A Lesson in New Beginnings: A 2019 Reading List

As the end of the year swiftly appraoches so many of us are doing our year end recap. What wins did we have this year? What areas of our lives can we improve in 2019? These questions help us reflect on our growth and release negativity. One of my favorite activities for the end of the year is to create a list of books to explore in the new year. Welcome to my 2019 Reading List!

Reading is personal. Each book I read changes my life so I am very intentional with the contents of my library. Every page of these texts is political in their own way. My 2019 reading list centers Black authors, especially Black femmes,  across non-fiction and fiction. Some of are new kids on the block while others are longstanding legends of the literary game, but they all deserve a look in the new year.

1. Becoming by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama's Becoming is on the bookshelves of so many already this year, but reading this book to kick off the New Year is a must. Obama offers her life story up for us to learn from and assess critically. in 2018 I began to look closely at The Obamas legacy and this book adds to this close look. Essentially the book offers a look at life before the election and all the lessons of her adolescence. 

2. Beloved by Toni Morrison

I know I am the last person to pick up a copy of this revered text. It is my mission to dive deep into Morrison this year. Her novel Song of Solomon is in my top 3 reads of all time so the bar is already high for this classic. 

3. Kindred by Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler is one of the literary greats. Her writing style and story telling are unmatched. Plus, she invented alchemy so we should all take lessons from Butler on how to manifest what is meant for us in 2019 and forever.

4. Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton

Snorton is offering the true tea on Blackness and gender. This text traces back the history of trans identity and Blackness and connects to modern day anti-Black and anti-trans legislation. I recommend this for anyone trying to increase their trans scholarship as we move beyond gender binary.

5. Jezebel Unhinged: Loosing the Black Female Body in Religion and Culture by Tamura Lomax

Lomax is playing zero games when it comes to Black girlhood and womanhood. She dissects the jezebal trope throughout the Black church and Black culture. If you are seeking a book to give you a deeper understanding of misogynoir then this is it. You're welcome. 

6. Well-Read Black Girl by Gloria Edim

Has any other book taking the internet by storm like this one? I doubt it. Edim's work has taken over #bookstagram with its bright cover and amazing community. Grab a copy of this anthology and get lost in the world of incredibly talented Black woman writers. 

7. Sassafrass, Cypress, and Indigo by Ntozake Shange

Rest in power to a legend. In 2018 Shange transitioned beyond this world, but she left us with so much art. This novel is a great introduction to Shange's work as she explores geography, family, and trauma. You will not be sorry you picked this work up as you become a Shange fan for life. 

8. Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur

Assata Shakur offers us her story in this autobiography. Her fight for Black liberation gives foundation for so much Black radical organizing. Moreover, Shakur is a Black woman at the center of police brutality and racism in the 1970s. What more do you need to go pick this up? I thought so.

9. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Marriage, racism, fidelity, and so much more draw us into Jones' hit novel An American Marriage. She offers us an amazing story while analyzing class, race, and gender through the lives of newlyweds in the American South.

10. If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

Baldwin is one of my literary godfathers and this novel shows us every reason why. Go grab this book and go see If Beale Street Could Talk in theatres right now! 

A Lesson in Literacy: Reading Is A Political Act

In elementary school I had a hard time learning how to read. Reading aloud on the multicolored rug in my kindergarten classroom evolved into a mix of subtle traumas. It was not until my mother emphasized the power of words that I felt empowered to read. Soon weekend trips to the Enoch Pratt public library on Pennsylvania Avenue became my favorite weekend activity with my mother. Her love, guidance, and patience drove me. She never gave up (and still her love is unwavering). By second grade I grew into my book nerd identity. I devoured stories of Junie B. Jones and Nancy Drew. At the core of my love for reading was my mother's emphasis: reading opens worlds to you.

My mother's lesson was a political act. She was teaching me valuable lessons about the ways people are kept in the dark. By giving me books my mother gave me the world. It gave me social capital because books taught me how to play the game. Books taught me code-switching, dog whistle politics, and Black feminisms. Without books I would not know bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Maya Angelou, Marsha P. Johnson, and Janet Mock. Reading is a crucial step in liberation.

Attacks on public libraries, public schools, and prison libraries must be understood as violent. The intential censorship and removal of knowledge is violent. Banning books is an act of war. Disarming Black and Brown people, especially Black and Brown children, through the banning of books is criminal, but we rarely highlight these atrocities. We cannot minimize the impact of these things. 

Banned books teach the most important lessons. Across the United States incarcerated folk are not allowed to read a variety of books from The Color Purple to The New Jim Crow.  The politics of which books are banned and which books are not is a conversation about power. Banning books removes power and agency. It silences the marginalized. It reinforces oppression. 

I will never forget my mother's lesson. I will continue to fight for the freedom of Black and Brown people. The freedom to read without the threat of violence is crucial to Black liberation. We must rally together as a community to uplift marginalized folk. Donate to activists and advocates doing the work to educate us. The revolution does not happen one leader at a time. Revolutions are collective acts of resistance. 

One organization I am supporting this year is Justice 4 Black Girls. Their commitment to advocacy for the education of Black girls is directly connected to the fight against mass incarceration. You can follow them on Instagram at @justice4blackgirls and follow @brie.b for daily doses of knowledge on how to better protect incarcerated Black girls.