Like a lot of us, I'm ambivalent about Black History Month. On the one hand, it's great to see so many performances, tv programs and cultural events highlighting African American achievement every February. On the other hand, why are we invisible on the cultural stage during the other 11 months? That's why I'm delighted to be able to read and promote African American writers and issues year round on this blog and in our discussion group.
That said, kudos to Accredited Colleges Online for providing a list of
25 Novels to Honor During Black History Month.This is a terrific list, including classics like
Their Eyes Were Watching God, and
Native Son alongside newer works like
The Known World and
The Intuitionist and novels for younger readers, like
Monster and
Roll of Thunder. This is more accurately an African diaspora list, since it features several African and Caribbean works:
Things Fall Apart,
The Farming of Bones, and
Segu, as well as the Afro British
White Teeth.
The literature of the African diaspora is incredibly diverse: on this list you will find love stories, humor, time travel, and politics; stories set in England, Haiti, Nigeria, and Harlem; and novels addressing gay issues, crime, ethnic cleansing, slavery, religion and interracial romance. Enjoy, and who knows...perhaps there are some future AAL Discussion books lurking in these pages!
