16 Empowering Books by Afro-Latina Authors for Black History Month

With Black History Month in full swing, we want to recognize Afro-Latina authors who are making moves and empowering readers through their books

Empowering Afro-Latina books

Photos: Tiny Reparations Books; Chronicle Books; Dafina

With Black History Month in full swing, we want to recognize Afro-Latina authors who are making moves and empowering readers through their books. Latinas are vastly underrepresented in the publishing industry, especially Afro-Latinas, and it’s important to read their work to expose us to the full, rich diversity of Latin America and the Latinx community in the U.S. Not to mention to feel pride for our cultural roots and take a stand against anti-Blackness in every aspect of our lives. This is by no means an exhaustive list but is a good starting place to incorporate Afro-Latina novels, memoirs, and poetry collections into your TBR list this month and every month. Read on to learn more about 16 empowering reads by Afro-Latina authors for Black History Month.

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We Are Owed. by Ariana Brown

Empowering Afro-Latinx reads
Photo: Grieveland

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Black Mexican American poet Ariana Brown doesn’t hold back in her debut full-length poetry collection We Are Owed. In some ways a thematic sequel to her chapbook Sana Sanathis collection explores Brown’s complex connections with both Blackness and Latinidad and how she’s combatted anti-Blackness from the very Mexican community she initially hoped would protect her. Using the language and style of anthems, demands, and advocacy, she fights back against centuries-long prejudices and paints a better future for herself and other Black Mexicans.

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Queen of Urban Prophecy by Aya de León

Empowering Afro-Latinx reads
Photo: Dafina

Queen of Urban Prophecy by Aya de León, who is of Puerto Rican descent, is a novel that follows Deza, a young female rapper. Initially, it seems she’s destined to be just another hot girl emcee, at least until her album skyrockets to the top of the music charts and she gets the opportunity to headline an all-female national tour by her record label. Quickly, however, she became disillusioned when the pressures of fame mount, she’s paired with a male DJ she can’t stand, and the label gets ready to sacrifice the reputation of their line-up for money. Touching on themes of social justice, corporate jobs, and misogyny in the music industry and hip-hop, the novel sees Deza taking a stand for what she believes in and encouraging readers to do the same.

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The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X Cover
Photo: Quill Tree Books

One of the most celebrated young adult books of 2018, The Poet X by Dominican American author Elizabeth Acevedo follows Xiomara, a 15-year-old Dominican American girl growing up in Harlem who joins her school’s slam poetry club and finds her passion for — and voice in — poetry. But when her overly religious mother discovers Xiomara’s journal and her romance with a boy in her class, the two women are forced to confront their relationship and complex love for one another. While originally written for teens, the book is an empowering read for anyone struggling to find and embrace their own voice. She made history when she won the Carnegie Medal for The Poet X becoming the first woman of color to receive the prestigious British honor. 

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Chula by Amanda Alcántara

Empowering Afro-Latinx reads
Photo: Amanda Alcántara
Chula by Dominican American writer Amanda Alcántara is a collection of poetry, short stories, and vignettes following Alcántara’s life as a Dominican woman before and after moving to the U.S. Told bilingually in Spanish and English, she writes about identity, pleasure, childhood curiosity, the beauty of the Caribbean, the struggles of women, and ultimately, their triumphs with rich language and obvious love for her people.

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Plantains and Our Becoming by Melania Luisa Marte

Empowering Afro-Latinx reads
Photo: Tiny Reparations Books

Plantains and Our Becoming by Dominican American poet and musician Melania Luis Marte is a poetry collection that seeks to center the Black diaspora, specifically from the Dominican Republic and Haiti, within the identity of Latinidad. Throughout the book, she explores nationalism, colonialism, displacement, trauma, stereotypes, ancestors, and the beauty of Black personhood—all while celebrating her identity and where she comes from, and encouraging her readers to do the same.

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My Mother Was a Freedom Fighter by Aja Monet

Latina poets
Photo: Haymarket Books

My Mother Was a Freedom Fighter by Aja Monet, who is of Jamaican and Cuban descent, is a stunning love letter to the women of the world and all they do to change the world for themselves and young girls. It’s a love letter to Monet’s childhood in East New York, her school days in Chicago’s South Side, and her travels in Palestine. While she’s not afraid to take on heavy topics like racism, genocide, and displacement, she also beautifully celebrates her experiences as a mother and a Black woman.

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Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser

Empowering Afro-Latinx reads
Photo: Chronicle Books

Wash Day Diaries by co-authors Jamila Rowser, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, and Robyn Smith is a graphic novel that follows four best friends Kim, Tanisha, Davene, and Cookie. Through five connected short stories, readers experience their daily lives in the Bronx alongside them through their hair routines that often last all day for washing, conditioning, and nourishing. From gossiping at the salon to hopping into self-care routines, Black sisterhood is centered and on full display with joy, humor, resilience, and power.

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High Spirits by Camille Gomera-Tavarez