Happy black history month!
To celebrate Black History Month in 2022, I’m going to be sharing some black her-stories. Get it? Ha, you got it. This is a short selection of work that I think is awesome. Fun, urgent, magical tales and one poem by a writer that I’m low-key obsessed with.
What is Black History Month?
In order to give you the best resources to inform yourself, I’m going to refer you to the smart folks at NPR to get more information about how Black History Month got started, and what it signifies. After you’ve familiarized yourself with the basics, you might consider what is the best way to celebrate, honor, or simply reflect on this month. Reading literature by black women is a great way to participate, which is why I’ve decided to share these stories. By checking out my list you can –
Have fun! The list I’ve curated is incredibly cool. There are new fairy tales, discussions about hair, black female bodies, and colorism. Lots of good topics to dive into!
Get a fresh take! There’s a lot out on the internet about black women, and sometimes the details of our lives blur together in the tornado of information about health, death, poverty & violence. But what about life? This is the refrain that gets stuck in my head on loop. What about life? This list addresses that question in ways I find thrilling.
Share the love! Representation is so important. If you like what you read, pass the story along to a friend. Tell them to do the same. Let’s spread the word on these awesome authors during February 2022.
Who are the women we’re celebrating for black history month?
I know spoilers aren’t cool, but if you’re excited, here’s a little tidbit. The women I’ll be selecting work from are:
Imbolo Mbue
Tiana Clark
Andrea Lee
Lesley Nneka Arimah
ZZ packer
Celine Aenlle-Rocha
On instagram, I’ll be sharing links to works by each of these women during the month of february. Each of these pieces are freely available online, although a good deal of them are from The New Yorker, so you may have to pick and choose which ones you read during February and save a couple for next month if you don’t have a subscription. Of course, this just means more to look forward to in March, which isn’t exactly a bad thing! I’ll keep all of the links live in my bio, so you can return to them whenever you’re ready. These are most short stories, but I’ve also included one poem. If you know any black female poets that you feel should join the list, feel free to DM on instagram, or contact me here and let me know!
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Happy reading and stay safe!