Originally published on February 12, 2024
February is Black History Month, which makes it a great time to visit the bookshelves and refocus your reading on some of the great Black authors out there. There are a ton of Black Mississippi authors–historical and modern–just waiting for you to discover them. Their perspectives on Mississippi life and culture are must-reads, but you might not know where to start if you’re not familiar with the local writing scene. These suggestions cover a multitude of writing styles and genres, so you ought to be able to find something in your favorite areas to get yourself started.
Children’s:
J. Dillard
Freddi Williams Evans
Jesse J. Holland
Linda Williams Jackson
Margaree King Mitchell
Jess Mowry
Clifton Taulbert
Angie Thomas
Mildred D. Taylor
Comics:
Tim Fielder
John Jennings
Fiction:
Margaret Walker Alexander
William Alexander Attaway
Kiese Laymon
George Washington Lee
Olympia Vernon
Jesmyn Ward
John Alfred Williams
Richard Wright
Al Young
Memoir:
W. Ralph Eubanks
William Johnson
Anne Moody
Natasha Trethewey
Richard Wright
Nonfiction:
Freddi Williams Evans
Jesse J. Holland
Kiese Laymon
George Washington Lee
Sterling D. Plumpp
Clifton Taulbert
Jesmyn Ward
Ida B. Wells-Barnett
Plays:
William Alexander Attaway
Endesha Ida Mae Holland
Beah E. Richards
Poetry:
Margaret Walker Alexander
A.H. Jerriod Avant
Samuel Alfred Beadle
Virgia Brocks-Shedd
Derrick Harriell
Angela Jackson
Etheridge Knight
Sterling D. Plumpp
Beah E. Richards
Natasha Trethewey
Jerry W. Ward, Jr.
Claude Wilkinson
Richard Wright
Al Young
Billie Jean Young
Ahmos Zu-Bolton II
These authors are just the tip of the iceberg: Mississippi has so many incredible Black authors waiting for you to read their books. Check them out at your local library and your local independent book store!
Questions or Concerns?
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Elisabeth Scott
Reference Librarian
