25 Black Writers and Books That Every Student Should Read Before Graduating High School

As students grow and mature, it's essential to expose them to diverse perspectives and experiences. Reading books by Black writers is a great way to broaden students' horizons and provide them with a deeper understanding of the world around them. Here is a list of 25 Black writers and their books that every student should read before graduating from high school, starting in the third grade.

1. Maya Angelou - "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"

2. Langston Hughes - "The Weary Blues"

3. Zora Neale Hurston - "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

4. Toni Morrison - "The Bluest Eye"

5. Alice Walker - "The Color Purple"

6. Richard Wright - "Native Son"

7. James Baldwin - "Go Tell It on the Mountain"

8. Gwendolyn Brooks - "Annie Allen"

9. Nikki Giovanni - "Love Poems"

10. Langston Hughes - "Simple Speaks His Mind"

11. Ralph Ellison - "Invisible Man"

12. Octavia Butler - "Kindred"

13. W.E.B. Du Bois - "The Souls of Black Folk"

14. Ntozake Shange - "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf"

15. Eric Jerome Dickey - "Sisters & Lovers"

16. Walter Dean Myers - "Monster"

17. Ta-Nehisi Coates - "Between the World and Me"

18. Colson Whitehead - "The Underground Railroad"

19. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - "Americanah"

20. Ishmael Reed - "Mumbo Jumbo"

21. Tarell Alvin McCraney - "Choir Boy"

22. Jesmyn Ward - "Salvage the Bones"

23. Tracy K. Smith - "Wade in the Water"

24. Jacqueline Woodson - "Another Brooklyn"

25. Yaa Gyasi - "Homegoing"

This list is just a starting point, and there are many more Black writers and books that are worth exploring. By reading books by Black writers, students can gain a better understanding of the Black experience, broaden their perspectives, and appreciate the diversity of the world around them.

It's essential that students are exposed to a diverse range of perspectives, experiences, and cultures, and reading books by Black writers is a great way to do that. This list of 25 Black writers and books provides a starting point for students to explore, and there are many more books and writers that are worth discovering.