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In our household we take our Blackness seriously. We feel that it is something that we should celebrate not only during Black History Month but every day of the year. One of the best ways to do this with kids is through reading.

As a Black mom it is important for me to be proactive in surrounding my children with a vast collection of books that tell OUR stories through OUR own voices from all different walks of Blackness. Representation STILL matters. I want my kids to be surrounded by stories that tell our history as well as stories that celebrate our beauty, uniqueness, accomplishments, strengths, and resilience.

With the current state of race relations being in major upheaval, if you are non-Black it is also important for you to immerse yourself in our culture as well. One of the best ways to do so without appropriating Black culture is through reading Black own voices stories as well. Doing so will challenge and stretch the way you see Blackness and hopefully assist you in starting dialog with your children about racism, diversity, and equality.

That said, here are 40 Black stories written by Black authors that I'm challenging everyone to buy for their child's/family's bookshelves.