17 Books You Should Read This Black History Month

Winner of the National Book Award in 1953, Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is considered to be one of the best English-language novels of the 20th century. The story follows an unnamed African-American protagonist who goes through various stages in his life on a quest for his identity.

From his childhood in the South to his stint at an all-black college to his position of power in a social movement group, the narrator struggles with the ideas of race and individuality. Throughout its narrative, the book addresses black nationalism, the racial policies of Booker T. Washington, Marxism, Communism, education, and personal identity.