February is Black History Month! To close out the month here are five of Books and Sensibility’s favorite memoirs about African-Americans who are making history today.
I Can’t Date Jesus by Michael Arceneaux
Pop culture writer Michael Arceneaux often writes about the intersections of being Black and gay in America. In this debut essay collection, he offers something new to the pop culture essayist genre and I’m sure there will be many more books from him in the future.
We’re Going To Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union
The memoir is set up as a collection of the life stories the Hollywood actress tells after too many glasses of wine. Union’s narration is full of charm and authenticity as she dishes about all the celebrity stuff you want; her career, marriages and sex life but also focuses on broad issues like colorism in Hollywood, police brutality and her rape at gunpoint as a teenager.
Hunger by Roxane Gay
Novelist and essayist Roxane Gay details her life story through the lens of her body, which at 6’3 and over 500 pounds is considered super-obese or as Gay calls it an “unruly body”. Gay intersperses essays of her personal experiences with essays about The Biggest Loser, Ina Garten, and the obesity epidemic.
Around The Way Girl by Taraji P Henson
Around The Way Girl is an inspiring and insightful look into the making of some of Henson’s most memorable moments. Beginning with Henson’s childhood in Southeast DC during the crack epidemic, Henson shows the kind of hustle and hard work it took for her to get her Hollywood dream.
Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! by Marley Dias
This is a fun instructive book by the girl who lead the #1000BlackGirlBooks hashtag. Marley created a movement and in her book, she encourages teens to start their own movements. A must-read for teen book bloggers and budding social activist.