I Can’t Believe It’s Been Two Years. His death changed my life in ways I never thought were possible. He became the catalyst to get out and work toward the future we talked about. Activists have been doing this work for decades, but this was the first time I was able to expand my work outside of the computer screen and into the streets. Mural creaed by Xena Goldman, Cadex Herrera, and Greta McLain, with the help of Niko Alexander and Pablo Hernandez  On June 25, 2020… It feels so surreal to acknowledge how his murder has changed my life. If you were doing racial justice work in any capac ..read more

By Kendra Hale Author Adrienne Maree Brown I am endlessly searching for books that will transform the way in which I perceive humanity, systems, and culture. I crave the challenge of extracting what has been normalized so I can uncover what could be a new convention that better cares for and serves the collective. Adrienne Maree Brown’s book We Will Not Cancel Us And Other Dreams of Transformative Justice was an undeniable match for that search. Based in Detroit, Brown is a social justice facilitator, healer, and doula that centers her work on Black liberation. In her book, she explores cance ..read more

By: Papatia Feauxzar Queenie, by Candice Carty-Williams, is a must-read that not only reflects the reality of police brutality toward Black boys and men, it also reflects the sexual brutality many Black girls face. The book also touches on mental health and finding one's confidence and footing after a great deal of trauma.  One sad thing about the book is the way Queenie settles for things. For instance, she settles for men who don’t satisfy her physically because she gets comfort or escapism in return. She eventually snaps out of this unhealthy phase with the support of her folks, friend ..read more

You did it. You overcame the myriad obstacles to articulating the untamed and formless ideas in your mind into the long, artful form of a book— a harrowing feat to say the least. But do not rush to the publishing house just yet. There remains yet another step in the journey. I’m talking about editing, of course—all kinds of editing. Photo by Daniel Thomas on Unsplash Developmental Editing The first stop on your editing journey is developmental editing. The developmental editor will read your manuscript with an eye for the big picture of your book. The developmental editor will give an expert ..read more

By: Trishana Horton Destiny Love Jones, Vol. 1: Sisters and the Plight with Boys by N. R. White is a friendship saga emerging from the aging sisterhood of childhood friends Augustine, Holly, and Pearl. When Augustine pursues a love affair with a boy her father disapproves of, a multilayered drama of death, love, and revenge unfolds. Author N. R. White Traveling through multiple time periods, the story chronicles the lives of these “sisters” and the daughters they birth from the war, segregation, classism, and patriarchy of the 1940s and 1950s to the challenges of fractured homes and high scho ..read more

By Kendra Hale Photo via Canva.com   It is almost unheard of that I go a day without listening to music. Sound as a modality of healing is my limitless source and what has sustained me throughout my life. Music also helps me activate the creative pathways that encourage me to dream and flow through my writing. A gift born out of pandemic-induced solitude has been all the new songs, artists, and songwriters I’ve added to my extensive quarantine playlist. Below are some artists and their songs that have helped sustain both me and my writing during the pandemic. ***** Masego Masego | Photo ..read more

By: Deborah Harris How much do our childhood experiences influence our behavior as adults? Why are some of our early memories so deeply embedded we cannot seem to escape them? Can a parent, through their actions as a strict disciplinarian and rule-maker, ensure their children will have a better life than the one they had? Cover of Reflections of an Anxious African American Dad by Eric L. Heard These questions seem to be at the core of Eric Heard‘s thoughts as he shares and reflects on his upbringing and the impact his childhood experiences have on how he parents his son today. In his first bo ..read more

By Kendra Hale In Small Cures, Della Hicks-Wilson shares her collection of poetry that invites readers to tend to and navigate their woundedness. Dedicated to “the unhealed” and her mother, the poetry reads as soothing, explorative, nurturing, and intimate. She divides her poems into three parts: “Diagnosis,” “Treatment,” and “Recovery.” Her artistry with word flow unfolds into journeys through heartache, loss, grief, boundaries, love, life lessons, and beyond. Photo of poet Della Hicks-Wilson Part of the magic in her poetry is the way in which it sent me to a memory, a desire, or a forgotten ..read more

Thanks for stopping by. Are you new to Black and Bookish? Please take a look around. Here are the books I've read and reviewed, or you can start here to get an overview of who I am and what I do. Don't forget to subscribe to get news and posts sent straight to your inbox. Photo via Canva.com The characters you create are yours to keep, but when they lack depth due to a narrow viewpoint, readers and people in marginalized communities suffer. Sensitivity readers can give you a clear understanding of whether your writing perpetuates oppressive beliefs toward marginalized people.  What ..read more

By: Deborah Harris Why would anyone want to read a book knowing they would be confronted, albeit in text, by something that at a minimum would make them feel, as the title implies, “uncomfortable” or possibly upset or even angry? Considering the civil unrest and social justice protests over police killings of unarmed Black men in the United States, particularly over the last few years, I find Acho’s title selection both intriguing and timely. Having meaningful and ultimately productive conversations with someone of a different race and life experience in a country deeply divided in its perspec ..read more