Thought-Provoking Literature Written By Black Authors
Words Baby-Leah Burnett
Over the last month, the black community have had many heart-breaking, yet historic events affecting everyone. One of the main things would be the death of George Floyd, who was brutally murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis which has sparked global protests and an uproar from the Afro-Caribbean community. One of the most positive things that has come from these events would be the raising of awareness, it has undoubtedly encouraged those outside the black race to educate themselves regarding such issues. Creative Writer Baby-Leah Burnett shares with us three thought provoking literature worth reading.
As a result of such events, black-history book sales have skyrocketed and classics such as Ibram X. Kendi’s ‘How to Be an Anti-Racist’ and Reni Eddo-Lodges ‘Why I'm no longer talking to white people about race’ have particularly been hard to get a hold of in the U.K and the U.S. However, being a bookworm myself, I have read books a lot less popular but still educational and worth a read during this unprecedented time.
Nelson Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom (non-fiction)
Nelson Mandela’s autobiography ‘A long walk to Freedom’ is by far one of my favourite books that discusses the life and hurdles of the former president of South Africa. Reading this book with a critical mindset allows it to be one of the most insightful reads. It allows you to learn more about Mandela's traditional upbringing in the Thembu tribe, to his involvement in the African National Congress (ANC) all the way through to his successful presidency campaign and appointing office as President of South Africa in 1994. One of the most relevant parts of the book would be the protests by the Indians that Mandela endured and described as a “Model” for the type of protests those in the youth league were calling for. It's interesting to see the paralells through history in comparison to the protests from then to now, he described how “for two years people suspended their lives... no fewer than 2000 volunteers went to jail”. People were truly willing to surrender their whole lives for equality. When we acknowledge how long this fight has been going on for, it's agonising. However, reading something that is written from the view of the first black president of South Africa is satisfying as it highlights that there has been some progress along the course of history. If we keep pushing through and begin to speak the language of those in higher positions and strive to sit around the tables of true decision makers, we will be able to have more of an impact on the change of our society.
Malorie Blackman: Noughts and Crosses (fiction)
Noughts and Crosses was my favourite book growing up, especially being from dual heritage, this book really made me consider what life would be like if the roles were reversed. Malorie Blackman crafted a captivating story between 2 star-crossed lovers, Sephy (a Cross) and Callum (a Nought) whose relationship was affected by prejudice. The catch is, in this story, those who are “dark-skinned” were the ruling class in comparison to the “colourless” who were deemed as the lower-class. It was interesting to see the alternative universe and how the world may operate if it was the other way round. Although, today we are “free” as black people we are still not equal... but reading this book truly provokes you to think; what if black people were the ruling class? How would we operate in that position? This is the beauty in fiction novels, it allows you to live in a different world temporarily and stories like this come alive on the page when as a black community we are living in a problem-society.
Benjamen Zephaniah - The Race Industry (poem)
Lastly this isn't a book, but I couldn’t leave it off my list of things to read that really make you think. If you have not heard about Benjamin Zephaniah, he is Black British-Rastafarian who crafts incredible poems about deep issues. Benjamin Zephaniah wrote one of my favourite poems called “The Race Industry'' which touches on how white people benefit off the suffering of black people. One of my favourite lines being “...the coconuts have got the jobs''. From that one line you could interpret so much about the system and that’s how the poem begins, talking about the coconuts and the jobs. The reason why I love poetry so much is because you can gain so much from them, your own original thoughts alongside the author's emotion. The Race Industry has made the list for one of the most thought-provoking literature to read during lockdown. I recommend listening to his poems as he reads them out-loud to hear the raw emotion behind the words in his poetry.
Baby-Leah Burnett - Freelance Writer