Ever wanted to learn more about some of the most fascinating individuals in history on up to the present?
Before you fix your fingers to Google their bios, it must be noted how good the chances are that the person you were going to Google has written their own memoir. And if that’s the case, where better to go than directly to the source themselves?
Keep reading to find a list of must-read memoirs written by Black authors.
MORE: The Front Page: Jemele Hill Is Telling Her Truth
‘Finding Me’ by Viola Davis
You probably know Viola Davis from any number of her blockbuster movies, but you may not have known that she is also an author in her own right with last year’s publication of her memoir, “Finding Me.”
From TIME’s book review:
If Finding Me is largely a chronicle of the hard work required to overcome adversity, it’s also a wealth of meat-and-potatoes advice for all aspiring actors. Davis points out that “95% of actors do not work and less than 1% make $50,000 or more a year.” (This is where luck comes in.) She also suggests that while all serious actors pride themselves on learning their craft, the true underpinning of that craft is just being a mindful human being. “An actor’s work is to be an observer of life. My job is not to study other actors, because that is not studying life. As much as I can, I study people.”
‘Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes’ by Stephen A. Smith
Sometimes, two things can be true. For instance, Stephen A. Smith is a loudmouth sports analyst. But Stephen A. Smith is also a brilliant journalist whose storytelling prowess is showcased and then some in his recently released memoir, “Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes.”
From the Daily Beast’s review:
“I never wanted to get into sports journalism just for the purpose of writing sports,” Smith insists in Straight Shooter. His early life suggests why. The son of Caribbean…
Read the full article here
