This column first appeared in CityView Magazine’s “The Love Issue” February 2026 edition.
February is the month of hearts and Valentine’s Day. It’s also Black History Month, which makes it a good time to stop and consider the contributions of African Americans to the growth and development of our country. In order to do this, we need to read the history of Black Americans.
So, I’m sharing some books to help you learn more. We can all take pride in following Black history to where we all are today. These books teach us some history, but they are beautiful examples of stories that can be an inspiration to all of us.
1. The ABCs of Black History by Rio Cortez (Author), Lauren Semmer (Illustrator)
Although this is a children’s book, it is a wonderful one to read aloud with the whole family to learn a little more about a story that spans centuries of heartbreak and triumph, creativity, and joy, and then brings us to today. Told in rhyming text from A-Z with fun illustrations, we learn letter by letter about history, the events and culture, and the people who made them happen.
2. Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot
Both humorous and heartbreaking, this well-researched and insightful examination of American history challenges longstanding myths and presents a more accurate account of the experiences of Black Americans. Many aspects of America’s history are bathed in mythology—from George Washington’s cherry tree to images of happy enslaved people. In his more accurate telling of American history, Harriot uses the work of pioneering Black historians and his own research and gift for telling a story to present a truer picture of our past. The accurate history of Black Americans may not be what we were taught in school, but it should be what we know to be true.
3. A Soldier’s Life: A Black Woman’s Rise from Army Brat to Six Triple Eight Champion by Edna W. Cummings
Retired Army Col. Edna W. Cummings reflects on her incredible journey to leadership and her advocacy for the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (the Six Triple Eight), a pioneering African American Women’s Army Corps unit. Her memoir, A Soldier’s Life, highlights both her personal achievements and her campaign to honor the Six Triple Eight, who, thanks to her efforts, received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2022—the only women’s unit to earn this distinction.
Looking back on her remarkable career, Cummings can justly say that “the odds ain’t good, but good stuff happens.” City Center Gallery & Books had the pleasure of hosting her in January for an author event.
4. The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey
Everyone knows Oprah, either from her television show, her movies, or her book club. She inspires us in many ways, and her book starts with this quote, “Your real job in life is to figure out as soon as possible what that is, who you are meant to be, and begin to honor your calling in the best way possible.” She starts us on our journey by asking us to look inside to see our best vision of ourselves and to work towards it. She shares stories from famous people today—Ellen DeGeneres, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jay-Z, and Eckhart Tolle—who talk about the journey that filled their lives with purpose. Accompanying these stories are over 100 beautiful photographs to illuminate the wisdom of the lessons.
5. The Dark Maestro by Brendan Slocumb
Brendan Slocumb inspires us with his journey by delivering his third book. Raised in Fayetteville, he went on to study music and is an internationally known musician. His life is a great example of a journey to success. His skill as a writer has made him one of today’s most popular authors. His newest book, The Dark Maestro, is the story of Curtis, a child musical prodigy who struggles with the repercussions of his father Zippy’s life as a drug dealer. When Zippy tries to get out of the business, the whole family is threatened with the consequences. Can they survive and go on with their lives, and can Curtis still make the beautiful music he was destined to make?
6. Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
I was drawn to this book because it was about a nurse from my generation, even though our journeys are quite different. When Civil Townsend, a Black nurse, graduates from nursing school, she hopes she will make a difference for women in her community in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1973. But nothing in her training could prepare her for the poverty and destitution so many faced. Inspired by true events, this story presents a picture of the injustices in post-segregation Alabama, even in health care.
7. It’s Not All Downhill From Here: A Novel by Terry McMillan
I love the title of this book and the premise. Loretha Curry has had a full life, and as she turns 68, she doesn’t expect that to change. With the help of her group of lifelong friends, she sets out to prove to the naysayers that her best years are not behind her. But she soon finds out she can’t control everything, and when an unexpected loss upends her carefully planned life, she has to draw on her inner strength to live the joyful life that she has always strived for.
8. The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips
Tangy Mae Quinn is the sixth of 10 children in this novel, set in the 1950s in Georgia. Their mother, Rozelle, has a violent way of disciplining her children. She takes them out of school when they are 12 for them to get a job and contribute to the family. Tangy is the brightest of her siblings, and when she has an opportunity to be a part of the first integrated class in the white high school, she sees a chance to change her life. Can she break free from Rozelle and do it?
“History is not the past. It is the present. We carry our history with us. We are our history.” — James Baldwin