books black women should read for self-love
Since 2020, I have been caught in a funk, trying so desperately to get out of it. I think that the pandemic caught us by surprise in ways that have been immeasurable and invisible, even to this day. Because of this and not liking to feel desperately in a cloud of uncertain emotions for long, I have been thirsting for and avidly reading books that alter my brain chemistry for the better. I am on a quest of purging the negative from my life so I can be the best creator the Creator intended me to be.
Whether you’re an artist, writer, digital content creator, or whatever, I believe these books will assist you on your journey of belonging, healing, and self-acceptance. Here’s my shortlist:
Octavia Raheem has a beautiful way with words and experiences. She possesses an intimate penchant for reaching into your soul and helping you pull out your own trauma to nurture you to your healing journey. In Gather, she guides you there through her prose.
What I like about this book: Though this book is only a few pages, there is a lot of heavy lifting (off of you). You can spend as long as a time necessary to sit with and process what she writes and how it is to be seen and how you feel.
As soon as I saw this book, I knew that it would be a perfect addition to this list. Rachel Johnson is a licensed mental healthcare professional and activist who strives for better mental health practices in Black communities.
What I like about this book: This isn’t just a book filled with fill-in-the-blank responses. There is a lot of substance to this book and smartly integrated as well. There are many case studies throughout to assist in empathic relatability.
I recently attended a book talk by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez where she was discussing her second book and a bit of this first book as a part of my academic/scholar association. This book addresses women who have had to be tough their entire lives in order to protect themselves from patriarchal hegemonic practices.
What I like about this book: It is tender love for those of us who have received and give out to tough love. Prisca takes a no-nonsense approach to decolonizing sisterhood and how whiteness has affected her and her community. She opens her life and arms up to sistren within BIPOC communities to help us build the strong bonds and communities.
Take Care is such a necessary book in your self-love journey. The pace is conversational and does not take the tone of other self-help books that I have read. Instead, it nurtures you as it guides you to better practices for your healing journey.
What I like about this book: It’s readability is not only smooth but confirming. Chloë is such a wonderful advocate for Black women’s health and wellness. It pervades all of the pages of the book.
This anthology displays love in every form: self, romantic, familial, and friendly. It centers women of color from various walks of life and how, through exploration, they came to know love on very personal and intimate levels.
What I like about this book: This collection of short stories reframes love in some many instances. The stories are gripping, heart-filling, warm. There is a story for everyone in here.
This diverse collections of essays sets out to reframe and reclaim terms of fatness. These body politics activists empower others to live in their authenticity and truths of fatness and greatness through their powerful words and works. Writers come from all walks of life in this book.
What I like about this book: This compilation has it all: tips and tricks, advice, illustrations, personal stories, poetry. It truly is a celebration of body positivity and an ode to loving yourself at any stage.
What books have you read or are you reading that help with self-love?
