Our History Has Always Been Contraband: In Defense of Black Studies Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Colin Kaepernick, Robin D. G. Kelley, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. 2023. 220 pages. A collection of critical voices from the Black radical tradition that provides access to a history that is still being suppressed today. Continue reading
Your Plantation Prom Is Not Okay Book — Fiction. By Kelly McWilliams. 2023. 320 pages. This young adult novel introduces readers to the history of slavery and its legacy today, challenging the Lost Cause narrative offered to visitors at most plantations (prison labor camps). Continue reading
The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America Book — Non-fiction. By Khalil Gibran Muhammad. 2019. 416 pages. A biography of the idea of Black criminality in the making of modern urban America, The Condemnation of Blackness reveals the influence this pernicious myth, rooted in crime statistics, has had on our society and our sense of self. Continue reading
Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class Book — Non-fiction. By Blair L. M. Kelley. 2023. 352 pages. This book uses personal narratives to highlight the community and networks of resistance that Black laborers built in the face of racism and segregation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Continue reading
Africa is Not a Country, Second Edition (Revised) Picture book. By Mark Melnicove and Margy Burns Knight, and illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien. 2022. 48 pages. Updated to include new information and illustrations, this book counters stereotypes and celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the African continent. Continue reading
I’ll Take You There: Exploring Nashville’s Social Justice Sites Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Amie Thurber and Learotha Williams. 2021. 300 pages. An exploration of Nashville's social justice sites and people's history, celebrating the power of counternarratives as a tool to resist injustice. Continue reading
Resistance Stories from Black History for Kids: Inspiring People and Events That Every Kid Should Know Book — Non-fiction. By Rann Miller. 2023. 176 pages. Stories for middle school readers to show that the Black experience is not only defined by marching and boycotting, but also through rebellion and resistance. Continue reading
Water and Environmental Racism Teaching Activity. By Matt Reed and Ursula Wolfe-Rocca. Rethinking Schools. A mixer activity, inspired by the 2016 Democracy Now! documentary Thirsty for Democracy, introduces students to the struggle of residents to access safe water for drinking, cooking, and bathing in the majority-Black cities of Flint, Michigan; Jackson, Mississippi; and Newark, New Jersey. Continue reading
Above Ground Poetry. Clint Smith. 2023. 128 pages. A collection of poetry that explores parenthood, personal lineages, and a world full of constant social and political tumult. Continue reading
The Attack on Anti-Racist Teaching Attacks Environmental Justice Teaching The right-wing legislation restricting lessons on history and systemic racism also denies students climate literacy. Continue reading
That Flag Picture Book. By Tameka Fryer Brown. Illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. 2023. 40 pages. Learn about the history of the Confederate flag, the myths and the reality, through the story of two young girls. Continue reading
How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee Picture Book. By Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Frank Morrison. 2023. 40 pages. The story of eighth grader MacNolia Cox, the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee, and the racism she faced during her journey to compete at the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Continue reading
Look for Me in the Whirlwind: From the Panther 21 to 21st-Century Revolutions Book — Non-fiction. Edited by déqui kioni-sadiki and Matt Meyer. 2017. 648 pages. The collective autobiography of the New York Panther 21, an infamous conspiracy case that highlighted government repression of Black liberation activists during the 1960s and 1970s. Continue reading
American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics Book — Non-fiction. By Kevin Hazzard. 2022. 336 pages. The story of the Freedom House EMS in Pittsburgh, a group of Black men who became America's first paramedics and set the gold standard for emergency medicine around the world. Continue reading
The Radical King Book -- Non-fiction. By Dr. Martin Luther King. 320 pp. Arranged thematically in four parts, The Radical King includes twenty-three selections, curated and introduced by Dr. Cornel West, that illustrate King’s revolutionary vision, underscoring his identification with the poor, his unapologetic opposition to the Vietnam War, and his crusade against global imperialism. Continue reading
Cooked: Survival by ZIP Code Film. Directed by Judith Helfand. 2020. 54 minutes. This documentary focuses on Chicago’s heat wave to look at how a weeklong tragedy is really a story about the “slow-motion disaster” caused by race and class inequality. Continue reading
