Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and read by Ruby Dee 

A beautiful, haunting novel about Janie Crawford, a Black woman in the American South whose journey toward independence and self-discovery has inspired generations. Rich with folklore, romance, and vivid storytelling, it celebrates African-American culture while honoring a woman determined to find and use her own voice. 

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler and read by Lynne Thigpen 

A powerful blend of dystopian realism and big ideas, this novel follows 18-year-old Lauren Olamina as she navigates a violent, broken future. Through her journal, she develops the Earthseed philosophy—built on the belief that change is constant—and offers a hopeful vision of survival, growth, and humanity’s future among the stars. 

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin and read by Ron Butler 

In this influential essay collection, James Baldwin explores what it means to be Black in America during the early civil rights era. Blending personal reflection, social criticism, and sharp cultural insight, he examines race, identity, protest, and Black life with honesty, depth, and remarkable clarity. 

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler 

Butler’s final novel follows a seemingly young girl with no memory, whose strange, inhuman needs and abilities lead to a shocking truth: she’s actually a 53-year-old genetically engineered vampire. 

The Love Songs of W. E. B. Dubois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers  

Ailey grows up in the North but spends summers in her family’s Georgia town, where her roots run deep. Struggling with identity and family expectations, she explores her ancestry and uncovers generations of Indigenous, Black, and white history. Her journey reveals a complex legacy of pain, strength, and belonging in America. 

Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane  

Set in a divided America, the story follows enslaved people whose acts of resistance spark wider rebellions and a growing fight for justice. At Magnolia Row, Luke and Henri form a strong bond as they seek freedom, inspiring others like Josephine, Charity, and Nathaniel in different, powerful ways. 

Problem Child by Terrell Carter and Stacy Thunes 

This is the wild, true story of Terrell Carter growing up in a chaotic Buffalo family. As he navigates dysfunction, identity, and a major hidden secret, the story mixes humor and heartbreak, showing how laughter can sometimes be the only way through tough times.  

Truly by Lionel Richie 

In this warm, candid memoir, Lionel Richie looks back on his unlikely rise from a shy kid in Tuskegee, Alabama, to global stardom. He shares funny and tough moments from The Commodores, Motown, and beyond, offering an inspiring story about growth, perseverance, and following your dreams. 

Who’s That Girl by Eve 

In this candid memoir, hip-hop artist Eve shares her journey from West Philadelphia’s Mill Creek Projects to global fame. She reflects on breaking into a male-dominated industry, navigating fame, creative struggles, and personal battles, all while building a lasting legacy in music and pop culture. 

Sonnets for a Missing Key by Percival Everett 

These sonnets were inspired by Chopin’s Preludes and Art Tatum’s piano solos, playing with ideas of tone, key, and feeling. They ask whether music shapes us in different ways, but at the end of the day, Everett decides, they’re simply sonnets exploring sound, mood, and emotion.  

She Outgrew the Wound by r. h. Sin 

These poems reflect growth, healing, and self-love after hardship. For over a decade, r.h. Sin has helped readers work through heartbreak and pain. In this collection, he offers gentle encouragement, reminding us that rebuilding self-love happens slowly, one healed wound at a time.

A Sweeter Song: Catharsis by Martina McGowan 

This collection shares moving perspectives on people of color, women, and other marginalized voices, exploring both struggle and triumph. Each poem captures deep emotion and invites a fresh view of the world. It celebrates love, family, loss, injustice, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart written and read by Alice Walker  

This collection of nearly 70 poems by Alice Walker reflects on activism, love, hope, gratitude, and everyday joys. Moving between personal struggles and moments of beauty, her powerful free verse invites readers to find meaning, celebrate resilience, and recognize the humanity and wonder in themselves and others.  

The Tradition written and read by Jericho Brown  

This powerful poetry collection explores fatherhood, Black identity, queerness, faith, trauma, and inheritance. With striking language and the innovative duplex form, Brown balances pain and beauty, confronting hard truths while celebrating resilience, complexity, and the determination to survive. 

Phases written and read by Tramaine Suubi  

Inspired by the moon and its cycles, this poetry collection embraces change, growth, and healing, even through heartbreak. With honest and heartfelt verse, Suubi explores the connections between nature, our bodies, and the generations before us, celebrating renewal in all its forms.

Jimi Hendrix: Kiss the Sky by Edward Willett and read by Ezra Knight 

This biography traces the life of Jimi Hendrix, from a difficult childhood in Seattle to becoming one of rock’s most influential musicians. It explores his groundbreaking career, rise to global fame, and the personal struggles, including substance abuse and industry pressures that led to his tragic death at 27.   

