During the month of February, we celebrate the beautiful arts and the struggles that black people had to go through during these constant decades in America. Black History Month is a time to learn and educate ourselves on the ongoing struggles that black people still face, while also celebrating the ones we are thankful to have still today. Their stories and art matter, that is why we celebrate their wonderful publications today. Sadly though, the writing scene is still composed of white people, statistically, about eighty-one percent of writers and authors are white while the other twenty percent are other minorities. The writing scene isn’t new to these issues due to the amount of racism that still lingers in the writing and in the preferences of some. Many Black authors and writers still are shoved to the sidelines while many other white authors are pushed up higher and higher.

 Black stories deserve to be heard. One story that stands out is “Between the world and me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. This story describes what it is like to be black in America and in the twenty-first century and also discusses the struggles and hardships of trying to find one’s purpose in life. Another, “How we fight for our lives” by Saeed Jones, contains the struggles of being a gay man in the south and having to overcome hard relationships with friends, lovers, and family. The book that is “Well-Read Black Girl” by Glory Edim is a collection of essay types of literature coming from Black women who are writers about the need for representation in literature. Along with educational books, there are also books like “Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi which is about a girl named Zélie and a discovery of magical powers to restore them to the land of Orïsha. If you are into a mermaid type of vibe the book” A Song Bellow Water” by Bethany C. Morrow is a story of Black mermaids living in Portland, Oregon, and mixes high school life and fantasy together. 

During Black History Month, it’s important we realize the ways we could uplift Black creatives instead of cutting them off. Prioritize educating yourself, open your mind to listen. Support Black business if you can, and if you would like to check out any book from this article there are many black-owned bookstores you can purchase them from, such as “Wild Fig Coffee and Books” which is located in Lexington. You can also purchase them online at bookstores such as “Black Garnet Books” and “Loving Me Books”, hopefully you may find a book of your own that you are interested in.