Takoma Park Newsletter: Director’s Column- Juneteenth Reading
Despite growing up near Juneteenth’s Galveston, Texas, origins, I did not learn about Juneteenth until college. Then again, in Houston during that time, we were also taught that the American Civil War was about states’ rights (the right to do what, exactly? Exactly.), so this should not come as a surprise.
I have many feelings about the historical obfuscation of a holiday that celebrates liberation, not the least of which being that in the attempt to paint over injustice, the visibility of Black joy can be collateral damage. And so, this month, I would like to highlight works of joy and liberation by Black authors in our collection.
Not every part of every book is joyful, because that’s not what life is like, but there is joy and pride in each title, and there are myriad genres represented. There is fiction for every age, as well as nonfiction and poetry. I definitely wanted to highlight our cookbook collection, because not only do the narratives within contain joy, but they are also a guide to preparing food that can bring joy to us and the loved ones invited to our tables.
Picture Books: Everyone loves picture books!
• I Am Every Good Thing, by Derrick Barnes
• Just Like Me, by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
• Hey Baby!: A Baby’s Day in Doodles, by Andrea Pippins
• The Big Bed, by Bunmi Laditan (This is one of my favorites that’s silly and lovely and fun. The main character is so precocious; it’s the cutest.)
• Glow, by Ruth Forman
• Magnificent Homespun Brown: A Celebration, by Samara Cole Doyon
Elementary and Middle Grade: For the young people in your life who are reading on their own.
• One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
• Black Boy Joy, edited by Kwame Mbalia
• Rebound, by Kwame Alexander
• My Life As an Ice Cream Sandwich, by Ibi Zoboi
• Dragons in a Bag, by Zetta Elliott
• Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, by Kwame Mbalia
Young Adult: For young people who can handle some more mature themes but are still not quite ready for adult books (they are also for adults who enjoy reading YA!).
• Charming as a Verb, by Ben Philippe
• Black Girls Rock!: Owning Our Magic, Rocking Our Truth, edited by Beverly Bond
• Binti, by Nnedi Okorafor
• The Great Greene Heist, by Varian Johnson
• Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi
• With the Fire on High, by Elizabeth Acevedo
Adult: For adults and anyone who wants to read like one.
• Bress ‘n’ nyam: Gullah Geechee Recipes from a Sixth-Generation Farmer, by Matthew Raiford (We have several cookbooks written by Black authors that center their heritage cuisines!)
• The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, by Michelle Obama
• A Princess in Theory, by Alyssa Cole
• While Justice Sleeps: A Novel, by Stacey Abrams
• Fattily Ever After: A Black Fat Girl’s Guide to Living Life Unapologetically, by Stephanie Yeboah
• Get a Life, Chloe Brown, by Talia Hibbert
• Electric Arches, by Eve Ewing
I think we all need to balance dark with light, because taking in only the dark can be isolating and overwhelming. Not every narrative has to center trauma to be meaningful or impactful, and the beautiful stories in this compilation are great examples of that. I hope you can find and feel joy, on Juneteenth and everyday.
This article appeared in the June Edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. Check out this article and more on the City webpage.