Becoming Ella Fitzgerald by Judith Tick and read by Carmen Jewel Jones 

This biography takes a fresh look at Ella Fitzgerald, revealing new details about her challenging childhood, time in a reform school, and early dreams of becoming a dancer. Drawing on archival research and family interviews, it also explores the racism and gender expectations she faced throughout her life and career. 

Prince by Ronin Ro and read by Mirron Willis 

This biography follows Prince from his early days in the late 1970s to his rise as a global superstar and influential creative force. Music journalist Ronin Ro explores Prince’s groundbreaking music, his fight for artistic control, and the lasting impact he had on pop culture and the music industry.

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (2019) 

This documentary is an intimate look at the life and work of Toni Morrison, from her upbringing in Ohio to her literary career and public life. It blends interviews and reflections on her novels, editing work, and teaching, exploring themes of race, history, and the American experience through her writing.    

Feed Your Mind: A Story of August Wilson (2020) 

August Wilson was a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer known for capturing everyday Black American life with authenticity. After a tough childhood marked by racism and leaving school early, he educated himself through books and libraries, believing reading could open any door and help him achieve anything he set his mind to. This is an animated adaptation of the children’s book.  

Native Son (1951) 

This film adaptation of Richard Wright’s novel follows Bigger Thomas, a young Black man in 1940s Chicago whose life of poverty and racism shapes his choices and inner conflict. After being convicted of murder and sentenced to death, he reflects on the circumstances and systemic injustice that led him there. 

Little Richard: I Am Everything (2023) 

This documentary explores the Black queer roots of rock ’n’ roll, spotlighting Little Richard as one of its true pioneers. It chronicles his remarkable life, celebrating his influence while exploring the complexities, contradictions, and challenges that shaped both the man and his legacy.

Hip Hop Family Tree Vol. 1 written and illustrated by Ed Piskor  

The early days of hip-hop are full of legendary stories, and this comic book looks at that history in a fun, myth-like way. Ed Piskor brings the genre’s origins to life in an energetic, detailed look at how hip-hop shaped global culture.    

Charlie Parker: Chasin’ the Bird written and illustrated by Dave Chisholm  

This graphic novel follows jazz legend Charlie Parker during a chaotic stretch in Los Angeles after 1945. It covers his jam sessions, wild lifestyle, and key recordings, while exploring the people and places around him, capturing both his brilliance and the darker, messy side of his life.   

Jimi Hendrix: Purple Haze by Mellow Brown and D. J. Ben Ha Meen and illustrated by Tom Mandrake and Justin Prokowich 

This graphic novel is a wild sci-fi adventure inspired by Jimi Hendrix. Set in the 23rd century, it follows him on a cosmic journey to find a powerful talisman and use his music to fight an intergalactic force trying to silence sound and control all life. 

Aretha Franklin – Young, Gifted and Black (1972) 

Her 18th studio album is a standout of the Black Power era, mixing personal vulnerability with themes of social justice. It includes originals like “Day Dreaming” and “Rock Steady,” plus soulful covers of Nina Simone, Elton John, and The Beatles, celebrating Black pride, empowerment, and personal liberation.    

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) 

Lamar’s critically acclaimed album blends jazz, funk, and soul, while exploring systemic racism, depression, and survivor’s guilt. Told through a recurring poem, it uses the caterpillar-to-butterfly metaphor to show growth, struggle, and transformation from oppression into freedom and self-realization.   

Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (2020) 

A landmark soul concept album told through the eyes of a Vietnam veteran coming home. It blends lush, jazz-tinged orchestration with themes of war, poverty, racism, and environmental issues, creating a powerful, emotional story about struggle, change, and what it means to return to a divided society. Originally released in 1971.  

Duke Ellington – Black, Brown and Beige (2006) 

Duke Ellington’s landmark jazz symphony premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1943. It’s a sweeping musical portrait of Black American history, structured in three movements that move from days of enslavement through the early 20th century, capturing struggle, resilience, and cultural evolution through music. Includes original recordings from 1943-1945 

Rhiannon Giddens – Freedom Highway (2017) 

Rhiannon Giddens’ second solo album is a powerful, history-driven project about Black American life. Using slave narratives, she highlights Black women’s struggles, pain, and resilience. It links past civil rights battles to today’s racial injustice, from slavery-era stories to modern issues like police brutality.