Will Black Books Be Extinct in 2025?

DURHAM For the last few months there has been a vicious rumor running amuck in the African American community that black cultural books will go the way of the dinosaur in 2025.While some have written this off as just another urban myth , others have begun to place black themed books on the endangered species list. But exactly how real is the threat ?

When news of the conservative think tank ,The Heritage Foundation’s, Project 2025 leaked out last fall people began to panic over the idea that it would affect school curriculum, nationwide. So, many in the African American community felt that black cultural books would be targeted.

And with good reason.

          We must remember that not even 200 years ago, teaching an enslaved African to read could be punishable by death or at least 40 lashes with a whip.

     During the 1960’s there were protests on college campuses just to get black studies courses included in the curriculum, led by such scholars as Dr. Nathan Hare at San Francisco State University.

     Even during the 70’s the misinformation regarding history, especially, black culture was featured in text books that listed Egypt as “white Africa” ,Christopher Columbus “discovered America” and Honest Abe Lincoln “freed the slaves.” (Read James Lowen’s book, Lies My Teacher Taught Me.) Not to mention black history education being relegated to learning about slavery, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, one month out of the year, is still an on-going issue in 2024.

          Back in the 90’s there was a controversial debate over the need for African centered education with professors such as Molefi Asante and Asa Hilliard being advocates while other scholars such as Mary Leftkowitz and Stephen Howe opposed the idea.

    A few years ago , one may remember the controversy over professor Nikole Hannah- Jones’s 1619 Project which coincided with national legislative attacks on what was broadly referred to as “Critical Race Theory.”

Unfortunately, while there have been many discussions about removing books because of gender and sexual content, the topic of black book bannings has been not so subtly ignored.

         Fortunately, across the country many African Americans have started to take proactive measures and are storing books that feel may be banned. just in case they wake up one morning and find that Alex Haley’s Autobiography of Malcolm X disappeared overnight.

        In Durham NC, the Black Hoodie Brigade has been giving out controversial classic books on street corners by African -Centered authors from George GM James (Stolen Legacy) to JA Rogers (World’s Great Men of Color)

This 1906 photograph showcases Susan Gille Norfleet, C.C. Spaulding Sr., and John Merrick, influential figures in the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. Their contributions provided economic opportunities and financial security, strengthening the African American community. The image represents Black excellence and solidarity in adversity, serving as an inspiration for future generations striving.