Books like The Womanist Reader by Layli Phillips

Between the World and Me is a memoir‑essay in letter form, where Ta‑Nehisi Coates addresses his teenage son about the history, violence, and ongoing reality of being Black in America.

A powerful anthology of essays by Audre Lorde that traces her intellectual evolution, highlights her advocacy for minority women writers, and examines the intersections of sex, race, and class.

A sharp, humorous collection of essays by sociologist Tressie McMillan Cottom that interrogates black womanhood, body politics, and the lived experience of a Southern Black academic.

In Search of Our Mother's Garden: A Collection of Nonfiction Essays by Alice Walker

Ain't I a Woman examines the intersections of race, gender, and class, exploring the experiences of African American women and the broader struggle for feminist and civil rights.

Black Feminist Thought offers a foundational overview of African‑American feminist theory, exploring the ideas of key thinkers such as Angela Davis, bell hooks, Alice Walker, and Audre Lorde.

Written “with passion and insight about the knotted history of racism within women’s movements and feminist culture” (Rebecca Traister, New York Times bestselling author), this whip-smart, timely, and impassioned call for change is perfect for fans of Good and Mad and Hood Feminism. Addressing today’s conversation about race, empowerment, and inclusion in America, Koa Beck, writer and former editor-in-chief of Jezebel, boldly examines the history of feminism, from the true mission of the suffragists to the rise of corporate feminism with clear-eyed scrutiny and meticulous detail. She also examines overlooked communities—including Native American, Muslim, transgender, and more—and their ongoing struggles for social change. With “intellectually smart and emotionally intelligent” (Patrisse Cullors, New York Times bestselling author and Black Lives Matter cofounder) writing, Beck meticulously documents how elitism and racial prejudice have driven the narrative of feminist discourse. Blending pop culture, primary historical research, and first-hand storytelling, she shows us how we have shut women out of the movement, and what we can do to correct our course for a new generation. Combining a scholar’s understanding with hard data and razor-sharp cultural commentary, White Feminism “is a rousing blueprint for a more inclusive ‘new era of feminism’” (The Boston Globe).

A two‑volume anthology compiling essays, poems, and reflections by African American feminist writers that explore race, gender, class, and intersectionality in the United States.

Reconstructing Womanhood, Reconstructing Feminism is the first British feminist anthology to examine concepts of womanhood and feminism within the context of 'race' and ethnicity. Challenging contemporary feminist theory, the book highlights the ways in which constructions of womanhood have traditionally excluded Black women's experience - and proposes a reconsideration of terms such as 'feminist'. The research subjects and methods of many of the contributors have been shaped by the specifics of the Black British experience and context. Representing a variety of backgrounds including sociology, literary criticism, history and cultural theory, the collection makes new information accessible, adds fresh nuances to well-explored areas, reexamines old ideologies and uncovers previously concealed ones. This volume brings together various perspectives about 'difference' and identity. It covers a diverse range of social and cultural issues including the position of Black women in the church, lesbian identity in fiction, contemporary African feminism, and British immigration law.