Exploring Black History and the Black Experience in America
Exploring Black History and the Black Experience in America
Black history and the Black experience have systematically been excluded from history books and classrooms. This presents a challenge because so much of our present is a reflection of the past. It can be difficult to think and talk about issues of racism, especially institutional racism, without the historical context.
At Kids Co. we are all life-long learners. We are happy to share these resources to help adults gain a greater understanding of the history of racism and the Black experience in America. We hope this will help you have deeper conversations about race with your families, colleagues, and friends.
Please note, this list of resources is written with adults in mind. Some materials may be inappropriate or difficult to access for children. Please use your discretion.
Nonfiction:
- How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
- The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
- How to Build a Museum: Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture by Tonya Bolden
- Trouble in Mind by Leon F. Litwack
- Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
Fiction:
- Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Documentaries (subscriptions may be required):
- 13th: From Slave to Criminal with One Amendment (Netflix)
- The 1619 Project: The Greatest Story Never Told (Hulu)
- Freedom Riders (PBS, Amazon Prime Video)
- Civil War (or, Who Do We Think We Are) (Peacock)
Other Resources:
- Esquire Magazine: 20 of the Most Essential Books on Black History
- Reader’s Digest List of Free Online Courses about African American History
- Harvard Library Collection: Slavery, Abolition, Emancipation and Freedom
More from Kids Co.: For a list of children’s books about Black history click here