Black History Nonfiction Picture BooksLike this list

15 items

• My People

  Hughes, Langston, 1902-1967

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  Hughes's spare yet eloquent tribute to his people has been cherished for generations. Now, acclaimed photographer Smith interprets this beloved poem in vivid sepia photographs that capture the glory, the beauty, and the soul of being a black…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Radiant Child

  the Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat

  Steptoe, Javaka, 1971-

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  Jean-Michel Basquiat and his unique, collage-style paintings rocked to fame in the 1980s as a cultural phenomenon unlike anything the art work had ever seen. But before that, he was a little boy who saw art everywhere: in poetry books and museums,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Life Doesn't Frighten Me

  Angelou, Maya

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  Maya Angelou's brave, defiant poem celebrates the courage within each of us, young and old. From the scary thought of panthers in the park to the unsettling scene of a new classroom, fearsome images are summoned and dispelled by the power of faith…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Claudette Colvin

  I Want Freedom Now!

  Colvin, Claudette, 1939-

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  Civil rights icon Claudette Colvin teams up with Phillip Hoose--author of the Newbery Honor and National Book Award-winning blockbuster biography Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice--to tell her groundbreaking story in this unforgettable picture…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hey Black Child

  Perkins, Useni Eugene

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  A lyrical, empowering poem that celebrates black children and seeks to inspire all young ones to dream big and achieve their goals. Also available as a read-along book, and on Hoopla as an eBook and eAudiobook.

• The Undefeated

  Alexander, Kwame

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  Originally performed for ESPN's The Undefeated, this poem is a love letter to black life in the United States. It highlights the unspeakable trauma of slavery, the faith and fire of the civil rights movement, and the grit, passion, and perseverance…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Jimmy's Rhythm & Blues

  the Extraordinary Life of James Baldwin

  Meadows, Michelle,

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  This first-ever picture book biography of the legendary writer and activist introduces readers to this passionate Black man who discovered his true power in the written word, which opened the world to him as he used his voice fearlessly.

• Cicely Tyson

  Watson, Renée,

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  Cicely Tyson was born in New York City to parents originally from the Islands. No matter where she was, Cicely always carried light within her, a light that she let shine. After many years of discovering herself, Cicely finally found where her light…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• I Am Ruby Bridges

  Bridges, Ruby

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  Told in the perspective of her six year old self and based on the pivotal events that happened in 1960, Ruby tells her story like never before. Embracing her name and learning that even at six years old she was able to pave the path for future…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Unstoppable

  How Bayard Rustin Organized the 1963 March on Washington

  Long, Michael G.,

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  This powerful and triumphant picture book biography tells the story of Bayard Rustin, an openly gay civils rights leader, who, with the support of Dr. King and future congressman John Lewis, led 250,000 people to the doorstep of the U.S. government…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Born on the Water

  Hannah-Jones, Nikole

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  Stymied by her unfinished family tree assignment for school, a young girl seeks Grandma's counsel and learns about her ancestors, the consequences of slavery, and the history of Black resistance in the United States.

• Be the Light

  How She Became Angela Davis

  Peoples, Daria,

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  A biography of the visionary Civil Rights icon, activist, and scholar Angela Davis. Also available via eAudiobook on Hoopla.

• Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem

  the Vision of Photographer Roy Decarava

  Golio, Gary,

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  This visually stunning portrait of Black photographer Roy DeCarava, a child of the Harlem Renaissance and an artistic collaborator of Langston Hughes, takes readers through 1940s Harlem where beauty is everywhere as he immortalizes and documents the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The People Remember

  Zoboi, Ibi Aanu

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  The People Remember tells the journey of African descendants in America by connecting their history to the seven principles of Kwanzaa. It begins in Africa, where people were taken from their homes and families. They spoke different languages and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Strange Fruit

  Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song

  Golio, Gary,

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  Silence. That was the response at Cafe Society the first time Billie Holiday performed a song called "Strange Fruit." In the 1930s, Billie was known as a performer of jazz and blues music, but her song wasn't either of those things. It was a song…Read moreRead more of this annotation