Black Love Matters is an anthology of essays about Black readers, writers, characters, and stories as they relate to the romance genre of books. Edited by Jessica P. Pryde, the book discusses the history of Black people within the romance genre as both the creators and subjects of stories. Each essay offers a different perspective on what has taken place within the genre so far and/or what needs to be done to ensure greater participation and representation of Black people. It’s worth noting that while there is some discussion of specific books and characters much of the book’s focus is on the genre and book publishing industry.
Category: <span>Book Reviews</span>
“They Can’t Kill Us All” by Wesley Lowery is a relatively recently published book detailing incidents of police shootings. And really also White vigilante shootings of Black people in America. Many of whom were unarmed. The book charts the author’s experience as a relatively new journalist. But it also discusses the rise of the Black Lives Matter Movement in response to the killings of unarmed Black people.
Summary “Song Yet Sung” by James McBride is in part a story about the Underground Railroad. But it’s also about much more. The story takes place in 1850 about a…
“Black Titan: A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire” by Carol Jenkins and Elizabeth Gardner Hines tells the story of an entrepreneur who became the first or one of the first Black millionaires in America. A.G. Gaston was the grandson of slaves and came of age at a time when many Black people in the South were struggling as a result of the end of Reconstruction and the emergence of Jim Crow. Seeing a bleak future working in mining, Gaston began to recognize and take advantage of opportunities to provide services to co-workers and later the broader community. This knack for seeing a need and filling it would result in a sprawling business empire that would also provide support for the Civil Rights Movement.
A review of “The Darkest Child” by Delores Phillips, a novel about a preteen coming of age in a dysfunctional home and community with dreams of escaping both by obtaining an education.