Get ready to raise a Black fist … clenching a bookmark. These four releases explore popular Black philosophy in all its complexity. From feminism to Black nationalism and beyond, the authors on this list are committed to telling thought-provoking stories that empower our people and challenge ideologies that are often silenced in popular media.

Rest in Power[1]
Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin ($26; Spiegel & Grau) We will never forget Feb. 26, 2012. On that day, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s life was stolen from him by the actions of George Zimmerman. Rest in Power is a three-dimensional look at the teen through the eyes of his parents.

 

Muslim Cool
Muslim Cool by Su’ad Abdul Khabeer ($30; NYU Press) Khabeer, a scholar, activist and artist, has spent much of her career writing about African-American Muslim identities; her latest book continues the conversation by focusing solely on youth. A skilled ethnographer, the author combines her poet’s ear and thorough research in prose that flips the script on anti-Black, anti-Muslim sentiment.

 

Revise the Psalm[5] Revise the Psalm: Work Celebrating the Writing of Gwendolyn Brooks edited by Quraysh Ali Lansana and Sandra Jackson-Opoku ($24.95; Curbside Splendor Publishing) Gwendolyn Brooks was a champion of Black expression. The first Black Pulitzer Prize winner’s poetic verses offered insight into the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, and they continue to bring further context to current racial inequities. This collection of art inspired by the cultural icon is a worthy celebration of her life, writing and activism.
Crunk
The Crunk Feminist Collection edited by Robin M. Boylorn, Brittney C. Cooper and Susana M. Morris ($18.95; Feminist Press at CUNY) The Crunk Feminist Collective has been unapologetically adamant about calling out misogyny in popular culture with a decidedly hip-hop feminist aesthetic since its founding in 2010. Now boasting an annual readership of 1 million, the scho
lars are releasing some of their most popular blog posts. In the spirit of Home Girls Make Some Noise!, The Crunk Feminist Collection tackles the intersection of race, gender, politics and personal struggles of loving hip-hop but hating the sexism etched into the genre.