Black Publishing Power

This week, Amistad Books is encouraging everyone to purchase just two titles written by Black authors this week. The goal of the Black Publishing Power initiative? To blackout the Best Seller List with a complete list of Black authors and to bring awareness to inequality in the publishing world!

It’s exciting to see that as protestors marched across our country, the New York Times Nonfiction Bestsellers list directly supported Black authors as more and more people began purchasing titles, searching for a way to be better, to do more.

This week, I encourage you to purchase a few books by Black authors to include in your personal library. If you don’t have the means at this time, I understand. Instead, request titles from your local library, tweet out your favorite Black authors on social media, request that your next Book Club title is by a Black author.

The world is changing and I’m so excited to be a part of that change! Every book list I create, I make that I offer some diversity in it. Whether it’s racial diversity, or cultural, focuses on a disability experience or that of someone in a different socio-economic status, diversity in children’s literature helps kids to learn empathy.

If you’re looking for children’s books by Black authors and illustrators and/or featuring Black characters, take a look at just a few of the lists here on Literacious:

• Activists
• Picture Books
• Chapter Books and Middle Grade
• Nonfiction & Biographies
• Young Adult
• 16 Picture Books featuring Black Characters (by Black Authors)
• 36 Titles for Babies & Toddlers: Social Justice, Equality and Diversity
• 18 More Books for Babies & Toddlers: Social Justice, Equality and Diversity

And if you’re looking for even more great titles, check out this Book Riot article for suggestions!