Black Women's Wellness

Nourish Your Mind & Soul: Spiritual and Self-help

• The Big Book of Soul: The Ultimate Guide to the African American Spirit: Legend & Lore, Music & Mysticism, Recipes & Rituals by Stephanie Rose Bird
• Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors by Carolyn Finney
• Black Girls Rock!: Owning Our Magic. Rocking Our Truth by Beverly Bond
• The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris
• Ferocious Warrior by Cora Jakes-Coleman
• Get Unstuck, Be Unstoppable by Valorie Burton
• I'm Telling the Truth, But I'm Lying: Essays by Bassey Ikpi    
• Jezebel Unhinged: Loosing the Black Female Body in Religion and Culture by Tamura A. Lomax
• Love Big: The Power of Revolutionary Relationships to Heal the World by Rozella Haydee White
• Love Your Life: O's Handbook For Your Best Today-- And Tomorrow by Oprah Winfrey
• More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth
• More Than Pretty: Doing the Soul Work That Uncovers Your True Beauty by Erica Campbell
• My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
• The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life's Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey
• Peace From Broken Pieces: How To Get Through What You're Going Through by Iyanla Vanzant
• Rise: Creativity, the Gift of Failure, and the Search for Mastery by Sarah Elizabeth Lewis
• Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-recovery by Bell Hooks
• Too Heavy a Yoke: Black Women and the Burden of Strength by Chanequa Walker-Barnes
• Wake up Happy: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide to Transforming Your Life by Michael Strahan and Veronica Chambers
• Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
• You Deserve the Truth: Change the Stories that Shaped Your World and Build a World-changing Life by Erica Williams Simon

Self Care: Health and Beauty

Health

• Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help, and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's by B. Smith and Dan Gasby
• Black, Pregnant, and Loving It: The Comprehensive Pregnancy Guide for Today’s Woman of Color by Yvette Allen-Campbell
• The Black Woman's Breast Cancer Survival Guide: Understanding and Healing in the Face of a Nationwide Crisis by Cheryl D. Holloway
• The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
• Clean & Lean: 30 Days, 30 Foods, a New You! by Ian Smith
• Dr. Eno's A-to-Z Guide to Thriving with Type 2 Diabetes by Eno A. Nsima-Obot
• Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get on the Mat, Love Your Body by Jessamyn Stanley
• Health First! The Black Women’s Wellness Guide by Eleanor Hinton and Hilary Beard
• Prime Time: The African American Woman’s Guide to Midlife Health and Wellness by Marilyn Gaston
• Reclaiming Our Health: A Guide to African American Wellness by Michelle A. Gourdine
• A Woman's Guide To Living With Heart Disease by Carolyn Thomas and Martha Gulati

Beauty and Haircare

• Beauty of Color: The Ultimate Beauty Guide for Skin of Color by Iman with Tina Williams
• Better Than Good Hair: The Curly Girl Guide to Healthy, Gorgeous Natural Hair! by Nikki Walton
• Black Beauty & Hair (Magazine)
• Curly Like Me: How to Grow Your Hair Healthy, Long, and Strong by Teri LaFlesh
• Dressed in Dreams: A Black Girl's Love Letter to the Power of Fashion by Tanisha C. Ford
• Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America by Ayana D Byrd and Lori L Tharps
• Hairlooms: The Untangled Truth About Loving Your Natural Hair and Beauty by Michele Tapp Roseman
• If You Love It, It Will Grow!: A Guide to Healthy, Beautiful Natural Hair by Phoenyx Austin
• Kwame Brathwaite: Black is Beautiful by Kwame Brathwaite, Tanisha C Ford, and Deborah Willis
• Love, Lashes, and Lipstick: My Secrets For a Gorgeous, Happy Life by Mally Roncal
• Milady Standard Natural Hair Care & Braiding by Diane Carol Bailey
• The Natural Hair Bible: The 10 Commandments of Black Hair Care by Breanna Rutter
• Queens: Portraits of Black Women and Their Fabulous Hair by Michael Cunningham
• The Science of Black Hair: A Comprehensive Guide to Textured Hair Care by Audrey Davis-Sivasothy
• Woman of Color by Latonya Yvette

At Work & At Home: In Business and Family/Relationships

In Business

• Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less by Tiffany Dufu and Gloria Steinem
• Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward by Valerie Jarrett
• Let Them See You: The Guide for Leveraging Your Diversity at Work by Porter Braswell
• The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table by Minda Harts
• Minority Leader: How To Lead From the Outside and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams
• Our Black Year: One Family's Quest to Buy Black in America's Racially Divided Economy by Maggie Anderson
• Real Money Answers for Every Woman: How To Win the Money Game With or Without a Man by Patrice C. Washington
• Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life by Daymond John

