6 Brilliant Books to Mark Black History Month

Local author Jess Morency recommends books for Black History Month, including a history of Africans in Europe, from Roman soldier to modern-day migrant, and the passionate memoir of a young climate activist and ornithologist

Black Spartacus: The Life and Times of Toussaint Louverture by Sudhir Hazareesingh: Winner of the Wolfson History Prize in 2021, this biography is densely filled with historical facts, and I imagine it will remain the definitive portrait of this extraordinary man for a long time to come. It’s a bit short on “sense of place”, so I highly recommend you start by watching the 2012 biopic. Toussaint louverture – free on You Tube. Although Hazareesingh is rather dismissive, it is fun to compare the film and the biography, and makes reading the latter a much more complete experience.

Louverture was the most important leader of the Haitian Revolution, when the country was known as Saint-Dominique. A formidable general and military strategist, it was his skill, intelligence and vision that paved the way for the abolition of slavery, as for much of the 1970s he led his disciplined black army from ” brave Republican warriors” to defeat considerably larger armies. from France, Spain and Great Britain. First famous for having tamed wild horses, “he was the epitome of the charismatic military leader: a model of sobriety, he slept only a few hours each night…and his capacity for physical endurance exceeded that even of the strongest of his men”. Posted by Allen Lane at £10.99

Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta
– Credit: Penguin Modern Classics

Second-class citizen of Buchi Emecheta: Emecheta was born in Lagos, Nigeria in 1944, where she won a scholarship to a prestigious Methodist girls’ school and, at the age of 11, met her future husband. They moved to London for his studies, but the marriage was unhappy and his living conditions appalling. However, she was not called the “Igbo Tigress” for nothing, and when her husband burned the manuscript of her first novel, she left him. Raising her five young children alone, she worked at the British Museum by day and wrote by night. Emecheta went on to earn a degree in sociology, write 16 novels and numerous television plays, set up a publishing company, and in 2005 was awarded an OBE.

I read this “documentary novel” a few years ago, but it is written so vividly and with such humor that I still remember it a lot. The fiery protagonist, Adah, is Emecheta’s alter ego; a character who refuses to be defeated and is never ready to give up on his dream of becoming a writer. Particularly memorable is the scene that earned her the nickname Tigress, where she bit so deeply into a school bully that “fragments of her flesh were stuck between her teeth”. Painful for both, apparently. Published by Penguin Modern Classics at £9.99

Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri
– Credit: Penguin

Don’t touch my hair by Emma Dabiri: This slim book packs both historical and contemporary punch; each page provides a fascinating fact, using very diverse and sometimes heartbreaking sources. Because, as Dabiri says, “black hair tells many stories: of history, of migration, of slavery and freedom, of resistance and empowerment, of technological, mathematical and artistic expression”, and of cultural appropriation. For example, cards were once woven into hair, and African hairstyle uses complex math every step of the way. It’s a fabulous read: a great addition to the long list of academic studies on afro hair, but also very personal and extremely enjoyable.

Dabiri grew up in Dublin – born to a white Trinidadian mother and a Nigerian father – at a time when her hair was a ‘constant source of deep, deep shame’. Briefly a model, she is now a scholar and broadcaster, known for her concise explainer videos and dynamic writing style. Written as a series of essays, it’s a great book to dive into and get out of, and if you like the subject, you might want to watch Netflix. Self made. Starring Octavia Spencer, it’s loosely based on the life of CJ Walker, whose haircare empire made her America’s first self-made millionaire woman. Posted by Penguin at £9.99

European Africans by Olivette Otele
– Credit: Hurst

African Europeans an untold story by Olivette Otele: There have always been Africans in Europe, and across the seven distinct chapters of this award-winning book, ranging from Egyptian soldiers in the Roman army to modern day migrants, Otele tells their intertwined stories. There is a comprehensive scholarly analysis of issues such as ‘otherness’, identity and exceptionalism, but where the book really comes to life is with the stories of key individuals.

There is Joseph Boulogne, born to an enslaved Senegalese mother in Guadeloupe and, after being educated in Paris, considered one of the most handsome and accomplished young men in France; before achieving even greater fame as a playwright and composer, collaborating with musicians like Josef Haydn. Or Jeanne Duval, muse and lover of the poet Baudelaire, whose influence and unconditional presence in his life both horrified and challenged the expectations of his contemporaries.

My favorite chapter was the last, which provides a useful and comprehensive who’s who of today’s cultural influencers, particularly in the UK. Ranging from Betty Campbell – Wales’ first black headmistress – to Turner Prize-winning artist Lubaina Himid; scholars like Stuart Hall and Afua Hirsch; to grime artists, Skepta and Little Simz: “African Europeans continue to carve out their place in African and European history and build new bridges.

Published by Hurst at £25. Use code AFRICANEUR25 on hurstpublishers.com for a 25% discount.

The love songs of WEB Du Bois by Honorée Jeffers
– Credit: Harper Collins

The Love Songs of WEB Du Bois by Honorée Jeffers: Ailey Garfield is raised in the city but spends her summers in the small Georgian town of Chicasetta, where her maternal family has lived since their ancestors arrived in bondage from Africa. From an early age, she fights to be happy; made more difficult by secret childhood trauma and the whispers and pulls of his mother, sister, and a mysterious figure dating back two centuries.

If you’re reading in e-book form, you might want to make yourself a copy of the family tree before beginning this epic tale, as its intricate relationships will no doubt inspire you to reach for it. It’s a tough read, especially since it’s partly a story of abuse through the ages, but it’s also a story written in a truly gripping way. The main theme of the book, “how America was born”, emerged over the ten years Jeffers spent researching and writing it. She’s also an acclaimed poet, and her belief that “the more pain you have, the more beauty you must have to comfort the reader as they go through these sentences” is clear throughout. Posted by HarperCollins at £9.99

Birdgirl by Dr. Mya-Rose Craig
– Credit: Jonathan Cape

A DORSET EARTH SCIENTIST RECOMMENDS…

Dr Anjana Khatwa, presenter and advocate for diversity in the natural sciences.

Dr Anjana Khatwa
– Credit: Dr. Anjana Khatwa

Dr. Mya-Rose Craig’s Birdgirl: This is an intensely personal and passionate memoir by young climate activist and ornithologist, Mya-Rose Craig. At 20, she is one of the youngest people in the world to have seen over 5,000 different types of birds: more than half of the world’s species. With a Bangladeshi heritage, Mya-Rose has also campaigned tirelessly to raise the voice of Visible Ethnic Minorities (VMEs) in the nature and conservation sector. As a woman of color working in natural heritage, I found her vision, drive and fiery spirit a huge inspiration in helping me find my own voice to campaign for better representation.

So it was with great impatience that I picked up bird girl. There are incredible descriptions of the places she travels and the birds she sees with her parents, Helena and Chris. But it’s not just a merry globe-trotting story. Helena suffers from bipolar disorder and as her mental health deteriorates, Mya-Rose describes in traumatic detail how her family is learning to cope with the disease. You can feel the emotion in every word she writes, and yet there’s a levity in the prose that makes you turn the page. Mya-Rose is a rising new talent to watch.

Posted by Jonathan Cape at £16.99

Jesse Morency
– Credit: @ 2020 Peter Yendell

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