Hey Reader,
Time for our February book list, in honor of Black History Month in the United States.
This isn’t a list of books you should read. This is a list of books I have read. And they hit me hard.
I didn’t choose them because they were “required reading” for Black History Month. I chose them because they had something to say—and they said it loud. Some I read this month. Some, years ago. But together, they taught me something about history, identity, and—most of all—listening.
📚 3 Novels, One Conversation Across Time
This month, I've been reading these three novels—each from a different era, each with its own voice. But together, they started a conversation: about survival, identity, and the fight to be seen.
Jubilee by Margaret Walker (1966): First read in high school with Mrs. Bullock’s guidance, this novel—rooted in Walker’s family stories—turns history into something deeply personal. Reading it again this month—and seeing echoes of Vyry’s fight in The Violin Conspiracy—reminded me why this book will always stay with me. (Read about the first time I read Jubilee)
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952):A stretch read—symbolic, layered, unsettling. The Battle Royal scene? A gut punch. But what stays is Ellison’s exploration of invisibility—how it feels to live unseen, erased by a society that pretends you don’t exist. This one, I'm read slowly—and I'm about halfway into the book.
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb (2022): Read in one day, front to back. Beneath the thriller is Ray—a Black classical musician fighting to be seen for his talent, not his skin color. His fight echoes Ellison’s narrator, but his grandmother’s stories—carrying generations of survival—echoed Jubilee the most.
💥 Why These Three Together?
Because they are a conversation.
📚 Jubilee shows the fight to survive and rebuild from slavery’s wreckage.
📚 Invisible Man shows the fight to be seen in a society that erases some people.
📚 The Violin Conspiracy shows how those same fights resurface today—with the same call for dignity.
🧠 4 Non-Fiction Books That Open Eyes and Ears
📖 Recommended by My Former Pastor
My pastor once challenged our church to stop arguing. Stop assuming. Start listening.Listen to Black voices—without judgment, without debate—because, as white people, we will never fully understand the Black experience.
These two books taught me what it means to listen:
Woke Church by Eric Mason (2018): A call for the church to confront racial injustice through a biblical lens. Mason reminds us that faith without justice is empty—and that silence in the face of injustice is an answer.
I’m Still Here by Austin Channing Brown (2018): A deeply personal exploration of race and identity—starting with her name, chosen to defy stereotypes. Brown taught me to stop assuming, stop arguing, and simply listen.
📚 Biographies and Autobiographies of Black Americans
These books bring Black lives and legacies into focus—one through a biographer’s lens, the other in the subject’s own words:
Frederick Douglass by David Blight (2018): A biography chronicling a life of resistance and justice. Currently listening to the audio version. Douglass was the first Black U.S. Marshal, and my hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas hosts the United States Marshals Museum, which tells the story of the
Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington (1901): An autobiography offering a complex but vital reflection on resilience, self-reliance, and education as a tool for progress.
💭 Final Thoughts
These books aren't just stories—they're bridges. Each one pushed me beyond my own experience, reminding me that Black history isn't a month—it's an ongoing conversation. Fiction makes us feel; nonfiction makes us think. Both teach us that real understanding starts with open minds and hearts.
🫵 Your Turn
What’s the last book that didn’t just inform you—but changed how you listen to others? I’d love to hear.
Read something that changes you today, Reader.
—Tracy
P. S. Jubilee is currently available free with a Kindle Unlimited membership.
