Key Books and articles in Black Economics
Black economics is the study of Black economic power in the US since the founding of the country. The focus is on economic empowerment, wealth building, control of Black economic resources and happiness.
Books are tough to read, but give you a greater appreciation for the size of the problem
Our book sources are usually the original publishers website. We recommend purchasing your books, eiather from a Black bookseller or used from say Thriftbooks. We do not support Amazon or it’s subsidary ABE Books.
“Black Economics: Solutions for Economic and Community Empowerment,” Jawanza Kunjufu, 1991. The first book on the subject. It advocates for building community to keep Black dollars within the community.
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, Isabel Wilkerson, 2010
From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century, William A. Darity Jr., A. Kirsten Mullen, 2022
“The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap” by Mehrsa Baradaran (2017)
The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public Policy, William Julius Wilson, 1987, 2012
When Work Disappears : The World of the New Urban Poor, William Julius Wilson, 1997
Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, Martin Luther King, Jr., 1967
All Labor Has Dignity, Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Slavery’s capitalism: A New History of American Economic Development, Edited by Sven Beckert and Seth Rockman, 2018
The Hidden Cost of Being African American: How Wealth Perpetuates Inequality, Thomas Shapiro,
How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America: Problems in Race, Political Economy, and Society, by Manning Marable, 1986
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Michelle Alexander, 2012
Historical Books
The Negro As Capitalist: A Study Of Banking And Business Among American Negroes, Abram L. Harris (1936)
The Negro in Business, Booker T Washington. Sorry there is no good reference for this one but it is available.
Capitalism and Slavery, Eric Williams, 1944
Accounting for Slavery: Masters and Management, Caitlin Rosenthal, 2019
Newer titles
The sum of us, heather Mcghee
Black Folk, the Roots of the black working class, Blair LM Kelly
Fifteen cents on the dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap, Louise Story, Ebony Reed, 2024
“Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities” by Andre Perry (2020)
Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities, Andre M. Perry, 2020
Taxes
“The Black Tax: The Cost of Being Black in America” by Shawn D. Rochester (2017)
The Whiteness of Wealth: How the Tax System Impoverishes Black Americans and How We Can Fix It, Dorothy Brown, 2022
Have not read yet
“The Hidden Rules of Race: Barriers to an Inclusive Economy” by Andrea Flynn, Dorian T. Warren, Felicia Wong, and Susan Holmberg (2017)
“Race, Racism and Economic Inequality” by Patrick L. Mason (1998)
“Black Wealth / White Wealth: A New Perspective on Racial Inequality” by Melvin L. Oliver & Thomas M. Shapiro (1995)
Other famous books
Collective Courage: A History of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice, Jessica Gordon-Nembhard