BOOK LIST:

2026 Inspiring Journeys Reading List

Updated: January 8, 2026
Book cover of The ABCs of Black history
The ABCs of Black History
Cortez, Rio
Call Number: x 326 C828
Book cover of Ablaze with color : a story of painter Alma Thomas
Ablaze With Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas
Harvey, Jeanne Walker
Call Number: x 92 T4542Ha
Book cover of American wings : Chicago's pioneering Black aviators and the race for equality in the sky
American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky
Smith, Sherri L.
Call Number: 629.1309 S659
Book cover of Before 13th : a graphic novel
Before 13th: A Graphic Novel
Ralph, Michael (Anthropologist)
Call Number: 326.0973 R163
Book cover for Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
Call Number: YA
Book cover of Black history is your history
Black History is Your History
Cassidy, Taylor
Call Number: 301.45096 C345
Book cover of The coveted Westside : how the Black homeowners' rights movement shaped modern Los Angeles
The Coveted Westside: How the Black Homeowners' Rights Movement Shaped Modern Los Angeles
Mandel, Jennifer
Call Number: 323.409794 M271
Book cover of Ella Fitzgerald : the official graphic novel
Ella Fitzgerald: The Official Graphic Novel
Nwadiogbu, Ngozi
Call Number: 789.14 F553Nw
Book cover of Female, gifted, and Black : awesome art and literary pioneers who changed the world
Female, Gifted, and Black: Awesome Art and Literary Pioneers Who Changed the World
Anderson, Becca
Call Number: 709.73 A545
Book cover of Flamboyants : the queer Harlem renaissance I wish I'd known
Flamboyants: The Queer Harlem Renaissance I Wish I'd Known
Johnson, George M.
Call Number: 709.73 J671
Book cover of Hair like Obama's, hands like Lebron's
Hair Like Obama's, Hands Like Lebron's
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Call Number: xz
Book cover of King : a life
King: A Life
Eig, Jonathan
Call Number: 323.4092 K53Ei-1
Book cover for L.A. City Limits: African American Los Angeles From the Great Depression to the Present
L.A. City Limits: African American Los Angeles From the Great Depression to the Present
Sides, Josh
Call Number: 979.41 L881Sid
Book cover for Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History
Harrison, Vashti
Call Number: x 920 H322
Book cover of Little legends : exceptional men in black history
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History
Harrison, Vashti
Call Number: x 920 H322-2
Book cover for Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites During the Jim Crow Era
Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites During the Jim Crow Era
Jefferson, Alison R.
Call Number: 323.409794 J45
Book cover for Making Black Los Angeles: Class, Gender, and Community, 1850-1917
Making Black Los Angeles: Class, Gender, and Community, 1850-1917
Campbell, Marne L
Call Number: 301.45096 C189
Book cover of No crystal stair : African-Americans in the City of Angels
No Crystal Stair: African-Americans in the City of Angels
George, Lynell.
Call Number: 301.45096 G348
Book cover of Poemhood : our black revival : history, folklore & the black experience : a young adult poetry antho
Poemhood: Our Black Revival
Byas, Taylor (editor); Martin, Erica (editor); McBride, Amber (editor)
Call Number: 811.08 P74313
Book cover of Regarding Paul R. Williams : a photographer's view
Regarding Paul R. Williams: A Photographer's View
Ireland, Janna
Call Number: 720.914 W726Ir folio
Book cover for The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop
The Roots of Rap: 16 Bars on the 4 Pillars of Hip-Hop
Weatherford, Carole Boston
Call Number: x 784 W362
Book cover of Surrounded : America's first school for black girls, 1832
Surrounded: America's First School for Black Girls, 1832
Lupano, Wilfrid
Call Number: 370.92 C891Lu
Book cover of The swans of Harlem : five Black ballerinas, a legacy of sisterhood, and their reclamation of a grou
The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, a Legacy of Sisterhood
Valby, Karen
Call Number: 793.32 V139-1
Book cover of Those who saw the sun : African American oral histories from the Jim Crow South
Those Who Saw the Sun: African American Oral Histories from the Jim Crow South
Avery, Jaha Nailah
Call Number: 301.45096 A954 2025
Book cover of We now belong to ourselves : J.L. Edmonds, the Black press, and Black citizenship in America
We Now Belong to Ourselves: J.L. Edmonds, the Black Press, and Black Citizenship in America
Edmonds, Arianne
Call Number: 071.092 E245
Book cover of With open hands : a story about Biddy Mason
With Open Hands: A Story About Biddy Mason
Ferris, Jeri.
Call Number: x 92 M398Fe

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