GET LIT! From Questlove to Taraji P. Henson, These Are the Black Authors to Dive into this June
Written by Luisa Calle on June 4, 2024
June is finally here, which means longer days can be spent curled up with a good book that celebrate the vibrant voices of Black authors. This month you can dive into EBONY digital star Fawn Weaver‘s insightful look into the world of Uncle Nearest whiskey, actress Taraji P. Henson‘s children book to promote mental health, Questlove’s deep dive into the world the hip hop and more. From fiction to cultural commentary, the power of Black storytelling shines as bright as the sun.
Negotiating While Black: Be Who You Are to Get What You Want
Damali Peterman (June 4)
The lawyer and mediator delivers the strategies and tactics that will help anyone, no matter their identity, to become a more successful negotiator, including the foundational five skills and understanding why you must be open to negotiations at every stage of your life.
Price: $28
Soul Step (June 4)
Jewell Parker Rhodes and Kelly McWilliams
Written by a mother-daughter duo and illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu, a young girl discovers the joy and history of step dancing and how it’s an ode to sisterhood and a strong mother-daughter bond, in this colorful children’s picture book.
Price: $18
Everything and Nothing at Once: A Black Man’s Reimagined Soundtrack for the Future
Joél Leon (June 4)
The author takes a hard look at how Black masculinity has been defined by others and unravels those narratives to arrive at a deeper understanding of who he is as a son, friend, partner and father.
Price: $27
The Color of a Lie
Kim Johnson (June 11)
In this fictionalized telling of real-life events, we following a young Black teen who’s family, which can pass for white, moves into a racially segregated white community, and he learns of its dark past and secrets.
Price: $20
Hip-Hop Is History
Questlove and Ben Greenman (June 11)
Grammy Award–winning and Academy Award–winning musician and filmmaker Questlove of unveils his love for hip hop, which was cultivated while listening to the radio late at night as a child. The Roots co-founder skillfully traces the creative and cultural forces that made and shaped hip-hop to show how it became a cultural revolution.
Price: $28
Motherland Herbal: The Story of African Holistic Health
Stephanie Rose Bird (June 11)
The author, an herbalist, brings forth a powerful and comprehensive guide that celebrates ancient and modern African holistic healing. Learn how to garden and harvest in unison with the seasons and use herbalism and magic—derived from ancestral and spiritual helpers—to heal thyself.
Price: $27
You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book
Taraji P. Henson (June 18)
The esteemed actress and mental health advocate explores the world of a young girl named TJ who is relentlessly teased for being her own shining star. It’s the wise words of her grandmother that help TJ realize no one can dim her light.
Price: $15
Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest
Fawn Weaver (June 18)
EBONY May 2024 digital star Fawn Weaver reveals the hidden narrative behind one of America’s most iconic whiskey brands. Through extensive research, personal interview, and the uncovering of long-buried documents, Weaver brings to light the remarkable bond between master distiller Nearest Green and Jack Daniel and Daniel’s concerted efforts during his lifetime to ensure Green’s legacy would not be forgotten.
Price: $20
Do The Work: A guide to understanding power and creating change.
Dr. Megan Pillow and Dr. Roxane Gay (June 18)
Power is complex. And this is the guide to navigating those complexities. From ancient theories of power to contemporary examples and cultural patterns to personal insights, this guide provides a foundation for examining hierarchies and inequalities and establishes a framework for understanding power and how it shapes our lives and communities.
Price: $16
The Lions’ Den: A Novel
Iris Mwanza (June 25)
A missing boy. A corrupt system. A case that could change everything… Rookie lawyer Grace Zulu takes the case of a young queer dancer who is beaten and arrested by the police and then disappears from the system. She must use everything she’s learned to save him and herself.
