It seems as though authors this week are gearing us up for some sort of fight. Whether it be of the fictional kind or a nonfiction account of something or someone who inspires us to be or do better, these authors are coming in hot, armed with books that will leave you saying, “Fuck yeah, I can do anything.”
If you, like me, were glued to HBO watching Lovecraft Country this past fall, you know that Michael K. Williams’ character suffered severe PTSD from the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921. The majority of his trauma was kept under wraps until that episode, but when we finally watched what unfolded that night, viewers were shocked to their core. Now, 100 years later, Karlos K. Hill has released a photographic history of the event, including over 175 photographs—mostly taken by white photographers—and oral histories from people who had first- or secondhand accounts of the event.
Aside from the real-life fights explored this week, family and Afrofuturism take the top spot. Limitation of Life and The Unbroken explore the relationship between siblings yet in two very different ways. Family ties play a major role in literature and these two stories of time, death, loss and reconnecting drive forward the fight that authors are pushing for.
Here at The Root, we make it our mission to highlight the literary works of Black authors. However, this week we have made two exceptions for Rob Kenner and Kathy Iandoli. Their biographies of Nipsey Hussle and Aaliyah, respectively, outline the important historical and cultural effects that both artists had on not just the music industry but how their fans viewed themselves, from authors who covered them in life. I felt it was important to include both stories because I personally would be a much different person without the influence of each upon my life.
All of that said, each story, account and detail leads back to one thing––the fight we all have within and how we can use it to make a difference.