Family and Relationships

• Breathe: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry
• Brown, White, Black: An American Family at the Intersection of Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Religion by Nishta Mehra.
• Do I look like an ATM?: A Parents' Guide to Raising Financially Responsible African American Children by Sabrina Lamb
• Guidebook to Relative Strangers: Journeys into Race, Motherhood, and History by Camille T. Dungy
• How Did I Get So Busy?: The 28-day Plan to Free Your Time, Reclaim Your Schedule, and Reconnect with What Matters Most by Valorie Burton
• How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid For Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims
• Infamous Mothers: Women Who’ve Gone Through the Belly of Hell... and Brought Something Good Back by Sagashus T. Levingston
• Make It Work: 22 Time-tested, Real-life Lessons for Sustaining a Healthy, Happy Relationship by Tony A Gaskins
• Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou
• Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America by Nefertiti Austin
• Settlin': Stories of Madison's Early African American Families by Muriel Simms
• Sing a Rhythm, Dance a Blues: Education for the Liberation of Black and Brown Girls by Monique W. Morris
• We Live for the We: The Political Power of Black Motherhood by Dani McClain
• Womanish: A Grown Black Woman Speaks on Life and Love by Kim McLarin

Food and Nutrition

• Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing by Jerrelle Guy
• Cooking with Miss Quad: Live, Laugh, Love and Eat by Quad Webb
• Food for Life: Delicious & Healthy Comfort Food from My Table to Yours! by Laila Ali
• Grandbaby Cakes: Modern Recipes, Vintage Charm, Soulful Memories by Jocelyn Delk Adams
• In Pursuit of Flavor by Edna Lewis
• A Lighter Way to Bake by Lorraine Pascale
• Princess Pamela’s Soul Food Cookbook by Pamela Stroebel
• Real Southern Cook in Her Savannah Kitchen by Dora Charles
• Soul Food Love:  Healthy Recipes Inspired by One Hundred Years of Cooking in a Black Family by Alice Randall and Caroline Randall Williams
• Sweet Home Cafe Cookbook: A Celebration of African American Cooking by Albert Lukas
• Sweet Potato Soul: 100 Easy Vegan Recipes for the Southern Flavors of Smoke, Sugar, Spice, and Soul by Jenne Claiborne
• Vegucation of Robin: How Real Food Saved My Life by Robin Quivers

Inspiring Black Women: Memoirs, Essays, and Biographies

• Around the Way Girl: A Memoir by Taraji P. Henson
• Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism by Omise'eke Natasha Tinsley
• Black Is the Body: Stories from My Grandmother's Time, My Mother's Time, and Mine by Emily Bernard 
• Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittany C. Cooper
• For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics by Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Leah Daughtry, Minyon Moore, and Veronica Chambers
• Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
• How We Fight White Supremacy: A Field Guide to Black Resistance by Akiba Solomon and Kenrya Rankin.
• I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown
• The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
• Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae
• My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Coretta Scott King
• Negroland: A Memoir by Margo Jefferson
• The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love With Me by Keah Brown
• Reclaiming Our Space: How Black Feminists are Changing the World from the Tweets to the Streets by Feminista Jones
• Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More by Janet Mock
• This is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare by Gabourey Sidibe
• Tigerbelle: The Wyomia Tyus Story by Wyomia Tyus
• We're Going to Need More Wine: Stories That Are Funny, Complicated, and True by Gabrielle Union
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist by Franchesca Ramsey
• When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
• The World According to Fannie Davis: My Mother's Life in the Detroit Numbers by Bridgett M Davis
• You Can’t Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson

Stories: Selected Fiction and Poetry by Black Women

• Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
• The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
• The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow
• A Good Cry: What We Learn from Tears and Laughter by Nikki Giovanni (poetry)
• Heads of the Colored People: Stories by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
• Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers (graphic novel)
• I Almost Forgot About You by Terry McMillan
• Kindred by Octavia Butler
• Magical Negro: Poems by Morgan Parker (poetry) 
• The Mothers by Brit Bennett
• No One is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts
• Push: A Novel by Sapphire
• Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
• There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé by Morgan Parker (poetry)
• Training School for Negro Girls by Camille Acker
• The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
• The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
• Who’s Loving You by Mary B. Morrison

For younger readers

• Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
• Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
• Dark Girls by Bill Duke
• Fannie Lou Hamer, Voice of Freedom: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford
• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 
• Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales by Virginia Hamilton
• Honey Baby Sugar Child by Alice Faye Duncan
• I Got the Rhythm by Connie Schofield-Morrison
• Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell
• Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
• Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John Steptoe
• Piecing Me Together by Renée Watson

Online Resources

• Black Women’s Health Imperative
• The Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness
• Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• MedlinePlus
• Fact Sheet: The State of African American Women in the United States
• Brown Girl Green Money
• Don’t Date Him, Girl
• Journey to Wellness
• Well Read Black Girl

rev 8/19