21 Bestselling Nonfiction Books

Period: January/February - 2017

AALBC Bestseller Seal

Celebrating books written by or about Black people, the African American Literature Book Club’s Bestsellers List has been published continuously since 1998. In 2026, we began publishing our list quarterly, focusing on The BLK Bestsellers.

1
Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures

by Margot Lee Shetterly
Add to Cart
2
They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America

They Came Before Columbus

by Ivan Van Sertima
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2
Breath, Eyes, Memory

Breath, Eyes, Memory

by Edwidge Danticat
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3
Assata: An Autobiography

Assata

by Assata Shakur
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4
The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley

The Autobiography of Malcolm X

by Malcolm X, et al.
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5
I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual

I’m Judging You

by Luvvie Ajayi Jones
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6
The ISIS Papers: The Keys to the Colors

The ISIS Papers

by Frances Cress Welsing
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7
Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America

Tears We Cannot Stop

by Michael Eric Dyson
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8
African Holistic Health

African Holistic Health

by Llaila Afrika
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9
The Real Lives of Strong Black Women: Transcending Myths, Reclaiming Joy

The Real Lives of Strong Black Women

by Toby Thompkins
10
Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy Is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy

Stolen Legacy

by George G. M. James
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11
100 Amazing Facts About the Negro with Complete Proof

100 Amazing Facts About the Negro with Complete Proof

by J. A. Rogers
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12
The Art of Seduction

The Art of Seduction

by Robert Greene
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13
The Birth of a Movement: How Birth of a Nation Ignited the Battle for Civil Rights

The Birth of a Movement

by Dick Lehr
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14
The Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings

The Cross of Redemption

by James Baldwin and Randall Kenan
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15
The Souls of Black Folk: Includes “The Talented Tenth” and ”The Souls of White Folk”

The Souls of Black Folk

by W.E.B. Du Bois
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16
10 Ways Anyone Can Graduate From College Debt-Free: A Guide To Post-College Freedom

10 Ways Anyone Can Graduate From College Debt-Free

by Kevin Y. Brown
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17
10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse

10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse

by J.J. Smith
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18
Guiou: The Other Blacks, Second Edition

Guiou

by Gloria J. Arnold
19
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

The New Jim Crow

by Michelle Alexander
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20
Up from Slavery

Up from Slavery

by Booker T. Washington
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