Black Authors

The Selfless Act of Breathing

By: JJ Bola

Narrated by: Oseloka Obi

Length: 8 hours 35 minutes

Abridged: No

A Black teacher searches for himself across the United States in this “emotive, brave” (Daily Mail, London) story for all of us who have fantasized about escaping our daily lives and starting over.

Michael Kabongo is a British Congolese teacher living in London and living the dream: he’s beloved by his students, popular with his coworkers, and... Read more

Peace Is a Practice

By: Morgan Harper Nichols

Narrated by: Morgan Harper Nichols

Length: 6 hours 4 minutes

Abridged: No

Read by the author.When you breathe in all the grace available to you and release everything that is outside of your control, you'll discover peace that surpasses your circumstances. All it takes is practice.If you feel overwhelmed with anxiety about the future, you're far from alone. For many of us, when we're not worrying about what is to... Read more

Moon Witch, Spider King

By: Marlon James

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 30 hours 46 minutes

Abridged: No

“Masterfully flips the first installment on its head... James makes the mythic tantalizingly real.’” —Esquire
 
"Even more brilliant than the first.” —Buzzfeed

An Instant New York Times Bestseller and NPR Best Book of 2022 pick
 
From Marlon James, author of the bestselling National Book Award finalist Black Leopard, Red Wolf, the second book in... Read more

The ABCs of Black History

By: Rio Cortez

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 55 minutes

Abridged: No

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“In rhyming couplets, Cortez leads readers on a journey through Black life that acknowledges pain and struggle while building confidence with examples of triumph. It’s a tricky maneuver when writing for children, but Cortez pulls it off.” – The New York Times"A uniquely crafted ABC book that portrays some of the most... Read more

Black American Refugee

By: Tiffanie Drayton

Narrated by: Tiffanie Drayton

Length: 9 hours 42 minutes

Abridged: No

Named "most anticipated" book of February by Marie Claire, Essence, and A.V. Club
 
"…extraordinary and representative."—NPR

"Drayton explores the ramifications of racism that span generations, global white supremacy, and the pitfalls of American culture."—Shondaland
 
After following her mother to the US at a young age to pursue economic... Read more

Bitter

By: Akwaeke Emezi

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 7 hours 11 minutes

Abridged: No

From National Book Award finalist Akwaeke Emezi comes a companion novel to the critically acclaimed PET that explores both the importance and cost of social revolution--and how youth lead the way.

After a childhood in foster care, Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting... Read more

Walking the Bowl

By: Chris Lockhart & Daniel Mulilo Chama

Narrated by: Hlonela Ngqwebo

Length: 9 hours 7 minutes

Abridged: No

For readers of Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Nothing to Envy, this is a breathtaking real-life story of four street children in contemporary Zambia whose lives are drawn together and forever altered by the mysterious murder of a fellow street child.

Based on years of investigative reporting and unprecedented fieldwork, Walking the... Read more

Blue

By: Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

Narrated by: Tashi Thomas

Length: 18 minutes

Abridged: No

Discover a world of creativity and tradition in this fascinating picture book that explores the history and cultural significance of the color blue. From a critically acclaimed author and an award-winning illustrator comes a wonderful audiobook for listeners of all ages.

For centuries, blue powders and dyes were some of the most sought-after... Read more

The Legacy of Jim Crow

By: Clarence A. Haynes

Narrated by: Tyla Collier & Jennifer Sabin

Length: 2 hours 22 minutes

Abridged: No

“A powerful series that fills in the cracks and illuminates the shadows of the past.” –Sherri L. Smith, award-winning author of Flygirl
 
Introducing a new nonfiction series for the next generation of activists, uncovering the hidden history of the United States through an anti-racist lens.

The true story of the discriminatory laws and ideas that... Read more

Mirror Girls

By: Kelly McWilliams

Narrated by: Deanna Anthony, Carmen Jewel Jones & Robin Eller

Length: 7 hours 42 minutes

Abridged: No

A thrilling gothic horror novel about biracial twin sisters separated at birth, perfect for fans of Lovecraft Country and The Vanishing Half As infants, twin sisters Charlie Yates and Magnolia Heathwood were secretly separated after the brutal lynching of their parents, who died for loving across the color line. Now, at the dawn of the Civil... Read more

Black Faces in High Places

By: Randal D. Pinkett & Jeffrey A. Robinson

Narrated by: Ron Butler

Length: 9 hours 55 minutes

Abridged: No

A timely resource for Black professionals on how to rise to the top of their organizations or industries and, just as importantly, to stay there.Black Faces in High Places is the essential guide for Black professionals who are moving up through their organizations or industries but need a roadmap for how to get to the top and stay there. Based... Read more

Crowned with Glory

By: Dorena Williamson

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 6 minutes

Abridged: No

An ode to Black hair and Black girl joy, this joy-filled rhyming picture book invites young readers into the world of a young Black girl as she rocks her God-given beauty.

