15 Informative and Inspiring Black History Books UK 2023

Akala speaks so brilliantly on race, it makes perfect sense that he would produce a book that is at once accessible, funny, charming and deeply political. Described in literary reviews as a 'memoir-polemic' this book looks at Akala's early years as a bookworm who hoped to become a scientist and examines the factors which resulted in him carrying a knife as a teen.

This is not always an easy book, but it is absolutely vital in enlightening us Brits as to our country's shameful, and at times horrifying, racial history. Akala's thought-provoking work encourages readers to acknowledge the intersection of race and class, in ways we may have failed to before. 

This book is an excellent choice if you want a straightforward history of racial inequality in the UK. Reni Eddo Lodge doesn't miss a beat, with a series of concise chapters painting a clear picture of institutionalised discrimination.

With examples ranging from the blatantly racist beliefs of UK police officers as recently as the 1980s, to the uproar from Harry Potter fans when the stage producers of The Cursed Child cast a Black Hermione, Eddo-Lodge makes no bones about the fact she's tired of trying to explain racism to white people who refuse to listen or learn. 

Dick Gregory is one of the USA's most beloved, and controversial, comedians. His book takes a confident and critical look at the global experience of Black communities, with a keen focus on the specific lived experiences of African Americans. 

We think you will enjoy this book if you want an unapologetic perspective on the key moments in Black history, both cultural and political. His wry witty tone and ability to summarise abstract ideas with sharp sound-bites of truth make this book as enjoyable as it is illuminating. 

This brilliant book is one everyone should read. In her witty and charismatic style, Emma Dabiri explores the ties between hair and perceived 'Blackness', through a lens of popular culture. She documents the difficulties of white mothers caring for their mixed-race children's hair, and the 'hair hierarchy' that exists for Black hair. 

A clever, engaging, must-read, packed with the histories and importance of African hair styling from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, to the Ashanti people of Ghana and the Mende of Sierra Leone. 

This collection of speeches and essays from MLK provides the reader with an understanding of the work and ambitions of one of the best-known voices in the US civil rights movement. His powerful tone rings clearly throughout with a message of hope that is deeply moving.

Containing interviews with and sermons led by the Nobel Prize-winning activist, this book is arranged chronologically to give the reader an overview of the development of King's work towards integration in the US. 

This book is a brilliant read, detailing the difficulties faced by families of the Windrush generation. This book helps fiction-lovers experience the painful reality of the Caribbean experience in mid century England.

Recently having been adapted into a stage play with a highly successful run at the National Theatre, it tells the tale of a Jamaican couple who have travelled to England on the ship HMT Empire Windrush and their experience in the UK after fighting for Britain in World War Two. 

While Martin Luther King believed in peaceful protest, the Black Panthers were tired of tolerating white violence in an attempt to be seen as non-threatening. An important and eye-opening read, it reminds readers that although they may be best remembered for their striking aesthetics and proud use of guns, they also did vital work for Black children in their communities.

This book is full of powerful images, accompanied by interviews with some of the party's most prominent figures. It's an accessible and informative guide to the work of the Black Panthers and their role in the Black Power movement. 

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2017, this book provides a way for fans of lyrical prose and storytelling to build a deeper understanding of the horrors of life faced by Black people sold as slaves. 

A superbly inventive book that builds a painful and evocative context for the modern African American experience. The main character Cora's search for freedom reflects the wider issues in North America's bloody and disturbing history of racism. 

The writer, Johnny Pitts is a photographer and TV presenter, and his visual approach is part of the book's appeal. This book has some fantastic insights into the experience of Europeans of African descent, a group perhaps sometimes slightly overlooked on the world stage. 

Drawing together and exploring the distinct concepts of 'European-ness' and 'African-ness', this book is filled with anecdotes and vignettes, shedding light on the often parallel experiences of African individuals making their way in Europe, from Paris to Lisbon, via Sheffield and Bilbao.  

This book tells the story of the Harlem Renaissance, a glorious era for Black music, art, and intellectualism that continued throughout the 1920s in New York City. It's a great read on a topic not many of us Brits are au fait with. 

Exploring the work of powerful Black writers and thinkers as well as voices from the Black LGBTQ community, author Nathan Irvin Huggins links these achievements to the social and economic questions of the day. An important addition to the study of African-American life. 

Angela Davis is an exceptional thinker, writer and leader, who was at the forefront of the US civil rights movement in the 1960s. Her seminal book blends the history of slavery and the abolition movement with the inherent racism of women's suffrage.

Just as relevant today, Davis focuses on a selection of brilliant women who have fought for racial equality and pushed forward the Black rights movement throughout history. Her brilliant synthesis of racial issues and women's issues is a call to arms, proving how feminism is incomplete without a rounded understanding of racial injustice. 

If you'd like to lean about Black history through fiction, we recommend Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Written with flair, it's an effortless page-turner that's impossible to forget! 

Following the story of two sisters, one sold into slavery and the other a slave trader's wife, the book moves through seven generations to paint a picture of how slavery has shaped contemporary North America. A top pick that sheds light upon the Atlantic Slave Trade and its modern-day reverberations.

Race Today was a journal published by a group of Black and mixed race activists, academics and thinkers based in the UK. It was circulated between the early seventies and late eighties, and featured many contributions from some of the top writers of the era including Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. 

As a collection of articles and extracts, this book serves as a fine companion for students. It not only brilliantly captures the mood of the times, but also features the voices of key figures in the UK's battle for civil equality. 

An ideal accompaniment to the film Paris is Burning, this glossy photobook celebrates the 1980s ballroom scene and the style and talent of New York's Black queer community. 

Through collected histories, it highlights the message that Black gay men, drag queens and transgender women were pioneers, not only of the dance style 'voguing', but also of the gay rights movement we celebrate today. A genuinely joyful read, this collection of words and images reminds us of the roots of Pride. 

This book reaches all the way back to Roman times, moving through the middle ages to the Elizabethan era, recounting slavery and civil rights movements all the way up to the present day. It re-examines the histories many of us learned in school, presenting them from a fresh perspective.

Some Black literary critics have claimed Olusoga's work provides a 'lukewarm' approach to topics in favour of avoiding controversy. However, what it lacks in force, it certainly makes up for in breadth and variety of topics.