Books like I can't date Jesus by Michael Arceneaux

Maya Angelou's autobiography, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings', tells the story of her life and the challenges she faced growing up in Arkansas, including racism, abuse, and the loss of her father. The book is a powerful and moving portrayal of the African American experience during the 1930s and 1940s.

A coming‑of‑age memoir where George M. Johnson shares his childhood, teen, and college experiences as a Black queer man, addressing identity, family, and social challenges.

A chilling memoir detailing Solomon Northup's harrowing experience as a captive on a Louisiana plantation for twelve years, from 1841 to 1853.

Adele Harris battles a string of disastrous dates in a small town, but when her perfect older sister’s marriage falters, she re‑enters the scene and meets Zach Zemaitis—a former pro‑football star who may change her view on love.

Mo' Meta Blues is Questlove’s candid memoir, weaving his personal journey with deep dives into hip‑hop, black art, and pop culture, offering insights from his New York City experiences and the music industry’s key moments.

Hilton Als assembles sharp literary and cultural criticism to portray the complex figure he calls "white girls," spanning writers, artists, and public icons.

Saeed Jones’ memoir, winner of the Kirkus Prize and Stonewall Book Award, traces the journey of a young black gay man from the South as he navigates family, love, and identity across America.

Darnell L. Moore’s memoir chronicles his survival through violence, homelessness, and the fight for gay rights while emerging as a Black Lives Matter activist from Camden, New Jersey.

Presents back-to-back Bible-based guides for young women and men on making themselves attractive and fun to the opposite sex, covering such topics as being adventurous, confident, and mysterious and providing self-tests, exercises, and tips for date night.

A vibrant collection of biographies celebrating bold African‑American women who shaped history, from suffragists and civil‑rights leaders to pioneering artists and scientists.

Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967) was one of the most accomplished composers in the history of American music, the creator of a body of work that includes such standards as "Take the 'A' Train," "Lush Life," and "Something to Live For." Yet all his life Strayhorn was overshadowed by another great composer: his employer, friend, and collaborator, Duke Ellington, with whom he worked as the Ellington Orchestra's ace songwriter and arranger. Lush Life, David Hajdu's sensitive and moving biography of Strayhorn, is a corrective to decades of patchwork scholarship and journalism about this giant of jazz. It is also a vibrant, absorbing account of the "lush life" led by Strayhorn and other jazz musicians in Harlem and Paris. A musical prodigy who began a career as a composer while still a teenager in Pittsburgh, Strayhorn came to New York City at Duke Ellington's invitation in 1939; soon afterward he wrote "'A' Train," which became the signature song of the Ellington Orchestra, one of the most popular jazz bands in the country. For the next three decades, Strayhorn labored under a complex agreement whereby Ellington thrived in the role of public artist to Strayhorn's private one, often taking the bows for Strayhorn's work. Strayhorn was alternately relieved to be kept out of the limelight and frustrated about it. In Harlem and in the cafe society downtown, the small, shy black composer carried himself with singular style and grace as one of the few jazzmen to be openly homosexual. His compositions and elegant arrangements made him a hero to other musicians, but when he died at age fifty-two, his life cut short by alcohol abuse and cancer, few people fully understood the vital role he played in the Ellington Orchestra's development into a vehicle for some of the greatest, most ambitious American music of this century.

A biography of Bayard Rustin, focusing on his work as a civil rights organizer and strategist, including his role in the Montgomery bus boycott and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

A candid memoir in which celebrated African‑American actress Cicely Tyson shares her journey through the world of film and stage, reflecting on her career, convictions, and the evolving landscape of American entertainment.

A guide for teenagers navigating dating, helping them assess relationships, focus on life goals, and trust God’s plan for true love.