Critical Race Theory Will Continue To Be Attacked — So Read These 8 Empowering Books By Black Authors

Blackstorytellershave historically been our balm and compass, given their ability to help us make sense of the world on a macro level while ensuring we remain conscious of critical elements within our community. As we approach 2025, critical race theory will continue to be attacked, and young peoples’ access to pivotal books about the evolution of Black identity will be threatened.

And so, reading these books is a powerful tool for resistance. Amid some solid literature that dropped this year are a few authors who were exceptional at helping us cope, illuminating new paths to understanding ourselves and making sense of the world we experience. Some of these books are critically acclaimed bestsellers. However, the criteria for my list encompass more than accolades from  boards comprised of people who don’t have the lived experience to validate work meant to entertain and liberate generations of Black people.

And though they all came out in 2024, these eight books are timeless. From romance to history, fiction and nonfiction, and in no particular order, they stood out because they center elements of Black history and culture that often go unexplored in an engaging and digestible way. They help readers view the world differently, offer bold and innovative storytelling, and were written from a place of deep empathy — and they managed to speak to a specific need in the Black community

‘Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum’

With profound empathy, care, and nuance, journalist Antonia Hylton unpacks the history of Crownsville Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Maryland that provided care for Black patients from 1911 to 2004 (it was desegregated in the ’60s). Throughout this exploration, Hylton amplified America’s long history of abusing Black bodies while simultaneously failing to care for Black minds.

‘The Day God Saw Me As Black: The Journey to Liberated Faith’

This work from D. Danyelle Thomas is a genre-blending, unflinching rebuke of the influences of white supremacy in the Black church. Thomas uses memoir, critical analysis and theology to offer a clear-eyed analysis of what freedom in the context of spirituality can look like for Black people.

‘Undiplomatic: How My Attitude Created the Best Kind of Trouble’

Author Deesha Dyer, who was social secretary in the Obama administration, shares her journey from community college to the White House. Dyer shares stories ― inspiring, raw and captivating ― about accompanying President Barack Obama on life-changing trips while secretly contending with imposter syndrome. Readers will walk away comforted by the unexpected familiarity of her story ― and with tools for how to see ourselves as capable and deserving.

‘Hood Wellness: Tales of Communal Care From People Who Drowned on Dry Land’

Tamela Gordon’s book is highly recommended reading for any Black woman with a thirst for realistic self-care that goes far deeper than a spa day. With grace, unmistakable love for her community and a clear understanding of the transformative power of being there for each other, Gordon offers a blueprint for how to create a solid support system.

‘The Air Between Us’

This book burst on the scene at the top of the year and set the Black romance genre on fire. In this captivating and thoughtfully crafted story by Shameka S. Erby, she pushes back against a one-size-fits-all approach to romantic partnerships and Black love by creating complex and relatable characters in a fulfilling and healthy polyamorous relationship.

‘Beyond Policing’

Philip V. McHarris, a Yale alum and professor of Black studies at the University of Rochester, used meticulous research and precise analysis to present a compelling argument for a country without policing. His work breathes hope into the possibility of community-based alternatives for crime and is an essential resource for anyone bold enough to reimagine what justice in America can entail.

‘Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism’ 

Jenn M. Jackson’s love letter to Black women brings the contributions of Black feminists to the forefront of history. Readers will find hope, joy and a path forward, even in the darkest times, etched within the stories and analysis Jackson bestows us with.

‘The Message’

Easily one of the decade’s most important books, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ “The Message” cautions readers about the dangers of believing the historical myths that shape our worlds. It’s a resounding call for self-examination and an unflinching, honest declaration about writers’ responsibility.