Decolonizing Our Bookshelves
As we learned last year, Black voices have dismal representation in literature, and the numbers haven't changed in the past four years.
As readers, we can do our part to support Black writers by doing what we already do so well: reading, rating, and sharing the books we love far and wide. To help you discover new authors and books to explore, we've created a Black Voices bookshelf on the Silent Book Club Bookshop. Our list crosses genre and era, and significantly, comprises of books whose primary focus isn't pain. Books about racism are critical in dismantling systems of oppression, but as this excellent
article explains, "When the representation of Black people is limited to suffering and death, the expression of joy is a radical act."
We included many of our favorites, and those recommended by our community. So, explore essays by Samantha Irby, fall in love with The Boyfriend Project, or gift Binti to your bestie sci-fi fan.
This Monday, Silent Book Club founders will be giving back to our local communities, celebrating a day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We encourage our readers to give back to the book community by borrowing or buying some new authors to add to your TBRs.