Oak Knoll student Cora Laborde ’25 said, “I think books are knowledge, but also vessels of personal experience and culture that can invoke empathy, which is crucial when embracing diversity and inclusion.” With that in mind, she has curated a short list of great books celebrating Black History Month.

Here are Laborde’s top five picks and her own words on why they were most appealing.

Oak Knoll's Upper School Librarian, Elinor Takenaga, has curated a short list of literary fiction and non-fiction this February to encourage our young readers to read not only books about Black History but also books by Black authors who write about a variety of topics/storylines. Here are a few of her suggestions:

Rhetoric. For many it sounds like a negative word. And yes, rhetoric can be used to persuade people to do very bad things. But on the flip side, Mr. Ben Oxford’s 11^th grade AP Literature and Composition students are learning that rhetoric can often be deployed in very good and nuanced ways to bring about positive change.

Though Mr. Oxford applies rhetorical analysis to many of his students projects, during Black History Month, he is asking his students to break down some famous works by Martin Luther King Jr.

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, from 2002 to 2017, the number of Black-owned businesses with employees increased by 31.2%. While this is something to celebrate, the pandemic has disproportionately affected Black-owned businesses. A higher percentage of Black-owned companies shuttered during the pandemic, and of those that did survive, only 10% described their business as “profitable and growing.”

By intentionally seeking out and supporting Black-owned businesses, we can help to reverse this trend, inject more equity into equality, and do our part to combat structural inequities that have plagued Black business owners for centuries.

One important way you can honor Black History Month with your child is by amplifying Black voices and reading diverse stories. When reading literature about Black historical figures, consider who is telling that story. From Alice Walker to Amanda Gorman, we can celebrate and support Black authors by promoting more authentic storytelling that reflects real Black experiences, identities and voices.