Black History Month is a time to celebrate and honor the contributions of the black community. In honor of Black History Month, we would like to celebrate the profound impact of black literary authors. Before we jump into sharing the work of our own gifted, dedicated authors, let’s take a look at a few of history’s extraordinary and revolutionary writers:
Maya Angelou
After a turbulent early life, Maya Angelou became a renowned figure in American literature and activism. Her extraordinary contributions include poems, memoirs, plays, and screenplays, along with activism, scholarly work, and more. Her work led to a plethora of awards and recognitions, and she became friends with such extraordinary figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X, and James Baldwin. One of her most notable autobiographies is I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, where she used her own childhood as the inspiration for the book. Her movie Georgia, Georgia was the first screenplay to be produced by a black woman, and the film was released in 1972, which she also wrote the score for. Maya Angelou is considered one of the most influential black writers in history.
Octavia E. Butler
Octavia E. Butler was a prominent science fiction author. Picked on in school because of her shyness, she spent much of her time in the library as a child, discovering science fiction and writing her own stories. As an adult, she wrote science fiction short stories and novels, such as the Patternist series, Bloodchild, and Kindred, which garnered her acclaim. Her characters often centered in the perspective of black women, utilizing genre to draw parallels from the fictional world to the real one. Her work won several Hugo and Nebula awards, and she was the recipient of the renowned MacArthur Fellowship, working as a full-time writer.
Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes was a writer of short stories, plays, novels, essays, and columns. As a young adult, he attended Columbia University, but dropped out due to racial discrimination from other students, and then resided in Harlem, where he was deeply inspired by the people and culture. He is credited with being a founder of the Harlem Renaissance, a period of expression of black culture and art. He later led an opinion column at the newspaper, Chicago Defender, where his social activism and passion for civil rights were expressed weekly for twenty years. Although it was not universally popular at the time, he portrayed working-class black lives with authenticity, exploring and illuminating both the joys and pain inherent to living as a black American. Langston Hughes was also influential in the innovation of a poetic form called jazz poetry, poetry that reflects the rhythm and improvisational nature of jazz music.
Without further ado, we would like to showcase narratives from our black authors to be enjoyed every day of the year. Celebrate Black History Month by supporting our authors:
Stand, by Gary Hartfield
This Plane is Going to Crash, by Maurice Jovan Billington
A Portion of the Eternal, by Maurice Jovan Billington
Goals of Dance Technique & Movement, by Nealya Brunson
Flies in My Coffee, by M. Rene Harris
The 3 Pillars of Strength: Improving Your Physical, Mental and Spiritual Fitness, by Jeffrey White
I Found Me, by Chef Corey Hall
Dysfunctional Blessing, by Shante Saulsberry
Buffalo Scout, by Stephen McDonald
The Audacity of Resilience: A Refugee Memoir, by Pitman A. Kennedy
Culture in 4D: The Blueprint for a Culture of Engagement, Ownership, and Bottom-Line Performance, by Tony Moore
Millennial Marriages: A Military Relationship, by Jarron Webster
Planning Your Life to the 52nd Power: Planner, by Danese Banks
Seasons of Change, by Sim Johnson
Gifts From a Glacier: The Quest for an American Flag and 52 Souls, by Tonja Anderson-Dell
Modern IV Wellness, by Dr. Uhuru Smith MD and Dr. Tracy Edward Smith PhD
Richter Publishing 