2022 Black Authored Leadership Book List

In support of Black History Month, we’ve compiled a list of leadership books written by Black authors in the United States. This list is meant to be a resource, not an official endorsement. The books are not ranked in any particular order.

Download the full list below.

1. In Search of Our Mother’s Garden: Womanist Prose by Alice Walker 
2. Purpose Driven Leadership: Building and fostering effective teams by Bridgette Tasha Hyacinth 
3. The Transformational Consumer: Fuel a lifelong love affair with your customers by helping them get healthier, wealthier, and wiser by Tara-Nicholle Nelson 
4. Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law by Haben Girma
5. Unprecedented: The Masters and Me by Tiger Woods 
6. The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris 
7. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin 
8. Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde 
9. Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay 
10. Everybody’s Got Something by Robin Roberts & Veronica Chambers 
11. This is the Fire: What I say to My Friends About Racism by Don Lemon 
12. On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope by DeRay Mckesson 
13. White Girls by Holton Als 
14. Nothing Personal by James Baldwin 
15. Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey by Alvin Aily & A. Peter Bailey
16. Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown
17. We Will Not Cancel Us by Adrienne Maree Brown
18. Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens
19. Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by Adrienne Maree Brown
20. How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office: The Anti-Politics, Un-Boring Guide to Power by Adrienne Maree Brown
21. It’s About Damn Time by Arlan Hamilton
22. My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing & Hope by Kamaro Brown
23. The Mentor Leader by Tony Dungy
24. Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance by Tony Dungy
25. The Secrets to Success: When you want to Succeed as Bad as You Want to Breath by Eric Thomas
26. Produced by Faith: Enjoy real success without losing your true self by DeVon Franklin
27. Super Rich: A guide to having it all by Russell Simmons
28. It Worked for Me: In life and leadership by Colin Powell
29. Reach: 40 Black men speak on living, leading, and succeeding by Ben Jealous & Trabian Shorters
30. Black Faces in White Places: 10 game-changing strategies to achieve success and find greatness by Randal Pinkett & Jeffrey Robinson
31. The Gatekeepers are Gone: Hustle + Technology = Success by Lamar Tyler 
32. Know What Makes Them Tick: How to successfully negotiate almost any situation by Shonda Rhimes
33. The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X & Alex Haley
34. What I Know for Sure by Oprah Winfrey
35. Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
36. The Misadvantures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae
37. The One Week Budget by Tiffany Aliche
38. I’m Judging You: The do-better manual by Luvvie Ajayi
39. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngoni Adichie
40. The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell by W. Kamau Bell
41. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
42. My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass
43. Drop the Ball: Achieving more by doing less by Tiffany Dufu 
44. Biased: Uncovering the hidden prejudice that shapes what we see, think and do by Jennifer Eberhardt
45. Stamped from the Beginning: The definitive history of racist ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi 
46. Lovesong: Becoming a Jew by Julius Lester
47. Becoming by Michelle Obama
48. The Race Whisperer: Barack Obama and the political uses of race by Melayne Price
49. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
50. Strength to Love by Martin Luther King, Jr. 
51. My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakem
52. Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson
53. Black and White: The Way I See It by Richard Williams
54. Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
55. A Way Out of No Way: A Memoir of Truth, Transformation, and the New American Story by Raphael Warnock
56. Professional Troublemaker: The Fear Fighter Manual by Luvvie Jayi Jones
57. Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis 
58. More than Enough: Claiming Space for Who Your Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth 
59. My Life: Queen of the Court by Serena Williams 
60. Small Doses: Potent Truths for Everyday Use by Amanda Seales 
61. Bamboozled: How God Tricked Me into the Life of My Dreams by Yvonne Orji 
62. After the Rain: Gentle Reminders for Healing, Courage, and Self Love by Alexandra Elle
63. The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones 
64. The Mind of a Winner by Steve Canal 
65. All Bout Love by Bell Hooks 
66. The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership for Black Women by Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood & Angela Burt-Murray 
67. Your Next Level Life: 7 Rules of Power, Confidence, and Opportunity for Black Women in America by Karen Arrington 
68. Playing the Game Without a Coach: How Courage, Resilience and Forgiveness Helped One Man Seize the American Dream by Benjamin Raymond 
69. The Wealth Choice: Secret Success of Black Millionaires by Dennis Kimbro 
70. Beating the Odds: Eddie Brown’s Investing and Life Strategies by Eddie Brown 
71. Strategize to Win: The New Way to Star Out, Step Up, or Start Over Your Career by Carla Harris 
72. Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life by Daymond John & Daniel Paisner 
73. Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland 
74. The Work: Searching for a Life that Matters by Wes Moore 
75. The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish 
76. Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change by Stacey Abrams 
