Best Books of 2020: Black Life in America

by Edward Ball

An illuminating contribution to the literature of race and racism in America. Full review >

by Daina Ramey Berry & Kali Nicole Gross

A vital book for any library or classroom—and for foot soldiers in the fight for racial justice. Full review >

by Howard Bryant

Another illuminating social and cultural critique from an important contemporary voice. Full review >

by Elliott Currie

A damning examination of violence in Black America and a call for intervention that is long overdue. Full review >

by Emma Dabiri

Part memoir, part social history, and sure to become the definitive book on the politics, culture, and economics of black... Full review >

by Seyward Darby

Engaging, horrifying, and informative—Darby offers an important, fresh angle on the problems tearing our country apart. Full review >

by Kent Garrett & Jeanne Ellsworth

A fine contribution to the literature of civil rights and the African American experience. Full review >

by Alicia Garza

A pragmatic, impassioned guide to vital current affairs. Full review >

by Ruby Hamad

An extraordinary book for anyone who wishes to pay more than lip service to truly inclusive, intersectional feminism. Full review >

by Kenya Hunt

A powerful collection that is very much of the present moment of resistance but will also endure. Full review >

by Robert P. Jones

An indispensable study of Christianity in America. Full review >

by Bettye Kearse

A Roots for a new generation, rich in storytelling and steeped in history. Full review >

by Ijeoma Oluo

A bold, incisive book on heavy topics with a call to action for a more equitable future that doesn’t center White men. Full review >

by Les Payne & Tamara Payne

A superb biography and an essential addition to the library of African American political engagement. Full review >

by Claudia Rankine

A work that should move, challenge, and transform every reader who encounters it. Full review >

by Mychal Denzel Smith

An urgent and provocative work that deserves the broadest possible audience. Full review >

by Dianne M. Stewart

A beautiful, strikingly original work that is both scholarly and deeply moving. Full review >

by Jamie Thompson

A nail-biting and nuanced true-life police procedural. Full review >

by Jerald Walker

Crafted with honesty and wry comedic flair, these essays are both engaging and enraging. Full review >

by Frank B. Wilderson III

An essential contribution to any discussion of race and likely to be a standard text in cultural studies for years to come. Full review >

by Isabel Wilkerson

A memorable, provocative book that exposes an American history in which few can take pride. Full review >