Excellent educational books by Black authors

Excellent Educational Books by Black Authors

As an English student and avid reader, it is my belief that the best way to understand someone else’s experience is to read about it. Even books which are fictional can educate us. Below, I have listed three major fictional books by Black authors that are exceptional in their presentation of very different Black experiences.

1. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas The protagonist of this novel is the 16-year-old girl, Starr Carter. Though this is Young Adult fction, the book begins with Starr witnessing the murder of her childhood friend, Khalil, who was shot by a police offcer and, unsurprisingly, Khalil was unarmed. Much like the protests we have seen for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Stephon Clark (and many others), protesters head to the streets shouting Khalil’s name, and begging for justice. As Khalil’s only witness the pressure is on Starr to come forward and speak up. “The strongest aspect of this book is it's social commentary and political criticism. This is the kind of book that should be in the hands of teens, making them aware of current issues, educating them on pressing matters, and encouraging them to get involved to create change.” – (Emma Giordano) If you don’t have time for reading at the moment, The Hate U Give was also adapted into an incredible movie.

“it’s impossible to be unarmed when our Blackness is the weapon that they fear”- (April Offrah)

2. Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid This book begins with the protagonist Emira Tucker, a young Black woman, being accused by a security guard in a supermarket of stealing the white toddler she is babysitting. Though this scene sets the precedent for the rest of the novel, Reid speeds past this and has Emira shake off the whole event. This does not make the details of the event any less effective, but Reid wants the reader to focus on the essential context of the novel, which is the relationship between Emira and her white wealthy employer, Alix Chamberlain. “Narratives about race and privilege are not unfamiliar literary fodder, but in her novel, Reid demonstrates a remarkable insight by taking on the monumental challenge of revealing the state of America through what she called the “everyday domestic biases that we don’t even know we have.” Reid’s exploration is a fresh and interesting look at the uneasy performance of “wokeness”—a paper-thin tissue of a word, so conspicuous that it now immediately breeds distrust.” – (bookswithchai)

3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett This novel is about twin sisters, Stella and Desiree, who grow up in Mallard, L.A, which is a town mainly comprised of light-skinned black people. One of the sisters, Stella, makes the decision to live her life as a white-passing person, while Desiree chooses to embrace her Black identity. This book weaves together multiple generations of this family, ranging from the 1950s to the 1990s, and presents an emotional exploration of family, race, gender, class, and integrally the lasting infuence of the past and our decisions.

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“A story of absolute, universal timelessness… For any era, it‘s an accomplished, affecting novel. For this moment, it‘s piercing, subtly wending its way toward questions about who we are and who we want to be….” – (Entertainment Weekly)

Anushka Searle

QUESTION How can I bond better with my fatmates?

ANSWER Try and fnd something you have in common!

Whether this is a tv show or video game it will be to nice fnd common ground. Go out and do actvities as a fat! Go for walks or to the oub for a pint. Perhaps cooking a big meal together could be fun! Fajitas nights were a big hit in my frst year fat!

QUESTION me, help? I‘m worried my boyfriends friends don‘t like

ANSWER It is easy to overthink whether your boyfriends friends like you or not as you obviously are keen to make a good impression! All you can do is be friendly zing things your boyfriend likes about you they will too!

QUESTION How do you suggest staying social now we are in a local lockdown?

ANSWER It is frustrating not being able to hang out with friends at university. Make us of zoom or FaceTime- even Netfix Party to mix things up! Perhaps utilise this time to focus on university work and getting ahead!

I‘m having WiFi problems and so i‘m strugg-QUESTION ling big time with virtual uni!! What should I do?

cafes with free WiFi which you could visit and have a productuve study session. try not to let it get on top of you, detach yourself from the situation by going for a walk or practicing mindfulness!

QUESTION My diet is really bad at uni! Should I bet cutting back?

ANSWER The most important thing to do is listen to your body! Don‘t restruct your diet unnecessarily but make sure to eat 3 balanced meals a day. Especially with coronavirus it‘s important to get your fruit and veg intake! Don‘t feel guilty about treating yourself though. and get to know them! Ask them questions! All the ama-

QUESTION Any book recommendations to read while i‘m stuck indoors? :(

For deep and intellectual reading try The Bell Jar by ANSWER Sylvia Plath. For more light hearted reading try Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney.

QUESTION Should I do a masters? Don‘t want to waste money but no clue on careers?

ANSWER Don‘t do a masters just for the sake of it but it is defo worth looking into whether it will help your career wise! If you are wanting to go into a career where you need strong industry connections then it might be worth i as this is what most masters degrees provide alongside speciality.

I struggle with this too! Maybe ask your housemates to stop streaming when you have uni if possible! There are many local

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