Black Boy
by Richard Wright
17 jurisdictions · Banned 1945-2025 · Published
Black Boy is Richard Wright's 1945 memoir of his childhood in the Jim Crow South, banned or restricted in 17+ U.S. jurisdictions and challenged from publication for its depictions of racial violence.
Why it was banned
Black Boy was investigated by the U.S. Senate's Special Committee on Un-American Activities shortly after publication. School and library challenges have continued since, often citing the book's harsh depictions of Jim Crow Mississippi or its critical depiction of organized religion.
Cited reasons
- depictions of Jim Crow violence
- language
- anti-religious content claim
Primary states
Mississippi, Texas, Florida
Why it matters
Black Boy is one of the foundational works of American memoir. Wright's account of growing up in 1910s and 1920s Mississippi describes a system of racial control in fine-grained detail. It influenced every Black memoir that followed, from Maya Angelou to Ta-Nehisi Coates. The unexpurgated version was not published until 1991 under the title American Hunger.
Themes
- Jim Crow South
- memoir
- American history
- American classics
Where to buy
The Ledger recommends Black-owned booksellers. Each stocks this title or can order it.
- MahoganyBooksNational Harbor, Maryland · Founded
Independent bookstore specializing in books written for, by, and about people of the African diaspora.
- Marcus BooksOakland, California · Founded
The oldest independent Black-owned bookstore in the United States, named for political activist Marcus Garvey.
- Hakim's BookstorePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania · Founded
Philadelphia's oldest Black-owned bookstore, specializing in African American history, philosophy, and religion.
- Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and BooksPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania · Founded
Coffee shop and bookstore in Germantown, Philadelphia, named for the founder's uncle.
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Related banned books
Books in the catalog that share themes with this one.
Documented by The Ledger. A record of what Black America built and what was taken.
Book cover via Open Library. Editorial use under fair use.