As we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and approach Black History Month, I wanted to curate a list of books focused on own voices books.

Though I am of the opinion that we should be reading as diversely as possible generally, considering that diversity is not a box we should be checking off for reading challenges.  I’d like to challenge all of you to step outside of your possible comfort zone and check out some of these amazing books that range in genre and message. I’d even suggest participating in the black-a-thon hosted by Jesse from the booktube channel Bowties & Books. 

Here are the details regarding the black-a-thon:

Black-a-thon will take place in February and is a celebration of black history, community, identity, and future. Join myself and my co-hosts as we read some fantastic own voices books with black protagonists!

Twitter Challenge: Movie watch along & IG/Twitter discussion on @Blackathon1 twitter DATES: FEBRUARY 7 @ 6PM CST: Coming to America (Comedy)
FEBRUARY 14 @ 6 PM CST What Men Want (Contemporary)
FEBRUARY 21 @ 6 PM CST Love and Basketball (Romance)
FEBRUARY 27TH @ 6 PM CST Black Panther (Celebration)

Twitter Blackout Dates. Black folks will post a selfie with hashtag #blackathon2020. YES mixed race/light skinned folks count! Feb 7th Feb 14 Feb 21 Feb 28th

Instagram Challenge: February 15 – 21nd
Day 1 – Mirror Image: Cover recreation or homage
Day 2 – Slept On: a book no one talks about
Day 3 – Call and Response: A Community Recommendation
Day 4 – #BlackBoyJoy: A lighthearted comfort read
Day 5 – #BlackGirlMagic: SFF with a black protagonist
Day 6 – POSE: Black LGBTQIA+ author or character
Day 7 – My Kitchen: Book covering black mental health or disability

Hashtag: #Blackathon2020 **MUST tag me in these IG posts (Lauren isn’t doing this challenge so just tag me)
If you post for all 7 days you can win our #blackathon2020 giveaway!

Youtube Challenge:
TEAM SFF
Janelle Monae: LGBTQIA+ SFF book with black protagonist.
Nnedi Okorafor: A work of Afrofuturism centering a complex and advance society Feel free to use this Goodreads list for recs https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/…
David F Walker: A SFF comic/graphic novel by a black author with a black protagonist Dhonielle Clayton: A SFF book with a cunning and ambitious black protagonist

TEAM CONTEMPORARY/LITERATURE
Bassey Ikpi: A work exploring the intersection of mental health and/or disability in black folks
Marlon James: A work that isn’t set in the United States and does not center the black American narrative
Alexa Martin: A lighthearted work that doesn’t center “the struggle” (racism/poverty/drug use) and features powerful romantic or platonic bonds
Akwaeke Emezi: A work where a black protagonist challenges preconceived notions of blackness and what “black” means; a black revolutionary character

Blackathon Tag: (Same questions as the IG challenges)
Q1 – Mirror Image: Cover recreation or homage
Q2 – Slept On: a book no one talks about
Q3 – Call and Response: A Community Recommendation
Q4 – #BlackBoyJoy: A lighthearted comfort read
Q5 – #BlackGirlMagic: SFF with a black protagonist
Q6 – POSE: Black LGBTQIA+ author or character
Q7 – My Kitchen: Book covering black mental health or disability

Afrocentric Books: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k…
Afrofuturism Goodreads Shelf https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/…
Googledoc of all the challenges: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10…

Here’s a list of books I’ve enjoyed or would like to read this year!

-Stephanie