Makenna’s Reading List

Here I will share literary work that I have read, enjoyed, and learned from in both personally and academically. In doing so I hope to lay an informative foundation for the work I am most interested in, as well as acknowledge the brilliant thinkers that continuously inspire me. Additionally, I have provided some links to articles I have been quoted and/or published in.

 

Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction and the Meaning of Liberty by Dorothy Roberts provides an excellent review of reproductive violence as it has been imposed upon Black American women. Roberts details both historical and present violations of the sexual and reproductive rights of Black women and girls in the United States. More here.

All About Love by bell hooks is a beautiful work that challenges how we understand and practice love in our current society. Known for her social activism and work in Black feminism, hooks encourages individuals to engage in radical love not only for themselves, but also for others. More here.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is a historical fiction novel that follows the lineage of two sisters in 18th century Ghana. Each chapter introduces a new character of each sister’s bloodline, covering three hundred years of oppression experienced both in Ghana and in the United States. More here.