Understanding Black history and culture is more important than ever. Throughout history, those sharing our experiences, struggles, and triumphs have found themselves censored.
The Blacklist features some of the most influential books that have been banned or challenged.
I’ve created this list to help expand your personal libraries. I have not included any Amazon or affiliate links as I urge you to purchase books from Black-owned bookstores as much as possible, or at the very least, a small independent store in your community. I find great books at our local used store. If you would like this list as a text document please contact me on the forum.
This is a live document and will be updated periodically. Please send book ideas my way!
✔︎ – checked | biracial author | non-Black author
Identity & Self-Discovery
- The Bluest Eye (1970) – Toni Morrison
Themes: Racism, colorism, trauma
Likely Ban Reason: Graphic language, sexual content ✔︎
- Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) – Zora Neale Hurston
Themes: Independence, love, self-worth
Likely Ban Reason: Sexual content, challenging norms ✔︎
- Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953) – James Baldwin
Themes: Religion, family, sexuality
Likely Ban Reason: Sexual content, challenging social norms ✔︎
- The Blacker the Berry (1929) – Wallace Thurman
Themes: Colorism, self-identity, race
Likely Ban Reason: Racial themes, critique of prejudice ✔︎
- Quicksand (1928) – Nella Larsen
Themes: Racial identity, womanhood
Likely Ban Reason: Sexual themes, challenging stereotypes ✔︎
- Invisible Man (1952) – Ralph Ellison
Themes: Race, identity, self-discovery
Likely Ban Reason: Sexual content, controversial themes ✔︎
- Queenie (2019) – Candice Carty-Williams
Themes: Mental health, relationships, self-identity
Likely Ban Reason: Sexual content, mental health themes ✔︎
- Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood (1996) – bell hooks
Themes: Identity, Black womanhood, self-discovery
Likely Ban Reason: Personal reflections on race and gender, challenging norms ✔︎
Social Justice & Activism
- Between the World and Me (2015) – Ta-Nehisi Coates
Themes: Black identity, systemic racism
Likely Ban Reason: Explicit language, critique of U.S. history ✔︎
- The Hate U Give (2017) – Angie Thomas
Themes: Police brutality, activism
Likely Ban Reason: Profanity, anti-police sentiment ✔︎
- All American Boys (2015) – Jason Reynolds & Brendan Kiely
Themes: Police violence, friendship, race
Likely Ban Reason: Profanity, police violence themes ✔︎
- Dear Martin (2017) – Nic Stone
Themes: Racial profiling, systemic injustice
Likely Ban Reason: Language, critique of systemic racism ✔︎
- How to Be an Antiracist (2019) – Ibram X. Kendi
Themes: Racism, activism
Likely Ban Reason: Direct discussion of racism, critical views ✔︎
- March (2013) – John Lewis & Andrew Aydin
Themes: Civil rights, activism
Likely Ban Reason: Violence, historical events ✔︎
- Freedom is a Constant Struggle (2016) – Angela Y. Davis
Themes: Civil rights, intersectionality
Likely Ban Reason: Political critique, resistance themes ✔︎
- Ghost Boys (2018) – Jewell Parker Rhodes
Themes: Police violence, racism
Likely Ban Reason: Racial injustice themes, police violence ✔︎
- Race Matters (1994) – Cornel West
Themes: Racism, justice, Black empowerment
Likely Ban Reason: Critical views on U.S. social and racial issues ✔︎
- Sister Outsider (1984) – Audre Lorde
Themes: Intersectionality, activism, identity
Likely Ban Reason: LGBTQ+ themes, critiques of social structures ✔︎
- Hood Feminism (2020) – Mikki Kendall
Themes: Intersectionality, social justice
Likely Ban Reason: Feminism critique, social issues ✔︎
- The New Jim Crow (2010) – Michelle Alexander
Themes: Criminal justice, systemic racism
Likely Ban Reason: Critique of U.S. justice system ✔︎
- This Book is Anti-Racist (2020) – Tiffany Jewell
Themes: Racism, empowerment
Likely Ban Reason: Critical race discussions ✔︎
Trauma & Resilience
- Beloved (1987) – Toni Morrison
Themes: Slavery, trauma, motherhood
Likely Ban Reason: Graphic violence, sexual abuse ✔︎
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969) – Maya Angelou
Themes: Racism, trauma, self-identity
Likely Ban Reason: Sexual abuse depiction, language ✔︎
- Push (1996) – Sapphire
Themes: Abuse, poverty, resilience
Likely Ban Reason: Graphic language, explicit content ✔︎
- Long Way Down (2017) – Jason Reynolds
Themes: Gun violence, grief
Likely Ban Reason: Violence, language ✔︎
- Men We Reaped (2013) – Jesmyn Ward
Themes: Grief, loss, systemic injustice
Likely Ban Reason: Heavy themes, trauma ✔︎
- A Raisin in the Sun (1959) – Lorraine Hansberry
Themes: Family, economic struggle, dreams
Likely Ban Reason: Language, racial themes ✔︎
- Heavy: An American Memoir (2018) – Kiese Laymon
Themes: Abuse, self-identity, family
Likely Ban Reason: Sexual content, trauma ✔︎
- Homegoing (2016) – Yaa Gyasi
Themes: Slavery, generational trauma
Likely Ban Reason: Violence, sexual content ✔︎
Historical & Cultural Legacy
- Kindred (1979) – Octavia Butler
Themes: Slavery, resilience
Likely Ban Reason: Violence, graphic depictions ✔︎
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976) – Mildred D. Taylor
Themes: Racism, family, resilience
Likely Ban Reason: Racial language, historical themes ✔︎
- Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (2020) – Ibram X. Kendi & Jason Reynolds
Themes: History of racism, antiracism
Likely Ban Reason: Systemic critique, racial themes ✔︎
- The Souls of Black Folk (1903) – W.E.B. Du Bois
Themes: Race, identity, oppression
Likely Ban Reason: Racial critique of U.S. history ✔︎
- A People’s History of the United States (1980) – Howard Zinn
Themes: U.S. history, systemic racism
Likely Ban Reason: Alternative views of history ✔︎
- American Street (2017) – Ibi Zoboi
Themes: Immigration, family dynamics
Likely Ban Reason: Language, violence, mature themes ✔︎
- The Warmth of Other Suns (2010) – Isabel Wilkerson
Themes: The Great Migration, systemic racism, resilience
Likely Ban Reason: Discussions of racial inequality, historical critique of U.S. society ✔︎
- The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933) – Carter G. Woodson
Themes: Education, systemic oppression, self-empowerment
Likely Ban Reason: Critique of educational institutions, promotion of Black self-determination ✔︎
- The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L’Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution (1938) – C.L.R. James
Themes: Haitian Revolution, colonialism, resistance
Likely Ban Reason: Radical anti-colonial themes, critique of European imperialism ✔︎
- Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America (1962) – Lerone Bennett Jr.
