In honor of Irish-American Heritage Month and St. Patrick's Day, I read an advance copy of Leon Diop's and Briana Fitzsimons' new nonfiction book titled Black & Irish: Legends, Trailblazers & Everyday Heroes. Very quickly, I realized this was a literary gem worthy of taking notes on.

Black & Irish is an informative, beautifully illustrated book featuring people of color that are not so well-known. I learned, made annotations and did further research on a few of the Black Irish people featured. Without these legends being in the spotlight, I probably would not have known their contribution to the community.

I am slightly disappointed by the scope of the research. Most of the people featured were from the same place of Nigeria. It was more-so a celebration of Nigerian-Irish trailblazers. I am sure there are more Black people in Ireland to be recognized.

Nevertheless, this new release is indeed a celebration of actors, athletes, icons, activists, influencers and trailblazers. The stunning addition of illustrations by Jessica Louis add vibrant color to each profile. The layout reminds me of the Rebel Girls series. I recommend Black & Irish to educators and readers of nonfiction for an inspirational read.

Happy Early Pub Day, Leon Diop and Briana Fitzsimons! Black & Irish will be available Tuesday, April 9.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

I really enjoyed reading the life stories of those featured. The profiles reflect a changing Ireland and that the Black & Irish community have positively contributed to the sporting, artistic and cultural fabric of Irish life. The challenges facing any minority are evident and the aspiration of being part of, is well described. I was disappointed that the diversity that must exist among the Black & Irish was not more represented and that the majority of those featured shared the same ethnic background. As a result, I feel the richness of the multicultural fabric of Black & Irish could have given greater voice to more diverse ethnic origins.

Whether you were born or emigrated, have family roots, or feel welcomed/connected there, Ireland will always be home!

As a Belfast Girl, I ate this up. I loved learning more about my country & the people who make it up. The stories shared by Black and mixed Irish folks were genuinely inspiring and eye-opening and gave me a glimpse into moments from history (the industrial schools) that I didn't know about before.

The celebration of those mentioned; their careers, their legacies, their hopes for the future & what being Irish means to them as it encompasses their identity was great!
This is perfect for young readers 12+ and teens as it highlights many different areas: activism, hair care, science, influencing, education, media and sports. Plus, the tiny colourful information /index areas are beneficial so you can stay connected to the text without having to google words that may be unknown.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book!