Black Enough

Edited by National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi, and featuring some of the most acclaimed bestselling Black authors writing for teens today—Black Enough is an essential collection of captivating stories about what it’s like to be young and Black in America. A selection of the Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List.

Black is...sisters navigating their relationship at summer camp in Portland, Oregon, as written by Renée Watson.

Black is...three friends walking back from the community pool talking about nothing and everything, in a story by Jason Reynolds.

Black is...Nic Stone’s high-class beauty dating a boy her momma would never approve of.

Black is...two girls kissing in Justina Ireland’s story set in Maryland.

Black is urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrants, and more—because there are countless ways to be Black enough.

Contributors:
Justina Ireland
Varian Johnson
Rita Williams-Garcia
Dhonielle Clayton
Kekla Magoon
Leah Henderson
Tochi Onyebuchi
Jason Reynolds
Nic Stone
Liara Tamani
Renée Watson
Tracey Baptiste
Coe Booth
Brandy Colbert
Jay Coles
Ibi Zoboi
Lamar Giles

• Explores Black Identity: From a boy dubbed an ’Oreo’ for not being ‘Black enough’ to a girl questioning her family’s Black nationalist beliefs, these stories challenge what it means to be young and Black in America.
• LGBTQ+ Stories: Discover powerful queer narratives, including two girls finding love and a tender story of two boys from feuding families falling for each other.
• #BlackBoyJoy: Experience carefree moments of friendship and connection, like three friends walking home from the pool talking about everything and nothing.
• Family and Sisterhood: Navigate complex family dynamics, from two half-sisters connecting for the first time at summer camp to cousins confronting stereotypes in rural Missouri.