Themes: African American history, resilience, social evolution
Likely Ban Reason: Unflinching portrayal of systemic oppression ✔︎
- The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (2017) – Richard Rothstein
Themes: Segregation, systemic racism, housing discrimination
Likely Ban Reason: Critique of U.S. government policies, racial injustice ✔︎
Historical Figures & Biographies
- The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks (2013) – Jeanne Theoharis
Themes: Civil rights, activism, resilience
Likely Ban Reason: Political critique, themes of systemic racism ✔︎
- Assata: An Autobiography (1987) – Assata Shakur
Themes: Social justice, activism, Black liberation
Likely Ban Reason: Explicit language, political views, critique of law enforcement ✔︎
- Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention (2011) – Manning Marable
Themes: Black empowerment, activism, religious transformation
Likely Ban Reason: Controversial views, political and racial themes ✔︎
- Ida: A Sword Among Lions (2008) – Paula J. Giddings
Themes: Journalism, activism, women’s rights
Likely Ban Reason: Racial themes, critique of societal norms ✔︎
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) – Malcolm X and Alex Haley
Themes: Identity, Black empowerment, resistance
Likely Ban Reason: Language, themes of racial and political tension ✔︎
Power & Empowerment
- The Color Purple (1982) – Alice Walker ❖
Themes: Racism, sexism, resilience
Likely Ban Reason: Sexual content, violence, language ✔︎
- For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf (1975) – Ntozake Shange
Themes: Black womanhood, trauma, healing
Likely Ban Reason: Sexual content, language ✔︎
- The Fire Next Time (1963) – James Baldwin
Themes: Civil rights, race relations
Likely Ban Reason: Racial critique, explicit themes ✔︎
- Just Mercy (2014) – Bryan Stevenson
Themes: Criminal justice, systemic racism
Likely Ban Reason: Graphic injustice depictions ✔︎
- The Mis-Education of the Negro (1933) – Carter G. Woodson
Themes: Systemic oppression, empowerment
Likely Ban Reason: Institutional critique ✔︎
- Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice (2009) – Phillip Hoose
Themes: Civil rights, activism
Likely Ban Reason: Racial themes, historical context ✔︎
- Piecing Me Together (2017) – Renée Watson
Themes: Race, privilege, self-identity
Likely Ban Reason: Social critique, race themes ✔︎
- Black Boy (1945) – Richard Wright
Themes: Racism, poverty, survival
Likely Ban Reason: Language, racial violence ✔︎
LGBTQ+ & Intersectionality
- You Should See Me in a Crown (2020) – Leah Johnson
Themes: LGBTQ+ identity, acceptance
Likely Ban Reason: LGBTQ+ themes ✔︎
- The Black Flamingo (2019) – Dean Atta
Themes: LGBTQ+ identity, self-discovery
Likely Ban Reason: LGBTQ+ themes, racial exploration ✔︎
- Black Leopard, Red Wolf (2019) – Marlon James
Themes: African mythology, identity
Likely Ban Reason: Graphic violence, language ✔︎
- All Boys Aren’t Blue (2020) – George M. Johnson
Themes: Queer Black identity, family, resilience
Likely Ban Reason: Explicit content, LGBTQ+ themes ✔︎
- No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black and Free in America (2018) – Darnell L. Moore
Themes: LGBTQ+ identity, resilience, social justice
Likely Ban Reason: LGBTQ+ themes, discussions of racial and social justice ✔︎
- Zami: A New Spelling of My Name (1982) – Audre Lorde
Themes: Lesbian identity, intersectionality, memoir
Likely Ban Reason: LGBTQ+ themes, explicit content ✔︎
- The Prophets (2021) – Robert Jones Jr.
Themes: Queer love, slavery, resilience
Likely Ban Reason: LGBTQ+ themes, historical trauma ✔︎
- Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism (1981) – bell hooks
Themes: Black feminism, intersectionality, resilience
Likely Ban Reason: Critique of traditional feminism, themes of systemic oppression ✔︎
