8 Coffee Table Books By Black Authors You Must Own [Part 2]

Sistah Girls, it’s a new year, and I know you’re looking around at your living space trying to figure out what you can add or take away to enhance the vibe.

While you’re picking out that new paint and vase, don’t forget that some beautiful coffee table books can also spice up your home. When I was younger, all that sat on my coffee table were some old newspapers and a glass bowl that was for keys and if you dug deep enough, you could find some old candy.

The coffee tables and reading nooks of today don’t have to be boring and you don’t have to purchase the same five fashion books that everyone else has to give your coffee table some life.

Here is a list of coffee table books by Black authors that you must own…

BLK ART: The Audacious Legacy of Black Artists and Models in Western Art by Zaria Ware

Black people have been a part of the Western art world since its beginnings. Quietly held within museum and private collections around the world are hundreds of faces of Black men and women, many of their stories unknown.

From paintings of majestic kings to a portrait of a young girl named Isabella in Amsterdam, these models lived diverse lives while helping shape the art world along the way.

Then, after hundreds of years of Black faces cast as only the subject of the white gaze, a small group of trailblazing Black American painters and sculptors reached national and international fame, setting the stage for the flourishing of Black art in the 1920s and beyond. Captivating and informative, BLK ART is an essential work that elevates a globally dismissed legacy to its proper place in the mainstream art canon. From the hushed corridors of royal palaces to the bustling streets of 1920s Paris—this is Black history like never seen before.

Black Society by Gerri Majors

Answering questions about black society from the 1700s to the mid 1970’s, this chronicle was written from the point of view of a woman who spent 50 years documenting the activities of the often alluded to but largely unknown class of black Americans.

It describes the significant role played and contributions made by the black upper class within the historical context of the past 200 hundred years of American history.

The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families by Charly Palmer and Karida Brown

The New Brownies’ Book reimagines the very first publication created for African American children in 1920 as a must-have anthology for a new generation.

Expanding on the mission of the original periodical to inspire the hearts and minds of Black children across the country, esteemed scholar Karida Brown and award-winning artist Charly Palmer have gathered the work of more than sixty contemporary Black artists and writers.

The result is a book bursting with essays, poems, photographs, paintings, and short stories reflecting on the joy and depth of the Black experience—an immersive treasure trove that reminds readers of all ages that Black is brilliant, beautiful, and bold.

The Black Joy Project by Kleaver Cruz

Featuring 117 full-color photos and eight breathtaking essays on a force that fuels Black life all around the globe, this is Humans of New York meets The Black Book.

Black Joy is everywhere. From the bustling streets of Lagos to hip-hop blasting through apartment windows in the Bronx. From the wide-open coastal desert of Namibia to the lush slopes of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains.

From the thriving tradition of Candomblé in Bahia to the innovative and trendsetting styles of Soweto, and beyond, Black Joy is present in every place that Black people exist. Now—at last—is a one-of-a-kind celebration of this truth and a life-giving testament to one of the most essential forces that fuels Black life: The Black Joy Project. Read the full synopsis HERE.

Iconic Home: Interiors, Advice, and Stories from 50 Amazing Black Designers by Black Interior Designers, Inc., (Author), June Reese (Author)

Black Interior Designers, Inc. (BID) presents the extraordinary work of 50 interior designers and offers a behind-the-scenes look as they share their inspirations, expertise, and thoughts on what it means to be a designer of color working in the industry today.

Featuring 50 industry stars, with notable names such as Justina Blakeney, Faith Blakeney, Adair Curtis and Jason Bolden of JSN Studio, Bridgid Coulter, Corey Damen Jenkins, Forbes Masters, General Judd, Keia McSwain, Brigette Romanek, Reese tells their stories and shares their challenges and triumphs.

Design philosophies and creative influences are brought to light and are illuminated with wonderfully designed spaces in a range of styles. The result is a behind-the-scenes look at what it means to be a person of color creating work in the design industry today.

Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments (Photography Coffee Table Book, Perfect Gift for Classic Hollywood Movie Lovers) by Carell Augustus

A visionary photography book that brings together the best of classic Hollywood with today’s iconic Black entertainers for an immersive experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

Features a foreword by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and an afterword by beloved entertainer Niecy Nash!

Black Hollywood is a groundbreaking reimagining of Hollywood’s most beloved films, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Singin’ in the Rain, Mission: Impossible, Forrest Gump, and more. Visionary photographer Carell Augustus has created a “who’s who” of today’s Black entertainers recreating iconic cinematic scenes, renewing readers’ appreciation of the past while asking questions about representation in media and inspiring the artists of the future.

The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther by Ruth E. Carter

Ruth E. Carter is a living legend of costume design. For three decades, she has shaped the story of the Black experience on screen—from the ’80s streetwear of Do the Right Thing to the royal regalia of Coming 2 America. Her work on Marvel’s Black Panther not only brought Afrofuturism to the mainstream, but also made her the first Black winner of an Oscar in costume design. In 2021, she became the second-ever costume designer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In this definitive book, Carter shares her origins—recalling a trip to the sporting goods store with Spike Lee to outfit the School Daze cast and a transformative moment stepping inside history on the set of Steven Spielberg’s Amistad.

She recounts anecdotes from dressing the greats: Eddie Murphy, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Chadwick Boseman, and many more. She describes the passion for history that inspired her period pieces—from Malcolm X to What’s Love Got to Do With It—and her journey into Afrofuturism.

Purple Rising: Celebrating 40 Years of the Magic, Power, and Artistry of The Color Purple by Lise Funderburg (Author), Scott Sanders (Author)

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece The Color Purple—as well as the acclaimed 1985 film from Steven Spielberg, the Tony-winning Broadway musical, and the all-new film adaptation with this gorgeously designed exploration of the novel’s enduring legacy, featuring contributions from Alice Walker, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Colman Domingo, Fantasia Barrino, Danny Glover, and more.

Sistah Girls, now you have some brand new coffee table books by Black authors to add to your new year, new me decor. These books will be conversation starters for sure, let me know in the comments which ones you plan on purchasing.

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