Teaching the Reconstruction Revolution: Picturing and Celebrating the First Era of Black Power Teaching Activity. By Adam Sanchez. 2022. Rethinking Schools. A lesson that help students understand, imagine, and celebrate the Reconstruction period as the first era of Black power in the United States. Continue reading
South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War Book — Non-fiction. By Alice L. Baumgartner. 2020. 384 pages. The story of why Mexico abolished slavery and how its increasingly radical antislavery policies fueled the sectional crisis in the United States. Continue reading
Framing Black Power Through the Life of Rosa Parks Teaching Activity. By Tiffany Mitchell Patterson and Jessica Rucker. In this lesson, students explore the core ideas of Black Power through a gallery walk with images and quotes connected to the life of Rosa Parks, and then consider how to define Rosa Parks’s activism. Continue reading
21st Century Voices of a People’s History of the United States: Documents of Resistance and Hope, 2000-2023 Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Anthony Arnove and Haley Pessin. 2023. 352 pages. Speeches, essays, songs, and documents from a range of movements offering hope for those seeking to understand our recent history so they can better understand how to change it. Continue reading
Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power Film. Directed by Sam Pollard and Geeta Gandbhir. 2022. 90 minutes. The story of young SNCC organizers who fought for voting rights and Black power in Lowndes County, Alabama. Continue reading
The Counter Revolution of 1836: Texas Slavery & Jim Crow and the Roots of American Fascism Book — Non-fiction. By Gerald Horne. 2022. 632 pages. A detailed history of counterrevolutionary forces in Texas state history. Continue reading
War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict Book — Non-fiction. By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas Davies. 2022. 198 pages. An examination of the events leading up to the 2022 conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the different parties involved, and the risks of escalation and opportunities for peace. Continue reading
Rosa Parks Lived a Long and Active Life, So Why Is This Timeline So Boring and Short? Teaching Activity. By Ursula Wolfe-Rocca. 3 pages. This timeline activity builds on students’ viewing of the 2022 film, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, and involves collaborating on a new timeline of Mrs. Parks' life. Continue reading
Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad Book — Non-fiction. By Matthew Delmont. 2022. 400 pages. This book tells the stories of Black heroes during World War II and their bravery and patriotism in the face of unfathomable racism and fascism. Continue reading
Our History Has Always Been Contraband: In Defense of Black Studies Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Colin Kaepernick, Robin D. G. Kelley, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. 2023. 220 pages. A collection of critical voices from the Black radical tradition that provides access to a history that is still being suppressed today. Continue reading
Your Plantation Prom Is Not Okay Book — Fiction. By Kelly McWilliams. 2023. 320 pages. This young adult novel introduces readers to the history of slavery and its legacy today, challenging the Lost Cause narrative offered to visitors at most plantations (prison labor camps). Continue reading
The Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime, and the Making of Modern Urban America Book — Non-fiction. By Khalil Gibran Muhammad. 2019. 416 pages. A biography of the idea of Black criminality in the making of modern urban America, The Condemnation of Blackness reveals the influence this pernicious myth, rooted in crime statistics, has had on our society and our sense of self. Continue reading
Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class Book — Non-fiction. By Blair L. M. Kelley. 2023. 352 pages. This book uses personal narratives to highlight the community and networks of resistance that Black laborers built in the face of racism and segregation in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Continue reading
Africa is Not a Country, Second Edition (Revised) Picture book. By Mark Melnicove and Margy Burns Knight, and illustrated by Anne Sibley O'Brien. 2022. 48 pages. Updated to include new information and illustrations, this book counters stereotypes and celebrates the extraordinary diversity of the African continent. Continue reading
I’ll Take You There: Exploring Nashville’s Social Justice Sites Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Amie Thurber and Learotha Williams. 2021. 300 pages. An exploration of Nashville's social justice sites and people's history, celebrating the power of counternarratives as a tool to resist injustice. Continue reading
Resistance Stories from Black History for Kids: Inspiring People and Events That Every Kid Should Know Book — Non-fiction. By Rann Miller. 2023. 176 pages. Stories for middle school readers to show that the Black experience is not only defined by marching and boycotting, but also through rebellion and resistance. Continue reading
Water and Environmental Racism Teaching Activity. By Matt Reed and Ursula Wolfe-Rocca. Rethinking Schools. A mixer activity, inspired by the 2016 Democracy Now! documentary Thirsty for Democracy, introduces students to the struggle of residents to access safe water for drinking, cooking, and bathing in the majority-Black cities of Flint, Michigan; Jackson, Mississippi; and Newark, New Jersey. Continue reading
