10 Black Literary Works Every Person Should Read This Summer | List
With the help of several well read scholars and emerging millennial voices: Writer & activist Melanie Coco Mccoy (@MelanieCoMcCoy), Hip Hop Artist & Professor, Timothy Welbeck (@TimothyWelbeck ) & Middle Tennessee State History Graduate student, Joshua Crutchfield (@Crutch4), I sought to compile a necessary list of books we felt every young African Americans should read. A list featuring a range of genres including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and autobiography. From Maya Angelou to Assata Shakur,many of these authors have been heralded with national awards in the United States. Stemming back to 1845 with Fredrick Douglass's "The Autobiography of Fredrick Douglass". It's these 10 titles have heavily who have contributed to contemporary narratives about the black experience across the globe.
1. "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou (1969)
2. " The Autobiography of Malcom X" By Alex Haley (1965)
3. "Assata: An Autobiography" by Assata Shakur (1987)
4. "The Miseducation of the Negro" by Carter G. Woodson (1933)
5. "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)
6. "The Wretched of the Earth" by Frantz Fanon (1961) 
7. "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison (1970) 
8. "All About Love" by Bell Hooks (2011)
9. "The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas, an American Slave" by Fredrick Douglass (1845) 
10. The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois (1903)
Let's make reading cool again!
Tyree Boyd-Pates is a man on a mission. As a writer, he aspires to expound on culture from a millennial perspective and unite and empower marginalized communities through journalism and social media. A Master's in African American Studies, he also is the creator of The Corner, a one-hour student run weekly radio at Temple University. You can follow him on Twitter: @Tyreebp.