Native Son
by Richard Wright
23 jurisdictions · Banned 1940-2025 · Published
Native Son is Richard Wright's 1940 novel about Bigger Thomas, a young Black man in 1930s Chicago whose life is determined by the racial pressures of his environment, banned or restricted in 23+ U.S. jurisdictions.
Why it was banned
The novel has been challenged since its publication for its violence and sexual content, often without engagement with its central argument about how American racism produces the very behavior the book depicts. It was the first novel by a Black writer to be a main selection of the Book of the Month Club.
Cited reasons
- violence
- sexual content
- language
Primary states
California, Tennessee, Texas
Why it matters
Native Son was a publishing event of 1940, the first novel by a Black author to enter the mainstream American canon at the moment of publication. Wright's central argument, that Bigger Thomas is what American racism produces, was a direct challenge to readers who wanted to read about Black suffering without confronting its causes. The book changed how American literature could depict Black male interiority.
Themes
- urban Black life
- naturalism
- Chicago
- 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.
- Semicolon Bookstore and GalleryChicago, Illinois · Founded
Chicago's only Black woman-owned independent bookstore, with a mission to raise literacy rates among Chicago Public School students.
The Ledger may earn commission on affiliate links. All commissions route to Black-owned booksellers.
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.