Above Ground Poetry. Clint Smith. 2023. 128 pages. A collection of poetry that explores parenthood, personal lineages, and a world full of constant social and political tumult. Continue reading
The Attack on Anti-Racist Teaching Attacks Environmental Justice Teaching The right-wing legislation restricting lessons on history and systemic racism also denies students climate literacy. Continue reading
That Flag Picture Book. By Tameka Fryer Brown. Illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. 2023. 40 pages. Learn about the history of the Confederate flag, the myths and the reality, through the story of two young girls. Continue reading
How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee Picture Book. By Carole Boston Weatherford. Illustrated by Frank Morrison. 2023. 40 pages. The story of eighth grader MacNolia Cox, the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee, and the racism she faced during her journey to compete at the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Continue reading
Look for Me in the Whirlwind: From the Panther 21 to 21st-Century Revolutions Book — Non-fiction. Edited by déqui kioni-sadiki and Matt Meyer. 2017. 648 pages. The collective autobiography of the New York Panther 21, an infamous conspiracy case that highlighted government repression of Black liberation activists during the 1960s and 1970s. Continue reading
American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics Book — Non-fiction. By Kevin Hazzard. 2022. 336 pages. The story of the Freedom House EMS in Pittsburgh, a group of Black men who became America's first paramedics and set the gold standard for emergency medicine around the world. Continue reading
The Radical King Book -- Non-fiction. By Dr. Martin Luther King. 320 pp. Arranged thematically in four parts, The Radical King includes twenty-three selections, curated and introduced by Dr. Cornel West, that illustrate King’s revolutionary vision, underscoring his identification with the poor, his unapologetic opposition to the Vietnam War, and his crusade against global imperialism. Continue reading
Cooked: Survival by ZIP Code Film. Directed by Judith Helfand. 2020. 54 minutes. This documentary focuses on Chicago’s heat wave to look at how a weeklong tragedy is really a story about the “slow-motion disaster” caused by race and class inequality. Continue reading
Teaching the Reconstruction Revolution: Picturing and Celebrating the First Era of Black Power Teaching Activity. By Adam Sanchez. 2022. Rethinking Schools. A lesson that help students understand, imagine, and celebrate the Reconstruction period as the first era of Black power in the United States. Continue reading
South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War Book — Non-fiction. By Alice L. Baumgartner. 2020. 384 pages. The story of why Mexico abolished slavery and how its increasingly radical antislavery policies fueled the sectional crisis in the United States. Continue reading
Framing Black Power Through the Life of Rosa Parks Teaching Activity. By Tiffany Mitchell Patterson and Jessica Rucker. In this lesson, students explore the core ideas of Black Power through a gallery walk with images and quotes connected to the life of Rosa Parks, and then consider how to define Rosa Parks’s activism. Continue reading
21st Century Voices of a People’s History of the United States: Documents of Resistance and Hope, 2000-2023 Book — Non-fiction. Edited by Anthony Arnove and Haley Pessin. 2023. 352 pages. Speeches, essays, songs, and documents from a range of movements offering hope for those seeking to understand our recent history so they can better understand how to change it. Continue reading
Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power Film. Directed by Sam Pollard and Geeta Gandbhir. 2022. 90 minutes. The story of young SNCC organizers who fought for voting rights and Black power in Lowndes County, Alabama. Continue reading
The Counter Revolution of 1836: Texas Slavery & Jim Crow and the Roots of American Fascism Book — Non-fiction. By Gerald Horne. 2022. 632 pages. A detailed history of counterrevolutionary forces in Texas state history. Continue reading
War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict Book — Non-fiction. By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas Davies. 2022. 198 pages. An examination of the events leading up to the 2022 conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the different parties involved, and the risks of escalation and opportunities for peace. Continue reading
Rosa Parks Lived a Long and Active Life, So Why Is This Timeline So Boring and Short? Teaching Activity. By Ursula Wolfe-Rocca. 3 pages. This timeline activity builds on students’ viewing of the 2022 film, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, and involves collaborating on a new timeline of Mrs. Parks' life. Continue reading
Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad Book — Non-fiction. By Matthew Delmont. 2022. 400 pages. This book tells the stories of Black heroes during World War II and their bravery and patriotism in the face of unfathomable racism and fascism. Continue reading
