language, brooding tone and optimistic hope of achieving the American Dream all sing with the style of the period. Bennett weaves together multiple generations of the family, producing a story that is both an emotional family story and a exploration of America’s history. Bennett questions the lasting influence of the past, how this shapes people’s wants and desires, and why people often feel pulled to live as something other than they were born as.
Audre Lorde – Sister Outsider
dyuti’s first recommendation is Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde. The essays and speeches within this text explore race, sexuality, poetry and friendship, drawing attention to those who feel as though they are outside of society’s definition of a ‘woman’. dyuti explains that this book was among the first texts she read as a part of her Master’s degree, and really shaped the way she considered womanhood and what it meant to be a woman. And, indeed, it has continued to inform her; ‘It helped me find my politics at the intersections of identities, as well as making me hold myself accountable to my upper caste location’. Texts such as Sister Outsider are integral in hearing the voices of the Black communities, and force us to consider our position in the world and whether we are really doing enough.
Ama Ata Aidoo – No Sweetness Here
No Sweetness Here is a collection of short stories by Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo. Here, Aidoo’s stories are meant to be read aloud, and are primarily concerned with Western influences on women and society. Aidoo exposes the exploitation of women who must support their children alone after the loss of their husbands, or who never had one. An important and critical analysis of what it means to be a mother, and what it means to be a mother in a Black society under the pressing influence of the white West. dyuti’s second recommendation is a series of short stories by an incredible woman that really bring life to the experiences of Ghanaian women. It is an absolute must for everyone.
Njabulo Ndebele – Fools, and Other Stories
In this short story collection, Njabulo Ndebele explores the struggle against oppression. The titular story focuses on a now disgraced teacher who was once respected by the community as a leader of the future. This story is a tale of friendship, finding common ground within struggles and uniting the old and new generations of South Africans in the struggle against Apartheid. In doing so, they re-examine their own lives, questioning their way of living and their relationships with women. The collection as a whole deals with townships, childhood and the courage to stand up for one’s beliefs. Ndebele draws attention to the class divisions between Black South Africans, as well as the divisions between Black and white South Africans, and attempts to remind us of what is truly important. This was one of the texts Georgia read as part of an undergraduate module on South African literature, and is one that has stayed in her memory as some of the most authentic portrayals of life and experiences under Apartheid rule.
Salena Godden – Mrs Death Misses Death
Georgia’s second recommendation is Salena Godden’s Mrs Death Misses Death. In this fantastically innovative novel, Wolf Willeford, a young writer, meets Death – a black, working-class woman. Death seeks someone to hear her stories, and Willeford obliges, writing the memoirs of Death herself. Using their desk as a vessel, the two travel across time and space to witness deaths and lament on the future of humanity. This is a story of hope, loss, friendship, resilience and love. Godden uses an incredibly innovative form, appearing as snapshots of memories and fragments of stories, and weaves together the most remarkable tale of life and death, fate and what it means to exist.
The books here are just a few of the thousands of incredible texts written by Black writers and about Black lives. Why not pick them up from the library and give them a read? And, if you want more recommendations, why not message us on social media, or visit Afrori Books in Brighton for curated recommendations from the experts?
Sussex Research Hive 