I am so grateful to be given access to the audio copy of this book. This is the second book I've read by Perry (Looking for Lorraine). There are many facts I did not know that was explained and encouraged me to do further research. I really appreciate the sections on music, literature and art. While reading this book, I wrote down how the color blue shows up in my life. This made the listening experience more personal. I will be getting buying the audio and getting a physical copy to read again to take notes/annotate.

𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒔: 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒚 𝑷𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 by Imani Perry is a profound exploration of the color blue’s significance within Black history and culture. It’s like a meditation on the interplay between color, culture, and identity, and insights into the relationship between Blackness and the color blue.

I gained so much from this book. I now have more understanding of the indigo trade of the 16th century, how indigo dye—produced by enslaved Africans—symbolized both oppression and cultural expression. Enslaved people found beauty in the dye, using it to adorn their lives despite the hardships of its cultivation.

The book also explores blues music as a core of Black sensibility, referencing icons like Miles Davis and Nina Simone to highlight the “blued note” of resilience and melancholy. It also weaves in literary works like Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and Amiri Baraka’s Blues People, showcasing the deep ties between Black identity and the color blue.

If you appreciate lyrical prose and enjoy cultural history + are interested in the multifaceted connections between blue and Black identity, traversing historical epochs, artistic expressions, and personal narratives this book is for you!

Imani Perry’s Black in Blues, How A Color Tells the Story of My People offers a beautifully profound exploration of how the color blue has permeated Black history, culture, and identity. Through her narrative, Perry narrates the story that weaves the significance of this hue into the larger tapestry of race and memory, crafting an emotional and intellectual journey. As a National Book Award winner, (and local Princeton Professor!) Perry’s ability to blend history, personal reflection, and cultural analysis is on full display, making this work thought-provoking.

The concept of blue as a symbol of both pain and hope is central to Perry’s thesis. She explores how the color, often considered serene and peaceful, takes on a more complex role within the Black experience. What makes Perry’s approach truly unique is her capacity to turn a simple color into a cultural and spiritual artifact. The book stretches across history, art, and personal memory, tying together the indigo-dyed fabrics of West Africa, the birth of blues music, and the deeply personal significance for her of blue flowers planted for a loved one. These varied explorations show how blue is woven through every facet of Black life, offering a visual shorthand for emotions and experiences too often relegated to the margins of history.

The writing is poetic and beautiful. Through the fusion of personal memoir and historical investigation, Black in Blues not only sheds light on the centrality of blue in Black culture but also highlights little known or only partially known historical figures and Black moments in history. Many of the facts resonated with me and brought these individuals to life.

Perry’s words carry the weight of generations, as well as the hope for a future that, while still grappling with the painful legacies of the past, is also embracing its creative power and resilience. This book is a triumph—an essential read for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of both Black history and the powerful symbolism of color in cultural expression.

#harperaudio #imaniperry #narratorimaniperry #blackinblues

Ama zing read. Very thorough and inspiring. This author never disappoints.
****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

To paraphrase: <i>Blue is deeply involved in the alchemy of being black.</i> Imani Perry's eloquent treatise is a joy, particularly to listen to the author's narration in this ALC I was provided for review. It is broad, going back to the origins of black people, which itself is the origins of the human race, in Africa, and traces its association with "blueness," which even predates it. Filled with well-researched, and well-expressed facts, the novel just has little interesting pearls, enjoyable to discover as you journey your way through this book.