I’ve been pretty much in “House Mode” for the better part of the past year. So I have bought pretty much every single thing under the sun at this point. The one thing that I have found is hard to source, outside of antiques and quality art, is a good African American Coffee Table Book that embodies my aesthetic. As with everything in my house, I wanted to collect, read and see materials that reflected my life and my lived experience. Time and time again, I found that with coffee table books, it was so hard.
So I’ve collected in this space my top 25 African American Coffee table books. Some of them I own in my own home, some I’ve bought as gifts and some have just been flat out on my “must buy when I have a second” list since the dawn of time. This list contains everything from good living to Black American food to street style to hair. But it isn’t all inclusive. These are just the books that I love and that have piqued my interest and that’s where you come in. There are naturally books that I haven’t seen for myself. So if there’s one that you enjoy and think I might as well, leave it in the comments, I am always looking to add to my personal collection.
Top Row: Hamilton // The New Black Vanguard // Unseen // Hill House Living // A New Republic
Second Row: Vintage Black Glamour // Vintage Black Glamour: Gentleman’s Quarter // Ebony: Covering Black America // The Dandy Lion // Black Ivy
Third Row: Fashion Tribes // Supreme Actresses // Hollywood Black // Posing Beauty // Glory //
Fourth Row: Dance Theatre of Harlem // Bress ‘n’ Yam // Textures // Design Remix // The Black Book //
Bottom Row: Black Food // Restoration House // Woman of Color // Brown Bohemians // Soul Food Love // Home Sweet Rented Home // In Pursuit of Flavor
Every link here is to Amazon for convenience. After all, who am I to stop you from two day prime shipping? But I will say, why not take it a step further and order the books from a Black Owned book shop? Feel free to take it up a notch and visit one local to you. This list of Black Owned Bookshops is broken down by state so you can find one near you (or buy online from them). And if you are in North Carolina, Shelves Bookstore, Liberation Station and Boomerang Bookshop have got your back.
Happy reading!