Hands down, February is the Blackest month of the year in the United States. It’s Black History Month and like it or not, mainstream America gets all of their Black agenda items checked off during these four short weeks. One could argue that June is the Blackest month of the year on account of Juneteenth Day, but I’m actually sticking with #TeamFebruary. Why? Because even though Black history wasn’t technically made in February, more than a dozen award-winning, iconic Black authors were born in February. And that right that there is worth a month of celebrations.
It really is almost an embarrassment of riches when you look at all of the Black authors born in February. It’s like the literary gods decided to bless all the Black babies born in this month. (Thank you, literary gods, as I too was born in February and feel so grateful to be a part of this melanated literary tribe.)
While this list is not exhaustive, here is a highlight reel.
Black Authors Born in February
February 1 – Langston Hughes
February 2 – Joseph S. Cotter, Sr. (One of the earliest published African-American dramatists.)
February 3 – Victor LaVelle (Happy Birthday, Victor!)
February 6 – Bob Marley and Melvin B. Tolson ( Poet, debater, and one-time poet laureate of Liberia)
February 9 – Alice Walker
February 10 – Me (Lori L. Tharps)
February 12 – Jacqueline Woodson and Asali Solomon
February 14 – Frederick Douglass
February 18 – Audre Lorde, Bebe Moore Campbell, Elizabeth Nunez, and Toni Morrison !!!
February 20 – Elayne Fluker
February 21 – Malaika Adero, Nina Simone and Attica Locke
February 22 – Ishmael Reed
February 23 – W.E.B. Dubois, Haki R. Madhubuti, and Farrah Jasmine Griffin
February 24 – Stacey Patton
February 25 – George Schuyler
Celebrate Black Authors in February
So, how can you celebrate these Black authors during Black History Month? Two options, you can buy one (or two) of their books (I’ve made a list of titles for you on Bookshop.org) because authors always appreciate a sale, or you could bake a birthday cake in the shape of a book and eat it in honor of these splendid storytellers. Maybe try both. Whatever you do, have fun doing it! And if you don’t know some of the authors on this list, look them up and discover the amazing words they’ve put out into the world.
Is there another author I should add to my list? Let me know in the comments!
Comments
2 responses to “Black History Month Belongs to Black Authors”
Very clever introducing us to February born authors . Also the new to me authors that I will certainly explore.
Hi Dawn,
I’m glad you discovered some new authors! Mission accomplished!