There’s no denying the power of books. Along with encouraging language development, comprehension, and a furthered interest in reading, sharing stories with kids plants seeds in their impressionable minds that will continue to blossom into curiosity, discovery, and understanding throughout their lives.
As adults, reading continues to be beneficial as it strengthens the mind. Studies have even shown that long-term readers of literary fiction are able to easily empathize with others who have different beliefs and ways of thinking than they do.
Those fictional tales are often based on real-life occurrences, drawing a fine line between imagined worlds and the reality we inhabit. In the US, works of fiction and nonfiction shine a bright light on the reality of this country’s history, but the stories appear differently based on who tells them. Most stories written by white authors reflect the experiences and lessons collected by that writer, typically a person of privilege navigating life as part of an ethnic majority, possibly oblivious to the stories of the oppressed and disenfranchised.
While most classic works of fiction tell those stories, a work such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, an anti-slavery novel penned by Harriet Beecher Stowe, a white woman, proves that not all white storytellers are the same and that they can turn the spotlight away from themselves, aiming it at the stories of underrepresented characters. But while the approach seems admirable, it’s actually misguided.
Even with the intention of exposing the brutal nature of slavery, Stowe could only write about what she observed and assumed. She was unable to authentically speak to the experience of being an enslaved Black person. Years later, Richard Wright, a legendary Black author, published the collection of novellas Uncle Tom’s Children, reclaiming the experiences of Black people of the time by delivering stories that more accurately depicted what it was like to be Black in America, something a white author was unable to testify to. Authors including Frederick Douglass (Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass) and Solomon Northup (Twelve Years a Slave) wrote books based on their personal experiences as enslaved Black people, adding valuable insight and perspective into how inhumane and unnatural slavery actually was.
In the US, works of fiction and nonfiction shine a bright light on the reality of this country’s history, but the stories appear differently based on who tells them.
Stories of the Black experience, whether delivered by factual historical accounts or reinterpreted through fictional characters, set a standard for how we receive narratives. Even with the best intentions, white writers attempting to retell Black stories are ill-equipped. Only a Black person can tell you what it’s like to live in their skin. In gaining empathy and understanding to help unify the country and improve the human condition, these first-hand accounts are crucial.
Throughout the course of literary history, Black voices have been passed over countless times. White authors populate the list of classic titles by far, often excluding the tales thoughtfully composed by Black storytellers. By omitting the experiences and imaginative characters of African Americans, the world has lost out. Without the promotion of Black stories written by Black people, students of all ages, from elementary school to college, continue to be directed to white writers, denying them an accurate representation of the real world.
Whereas maybe one to two titles by Black authors are mentioned in the conversation of great works, the true list of literary classics includes books by Toni Morrison (Beloved), Zora Neale Hurston (Their Eyes Were Watching God), Ralph Ellison (Invisible Man), James Baldwin (Go Tell It on the Mountain), and too many more to mention in this small space. In reading stories by Black authors, we’re able to redefine what’s considered essential reading and make room for a literary world as diverse as the one we live in.
Whether you read written works by Black authors aloud to your children or pick up a book for yourself that was written by an African American person, you are fueling a world of progression and immersing yourself in an important journey. At one point, it was illegal for Black people to learn how to read and write, and even then, the value of literacy never escaped Black culture.
Through it all, we still told our stories, risking our lives to make sure our children would be able to do the same. Generations of Black authors continued to create because they knew that, even if it didn’t happen during their lifetimes, one day their words would be consumed and appreciated by readers who were ready to receive their poetic prose, harrowing tales, and unique perspectives. By reading the stories of Black authors, you are honoring the legacies of greats that should have been recognized long ago while expanding your own understanding and ability to empathize with other humans. Don’t miss out on what can ultimately inspire and enhance your own life, while redefining what should be included on everyone’s must-read lists.
