2023 Hue-Man Experience Book Recommendations

The goal of Hue-Man Experience at Tattered Cover is to help individuals, organizations and businesses that want to learn more about underrepresented titles and authors, have a trustworthy brand to source relevant material. Hue-Man Experience will source from all major and independent publishers, as well as conducting its own efforts to locate local talent.  Within Tattered Cover’s organization, Hue-Man Experience will focus on identifying, curating and recommending diverse authors, writers and artists, to ensure thoughtful representation from Black, Indigenous and People of Color throughout its stores.

 


 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Books that honor the legacy, brilliance and beauty of the Black experience

As we enter February, a time of love, and a month of honoring the incredible, rich legacy of Black folks throughout history and into the present day. This month’s list highlights the rich range of experiences, struggles and achievements of our people! 

 
 

THE GREAT MRS. ELIAS
By Barbara Chase-Riboud

►  The author of the award-winning Sally Hemings now brings to life Hannah Elias, one of the richest black women in America in the early 1900s, in this mesmerizing novel swirling with atmosphere and steeped in history.

 

 

 
 

THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG
By Henry Louis Gates Jr.

►  Gates tells the story of the Black church, an institution that has never been only one thing. Its story lies at the vital center of the civil rights movement, and produced many of its leaders, from the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., on, but at the same time there have always been churches and sects that eschewed a more activist stance, even eschewed worldly political engagement altogether. That tension can be felt all the way to the Black Lives Matter movement and the work of today. Still and all, as a source of strength and a force for change, the Black church is at the center of the action at every stage of the American story, as this enthralling history makes vividly clear.

 

 
 

HALF AMERICAN: THE EPIC STORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS FIGHTING WORLD WAR II AT HOME AND ABROAD
By Matthew F. Delmont

► Over one million Black men and women served in World War II. Black troops were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, and the Battle of the Bulge, serving in segregated units and performing unheralded but vital support jobs, only to be denied housing and educational opportunities on their return home. Without their crucial contributions to the war effort, the United States could not have won the war. And yet the stories of these Black veterans have long been ignored, cast aside in favor of the myth of the “Good War” fought by the “Greatest Generation.

 

 
 

ILLUSTRATED BLACK HISTORY: HONORING THE ICONIC AND THE UNSEEN
By George McCalman

► Illustrated Black History is a breathtaking collection of original portraits depicting black heroes—both famous and unsung—who made their mark on activism, science, politics, business, medicine, technology, food, arts, entertainment, and more. Each entry includes a lush drawing or painting by artist George McCalman, along with an insightful essay summarizing the person’s life story.

 

 

 
 

BLACK PEOPLE INVENTED EVERYTHING: THE DEEP HISTORY OF INDIGENOUS CREATIVITY 
By Dr. Sujan K. Dass

► Who invented the traffic light? What about transportation itself? Farming? Art? Modern chemistry? Who made cats? What if I told you there was ONE answer to all of these questions? That one answer? BLACK PEOPLE! Seriously. And this book is like a mini-encyclopedia, full of more evidence than WikiLeaks and just as eye-opening!

 

 

 
 
 

TEXTURES: THE HISTORY AND ART OF BLACK HAIR
By Tameka Ellington, Joseph L. Underwood

► Textures synthesizes research in history, fashion, art, and visual culture to reassess the “hair story” of peoples of African descent. Long a fraught topic for African Americans and others in the diaspora, Black hair is here addressed by artists, barbers, and activists in both its historical perceptions and its ramifications for self and society today. Exploring topics such as the preferential treatment of straight hair, the social hierarchies of skin, and the power and politics of display, Textures is a landmark exploration of Black hair and its important, complicated place in the history of African American life and culture.

 

 
 

 

APHROCHIC: CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF THE BLACK FAMILY HOME 
By Jeanine Hays, Bryan Mason

► Showcasing the amazing diversity of the Black experience through striking interiors, stories of family and community, and histories exploring the obstacles Black homeowners have faced for generations, this groundbreaking book honors the journey, recognizes the struggle, and celebrates the joy that is the Black family home.

 
 

BLACK WOMEN WRITERS AT WORK
By Claudia Tate

► Through candid interviews with Maya Angelou, Toni Cade Bambara, Gwendolyn Brooks, Alexis De Veaux, Nikki Giovanni, Kristin Hunter, Gayl Jones, Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Sonia Sanchez, Ntozake Shange, Alice Walker, Margret Walker, and Sherley Anne Williams, the book highlights the practices and critical linkages between the work and lived experiences of Black women writers whose work laid the foundation for many who have come after.

 

 
 

COMRADE SISTERS: WOMEN OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY  
By Ericka Huggins

► Many of us have heard these three words: Black Panther Party. Some know the Party's history as a movement for the social, political, economic and spiritual upliftment of Black and indigenous people of color – but to this day, few know the story of the backbone of the Party: the women. The book combines photos by Stephen Shames, who at the time was a 20-year-old college student at Berkeley. With the complete trust of the Black Panther Party, Shames took intimate, behind-the-scenes photographs that fully portrayed Party members' lives. Most importantly, the book includes contributions from over fifty former women members – some well-known, others not – who vividly recall their personal experiences from that time. 

 

 

 

 


 

 

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU!
The first of the year marks a time of hope, new beginnings and reinvention. Kick-off your own
2023 fresh start with these books by Black authors: 

 

 


 

AFFIRMATIONS FOR BLACK WOMEN: A JOURNAL 
By Oludara Adeeyo 

►  Building in her previous manual, “Self-Care for Black Women,” psychotherapist Oludara Adeeyo invites you to remind yourself how brave, powerful and brilliant you are. Her new book offers more than 100 positive messages and prompts to affirm your self-worth, boost your spirit and attract success.

 

 
 

MANIFESTO: ON NEVER GIVING UP
By Bernardine Evaristo

►  Bernadine Evaristo made history in 2019 when she became the first Black woman and first Black British person to win the Booker Prize for her novel “Girl, Woman, Other.” For her nonfiction debut, Evaristo charts her own unconventional childhood and career. “Manifesto” serves as inspiration for others to nurture creativity and visualize success.

 

 
 

REST IS RESISTANCE: A MANIFESTO
By Tricia Hersey

► Tricia Hersey, founder of the popular Nap Ministry, pushes back against the systems of capitalism that stress productivity and lead to overwork and depletion. Instead, in this New York Times bestseller, she highlights the power of rest, daydreaming and naps as a foundation for healing and resistance.

 

 
 

THE SUGAR JAR: CREATE BOUNDARIES, EMBRACE SELF-HEALING, AND ENJOY THE SWEET THINGS IN LIFE
By Yasmine Cheyenne

► In 2022, mental wellness advocate Yasmine Cheyenne launched The Sugar Jar Community, a safe-space app designed with tools to develop self-awareness and boundaries in service of healing. Now she brings this concept to print; “The Sugar Jar” uses stories, exercises, and prompts to help ease stress and exhaustion while moving toward balance and releasing joy.

 

 
 

YEARS OF YES: HOW TO DANCE IT OUT, STAND IN THE SUN AND BE YOUR OWN PERSON
By Shonda Rhimes

 In this bestseller and perennial favorite, television mogul Shonda Rhimes examines her childhood and questions why she was always so quick to say “no.” By challenging herself to say “yes” for a year, Rhimes inspires readers to embrace their inner selves and empower their lives by trying something new.