77. 50 Billion Dollar Boss: African American Women Sharing Stories of Success in Entrepreneurship and Leadership by Kathey Porter 
78. Black Business Secrets: 500 Tips, Strategies, and Resources for the African American Entrepreneur by Dante Lee 
79. Black Fortunes: The Story of the First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires by Shomari Wills 
80. Black Power Inc.: The New Voices of Success by  Cora Daniels 
81. Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life by Michelle Gadsden-Williams, Carolyn M. Brown 
82. Boss Bride: The Powerful Woman’s Playbook for Love and Success by Charreah Jackson 
83. Conversations in Black: On Power, Politics, and Leadership by  Ed Gordon 
84. Double Down: Bet on Yourself and Succeed on Your Own Terms by  Antionette M. Clarke & Tricia Clarke-Stone 
85. Expect to Win: Proven Strategies for Success From a Wall Street Vet by  Carla A. Harris 
86. It’s About Time: The Art of Choosing the Meaningful Over the Urgent by  Valorie Burton
87. Little Black Book: A Toolkit for Working Women by  Otegha Uwagba 
88. Miss Jessie’s: Creating A Successful Business from Scratch – Naturally by Micho Branch 
89. Mo’s Bows: A Young Person’s Guide to Start-up Success: Measure, Cut, Stitch Your Way to a Great Business by Moziah Bridges & Tramica Morris 
90. More Than Pretty: Doing the Soul Work that Uncovers Your True Beauty by  Erica Campbell 
91. The Book of Awesome Black Americans: Scientific Pioneers Trailblazing Entrepreneurs, Barrier-Breaking Activists and Afro-Futurists by Monique Jones 
92. The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table by Minda Harts 
93. The Merchant Prince of Black Chicago: Anthony Overton and the building of a Financial Empire by Robert E. Weems 
94. Balancing Work and Life: The Nia guide for Black Women by Sherly Huggins & Cheryl Mayberry McKissack 
95. The Road to Someplace Better: From the Segregated South to Harvard Business School and Beyond by Lillian Lincoln Lambert 
96. You Got This!: Unleash Your Awesomeness, Find Your Path, and Change Your World By: Maya Penn 
97. Women of Color in Tech: A Blueprint for Inspiring and Mentoring the Next Generation of Technology Innovators by Susanne Tedrick 
98. Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward by Valarie Jarret 
99. Believe Bigger: Discover the Path to Your Life Purpose by Marshawn Evans Daniels 
100. Swimming with Sharks in Dark Waters by Athene Brinson 
101. FutureProofed: How to Navigate Disruptive Change, Find Calm in Chaos, and Succeed in Work & Life by Natalia Peart 
102. Own Your Phenomenal Self: A Guide on Character, Success, & Leadership by Rita P. Mitchell 
103. Werk 101: Get Your Life Together Guide by Koereyelle DuBose 
104. Illogical: Saying Yes to a Life Without Limits by Emmanuel Acho 
105. Impolite Conversations: On Race, Politics, Sex, Money, and Religion by Cora Daniels & John L. Jackson Jr. 
106. Driven by Intention: Own Your Purpose, Gain Power, and Pursue Your Passion as a Woman at Work by Michelle Gadsden-Williams 
107. Right Within: How to Heal From Racial Trauma in the Workplace by Minda Harts
108. Gracism: The Art of Inclusion by Dr. David A. Anderson 
109. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo 
110. All Bout Love by Bell Hooks 
111. Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by Bell Hooks 
112. You’ve Got to Be Hungry: The Greatness Within to Win by Les Brown 
113. The Art of Ronin Leadership by Mike Howard 
114. Hood Feminist: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall 
115. Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 
116. Upper Hand: The Future of Work for the Rest of Us by Sherrell Dorsey 
117. Will by Will Smith 
118. More Myself: A Journey by Alicia Keys 
119. Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs 
120. These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home by Bayo Akomolafe 
121. Black Futures by Kimberly Drew & Jenna Wortham 
122. Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation by Rev Angel Kyodo Williams 
123. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson 
124. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic by Sonja Thomas & Lilly Workneh 
125. How to Be an Antiracist byIbram X. Kendi
126. Bridges to Heal US: Stories and Strategies for Racial Healing by Erin Jones 
127. The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by Andre Braugher, James McBride, Lainie Kazan 
128. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell 
129. David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell 
130. Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy’s Guide to the Constitution by Ellie Mystal 
131. Fire Shut Up in My Bones by Charles Blow 
132. The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto by Charles Blow  
133. Speaking Truth to Power by Anita Hill 
134. Writings on the Wall: searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 
135. Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 
136. Up from Nothing: The Untold Story of How We (All) Succeed by John Hope Bryant 
137. The Memo: Five Rules for Your Economic Liberation by John Hope Bryant
138. Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in A Fear Based World by John Hope Bryant 
139. The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart by Alicia Garza 
140. I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown 
141. Standing Above the Crowd by James Donaldson
142. The Extraordinary Power of Leader Humility: Thriving Organizations – Great Results by Marilyn Gist, PhD

Interested in reading more? Check out our American Indian and Native Alaskan Authored Leadership Booklist!

Read our other leadership booklists too!

• Leadership Books Authored by Women
• Authors with Disabilities Leadership Booklist
• Hispanic/Latino/Latinx-Authored Leadership Booklist
• LGBTQ-Authored Leadership Booklist
• AAPI-Authored Leadership Booklist