Imani Perry is quickly become a must read author for me. Her newest, Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People publishes January 28th and is not to be missed non fiction. Perry opens this exploration of blue by telling us where her blue began and framing this as a testimony given by a people who created a sound (the Blues) for the color so frequently named as a favorite. She explores the dichotomy of both a lovely and vibrant blue and what it means to be "feeling blue". She then brings us all the way back in history to the dyed indigo clothes of West Africa used to trade for human life and the earliest indigo plantations to explore how in blue water one can see both God and ships of the enslaved.

I can't possibly do justice to what Perry is doing here, but I can absolutely urge you to pre order this exploration of blue and how it shapes the lives of Black people. While this is true non fiction with some primary sources and plenty of information, Perry's prose is stunning and hypnotizing. I'm in awe of this book and highly recommend picking up South to American if you haven't already while we wait for pub date. Thank you @eccobooks for an advanced copy.

Easily one of the best non-fiction books I’ve read this year. Perry takes us on a journey to investigate the cultural significance of the color Blue in African American history and culture. Not only does she leave no stone unturned and touches on a variety of subjects like blues music and how Black folks have been referred to as being so Black that we are blue, she does it all with so much love and care. I couldn’t have asked for a better read!

Black in Blues is a fantastic look by Imani Perry at art and race and how both are complimentary to each other and influenced the lives of many especially Black people.

Thanks to Ecco and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy!

Available January 2025

Expansive yet precise, Imani Perry's Black in Blues traces the appearance of the term blue in African and Black history, starting pre-colonization and ending in our present era. As with all of Perry's books, there is a delicate balance of history, cultural analysis, and personal reflection. I thoroughly enjoyed the vivid way Perry brings it all to life and seems to be able to time travel without much break in logical reasoning. What felt a bit off was the ending, particularly the multiple endings. With a book this enormous, I know a tidy ending wasn't possible, but it feels like Perry became ummoored and lost in the blues herself. Still, this is a worthy read!