Hello, world! I’m a gift from above.
I already know that I am loved.

Gazing around with a great big grin—
there’s a whole wide world for me to take in.
 
From the hair on her head... Read more

Bird Brother

By: Rodney Stotts

Narrated by: James Fouhey

Length: 4 hours 23 minutes

Abridged: No

Rodney grew up during the crack epidemic, with guns, drugs, and the threat of incarceration an accepted part of daily life for nearly everyone he knew. To rent his own apartment, he needed a paycheck—something the money from dealing drugs didn't provide. For that, he took a position in 1992 with a new nonprofit, the Earth Conservation Corps.... Read more

Marley and the Family Band

By: Cedella Marley

Narrated by: Cedella Marley

Length: 7 minutes

Abridged: No

A picture book that celebrates music, love, and family from author Cedella Marley. A poetic story about a young girl who moves to a new country and learns to make friends—inspired by a childhood growing up with the musician Bob Marley as a father.

When Marley and her family move from Jamaica to Delaware, she knows life is about to change in big... Read more

Why?

By: Taye Diggs

Narrated by: Taye Diggs

Length: 5 minutes

Abridged: No

This program is read by Taye Diggs. It contains sound design.

A conversation about race.

"Daddy?"
"Yes, my sweet boy."
"Why are those people shouting?"
"Our people are shouting because we need to be heard. We need to be heard."

Why? is a question asked by children daily, and in this stirking and timely story, it begins a straightforward and... Read more

Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms

By: Jamar J. Perry

Narrated by: Marc Anthony Samuel

Length: 7 hours 11 minutes

Abridged: No

Bloomsbury presents Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms by Jamar J. Perry, read by Marc Anthony Samuel.

Inspired by West African and Igbo history and mythology, this adventurous middle-grade fantasy debut perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Tristan Strong celebrates the triumphs and challenges of a boy finding his truth path to greatness.

As the... Read more

The Last Enforcer

By: Charles Oakley

Narrated by: Adam Lazarre-White

Length: 9 hours 27 minutes

Abridged: No

In this “incredible read on some incredible days and nights in the old association” (Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN senior NBA insider) Charles Oakley—one of the toughest and most loyal players in NBA history—tells his unfiltered stories about his basketball journey and his relationships with Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Charles Barkley, Patrick... Read more

Black Joy

By: Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts

Narrated by: Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts

Length: 7 hours 15 minutes

Abridged: No

Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Instructional

With deeply personal and uplifting essays in the vein of Black Girls Rock!, You Are Your Best Thing, and I Really Needed This Today, this is “a necessary testimony on the magic and beauty of our capacity to live and love fully and out loud” (Kerry Washington).

When... Read more

How to Talk to Your Boss About Race

By: Y-Vonne Hutchinson

Narrated by: Y-Vonne Hutchinson

Length: 6 hours 4 minutes

Abridged: No

An indispensable practical toolkit for dismantling racism in the workplace without fear

Reporting and personal testimonials have exposed racism in every institution in this country. But knowing that racism exists isn’t nearly enough. Social media posts about #BlackLivesMatter are nice, but how do you push leadership towards real anti-racist... Read more

And We Rise

By: Erica Martin

Narrated by: Erica Martin

Length: 1 hour 12 minutes

Abridged: No

A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse.

In stunning verse, Erica Martin's debut poetry collection walks readers through the Civil Rights Movement—from the well-documented events that shaped the nation’s treatment of Black people, beginning with... Read more

Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman

By: Kristen R. Lee

Narrated by: Kacie Rogers

Length: 7 hours 22 minutes

Abridged: No

A striking debut novel about a college freshman grappling with the challenges of attending an elite university with a disturbing racist history, which may not be as distant as it seems.

"A searing debut.” –Entertainment Weekly

Savannah Howard thought everyone followed the same checklist to get into Wooddale University:
Take the hardest classesGet... Read more

Freewater

By: Amina Luqman-Dawson

Narrated by: Cary Hite & Sisi Aisha Johnson

Length: 9 hours 41 minutes

Abridged: No

Debut author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children’s escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.

Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he... Read more

The Black Agenda

By: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

Narrated by: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, Chanté McCormick, Don...

Length: 6 hours 2 minutes

Abridged: No

The first book of its kind, a collection bringing together leading Black scholars and experts for a policy-oriented approach to the fight for racial justice in America.

From ongoing reports of police brutality to the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on Black Americans, the year 2020 brought a renewed awareness to the deep-rootedness of... Read more

Because Claudette

By: Tracey Baptiste

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Length: 6 minutes

Abridged: No

From NYT bestselling author Tracey Baptiste comes a singular picture book, adapted for audio, that is both a biography about Claudette Colvin, the teen whose activism launched the Montgomery bus boycott, and a celebration of collective action.

When fifteen-year-old Claudette Colvin boarded a segregated bus on March 2, 1955, she had no idea she... Read more