Black History Reading Guide: Graphic Novels

This graphic memoir offers a deeply personal meditation on the 'the talk' parents must have with Black children about racism and the brutality that often accompanies it, a ritual attempt to keep kids safe and prepare them for a world that--to paraphrase Toni Morrison--does not love them.

A graphic novel account based on the 1876 court case involving a West African woman named Abina who was wrongfully enslaved.

Looks at the history of hip hop and its musicians between the 1970's and 1981. (Additional books look at additional decades.)

A collection of stories from African American history that exemplifies success in the face of great adversity, including: Henry 'Box' Brown, who escaped from slavery by mailing himself to Philadelphia; Alexander Crummel and the Noyes Academy, the first integrated school in America, established in the 1830s; Marshall 'Major' Taylor, a.k.a. the Black Cyclone, the first Black champion in any sport; and Bass Reeves, the most successful lawman in the Old West.

The life of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose social and political art took graffiti from the streets into galleries in the early 90s.

High school star athlete Colin Kaepernick is at a crossroads in life. Heavily scouted by colleges and MLB as a baseball pitcher, he has a bright future ahead of him as a highly touted prospect. Everyone from his parents to his teachers and coaches are in agreement on his future. Colin feels differently. This . . . graphic memoir explores the story of how a young change maker learned to find himself and never compromise.

Ousted from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee due to internal disorder, Lewis went on to work on Robert F. Kennedy's campaign, to be shocked by the events of 1968. Struggling with the larger question of how to rebuild the movement, Lewis had an idea: someone should run for the 5th Congressional district seat in Georgia. Starting with the tragic death of Martin Luther King Jr., "Run" tells the story of how John Lewis entered politics, working within the community, and organizing a campaign that has taken him to one of the most important seats in Congress.

Twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health.

In 1963, at a church bingo Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray fell in love, but because of pressure from their families they had to break up, only to reunite nearly fifty years later at a church bingo.

Eli Franklin is a 15-year-old girl living in rural Montana-and she just happens to be the most powerful person on the planet. In the aftermath of the world learning that only black people have superpowers, Eli makes her debut as the superhero Good Girl, on a mission to help people and quell the fear of empowered blacks.

A comprehensive history of anti-black racism in graphic format focuses on the lives of five major players in American history and highlights the debates that took place between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and anti-racists.

While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken.

A graphic novel biography of African American author Zora Neale Hurston from her childhood in Alabama through her life as a folklorist and novelist, including her rise to fame during the Harlem Renaissance.

This slice-of-life romance follows the two girls as they adventure across North Carolina to find each book, with their story intercut by the tales of Navigator Nozomi. Neesha and Gabby find more than just the books though -- they find acceptance, friendship, understanding and love.

When Tom Token is accepted into St. Ivory Academy, a historically white wizarding school, he begins uncovering strange clues and stumbles onto a conspiracy that could cost him his very soul.

Nubia has always stood out because of her Amazonian strength, but even though she uses her ability for good she is seen as a threat, so when her best friend Quisha is threatened by a boy who thinks he owns the town, Nubia risks everything to become the hero society tells her she is not.

As a transfer student to an arts school, former sports star Charlie is struggling to adjust. When the school's barely-a-basketball-team unexpectedly attempts to recruit her, Charlie's adamant that she's left that life behind...until she's won over by the charming team captain, Liv, and the ragtag crew she's managed to assemble.