As a professor, I have the privilege of reading for a living. There are so many great books on my shelves and I am constantly surrounded by brilliant Black women who inspire me, both in person and on the page.
I recently wrote about Tanisha Ford’s page-turner, “Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement,” which highlights previously unknown women who helped sustain and serve as a foundation of the Civil Rights Movement. There are still so many untold stories of heroes in the Civil Rights Movement, especially women.
This season, I am adding three new books to my shelves and I absolutely cannot wait to celebrate these authors. First, Dr. Uche Blackstock has written a must-read, “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine,” which was released on January 23. For anyone who cares about Black women; the history of race and racism in the medical profession; and an inspirational story about Uche, her twin sister, and their late physician mother, this book will provide an emotional and intellectual journey.
Second, most of you know Joy Reid, because she educates us about politics and current events each evening on our television screens. However, we must not forget that Reid is an acclaimed journalist and has written a book about the late civil rights leaders Medgar and Myrlie Evers. In “Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America,” Reid takes us through the relationship between the Evers. Her work arrives on February 6 and is a perfect complement to Ford’s analysis of the Civil Rights Movement.
Lastly, “American Negra” by Natasha Alford arrives on February 27. This memoir is a thoughtful, genuine, and intimate narrative of Alford’s life, linking her experiences to larger racial and institutional structures. Alford writes as though she is a dear friend curled up beside you as she tells you her story.
Each of these books dissects race and racism in different ways. They also present Black women in diverse iterations and definitions. Each book lays out systemic forces that have excluded Black women in various ways. However, they all left me feeling inspired and ready to do more with and for Black women.
You can order Ford and Blackstock’s books and have them on your shelves immediately, and you can preorder Reid and Alford’s books from your local bookseller or wherever you purchase books.
All four of these books have helped me better understand who I am as a Black woman, the long lineage of courageous Black women who came before me, and the ways we can continue to strive for more in large and small ways.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC and host of the Blackest Questions podcast at TheGrio; and a 2023–24 Moynihan Public Scholars Fellow at CCNY.