CBA Record January-February 2025
Books to Read During Black History Month and Beyond
In celebration of Black History Month, the CBA Record has again curated a list of suggested reading to learn more about African American culture, traditions, history, and issues in our society. Selections were made to deepen mem bers’ knowledge about Black authors, literature, culture, or the achievements of Black Americans. If you have sug gested reading for our 2026 list, send a note to CBARecord@chicagobar.org. — Nina Fain, CBA Record Editorial Board
BLACK FORTUNES: THE STORY OF THE FIRST SIX AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO SURVIVED SLAVERY AND BECAME MILLIONAIRES By Shomari Wills
In Black Fortunes, Shomari Wills uses great story telling to illustrate how economic hardship and limited educa tion did not thwart the dreams of some formerly enslaved people. For example, Mary Ellen Pleasant used her Gold Rush wealth to further the cause of abolitionist John Brown. Robert Reed Church became the largest landowner in Tennessee. Hannah Elias, the paramour of a Caucasian New York City millionaire, used the land the man gifted her to build an empire in Harlem. Wills highlights Black entrepreneurs who have been all but lost to American history. She indelibly explains why the contributions African Americans made to society must be presented, celebrated, and remembered. This book chronicles the last generation of Blacks born into slavery and demonstrates the potential financial success that has been too infrequently attained since. Suggested by Nina Fain, LG Segoviano R.E.I.T.; CBA Record Editorial Board
THE CITY WE BECAME By N.K. Jemisin
I’ve enjoyed reading the works of N. K. Jemisin, most recently The City We Became . In a world where cities have avatars, New York has six. These individuals, representing the boroughs, must come together and fight an ancient evil. Jemisin would prefer that interviewers not focus on her race, but it’s worth shining light on
one of the most awarded fantasy and science fiction authors currently writing. Suggested by Kevin Thompson, Partner, Levin Ginsburg; CBA Record Editorial Board
POMEGRANATE by Helen Elaine Lee
Pomegranate follows Ranita Atwater as she is released from prison and works to regain custody of her children. Told in flashbacks between Ranita’s younger self and the woman she is now, Ranita struggles to deal with post-prison life and define her sexuality after finding love with a woman in prison. This book is a beautiful and nuanced portrayal of one woman’s struggle to find her true self following her incarceration. Suggested by Meredith A. Geller, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law; CBA Record Editorial Board
36 January/February 2025
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