On this day in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, slavery finally ended across the entire nation. Today, we get to celebrate Freedom Day and honor the amazing wins and perseverance of Black Americans as they continue to confront and conquer both overt and systemic racism.
These 10 books spotlight inspiring examples of Black achievement and the ongoing battle for equality in America.
Black Capitalists: A Blueprint for What Is Possible
By Rachel Laryea
A groundbreaking look at how Black visionaries—from Wall Street to Lagos and beyond—are reimagining capitalism to benefit the needs of Black people and, ultimately, everyone. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Rachel Laryea, or view on Amazon.
Resist: How a Century of Young Black Activists Shaped America
By Rita Omokha
The story of young Black activists at the helm of fighting injustice over the last century, from the 1920s to the Trayvon generation, and how they transformed America and left an indelible mark on history. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Rita Omokha, or view on Amazon.
Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap
By Louise Story & Ebony Reed
A sweeping, deeply researched narrative history of Black wealth and the economic discrimination embedded in America’s financial system through public and private actions that created today’s Black-white wealth gap. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-author Ebony Reed, or view on Amazon.
Playing from the Rough: A Personal Journey through America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses
By Jimmie James
The story of one man’s quest to become the first person to play each of America’s 100 greatest golf courses in a single year, an odyssey that brings him face to face with the gulf between his impoverished childhood in the Jim Crow South and the successful executive he became. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jimmie James, or view on Amazon.
I Just Keep Talking: A Life in Essays
By Nell Irvin Painter
From a prolific writer and professor of American history comes a comprehensive new collection of essays spanning art, politics, and the legacy of racism that shapes American history as we know it. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Nell Irvin Painter, or view on Amazon.
White Supremacy Is All Around: Notes from a Black Disabled Woman in a White World
By Akilah Cadet
Founder and CEO of consulting firm Change Cadet Dr. Akilah Cadet shares a powerful, incisive look at where we are in the fight to dismantle white supremacy—and what we urgently need to do next. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Akilah Cadet, or view on Amazon.
Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine
By Uche Blackstock
The rousing, captivating story of a Black physician, her career in medicine, and the deep inequities that still exist in the U.S. healthcare system. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Uche Blackstock, or view on Amazon.
America’s Black Capital: How African Americans Remade Atlanta in the Shadow of the Confederacy
By Jeffrey Ogbar
The remarkable story of how African Americans transformed Atlanta, the former heart of the Confederacy, into today’s Black mecca. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jeffrey Ogbar, or view on Amazon.
Flee North: A Forgotten Hero and the Fight for Freedom in Slavery’s Borderland
By Scott Shane
A riveting account of the extraordinary abolitionist, liberator, and writer Thomas Smallwood, who bought his own freedom, led hundreds out of slavery, and named the underground railroad, from Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, Scott Shane. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Scott Shane, or view on Amazon.
A Voice in the Wilderness: A Pioneering Biologist Explains How Evolution Can Help Us Solve Our Biggest Problems
By Joseph Graves Jr.
Evolutionary biologist Joseph Graves Jr.—once styled as the “Black Darwin”—argues that his field is essential to social justice. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Joseph Graves Jr., or view on Amazon.
The Key Ideas in 15 Minutes
“If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books,” Roald Dahl once famously said. The only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hours—and you may not have many hours to spare.
But imagine for a moment: What if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? Or even better, what if you could invite a world-renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the 5 key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes?
With the Next Big Idea App, we’ve turned this fantasy into a reality. We partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create “Book Bites,” short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors themselves. Discover cutting-edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well-being, and much more—all in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog.
Go Deeper with a Next Big Idea Club Membership
The Next Big Idea App is free for anyone to try—and if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the Next Big Idea Club. Membership grants you unlimited access to Book Bites and unlocks early-release, ad-free episodes of our LinkedIn-partnered podcast. You also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live Q&A sessions with featured authors.
For a more focused learning experience, we recommend a Hardcover or eBook Membership. Every few months, legendary authors and club curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink select two new nonfiction books as the must-reads of the season. We then send hardcover copies straight to your doorstep, or eBook versions to your favorite digital device. We also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides and premium video e-courses, 50-minute master classes that take you step by step through their most life-changing ideas. And yes, it’s all available through the Next Big Idea App.
Learn Faster, from the World’s Leading Thinkers
Whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the Next Big Idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. Wake up with an always-fresh Idea of the Day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. Then dive into one of our Challenges, hand-picked collections of Book Bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. Later, watch the playback of an interview with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, or philosopher John Kaag. And be sure to check the “Events” tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live Q&A and personally chat with the next featured thought leader.
If you’re hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope you’ll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the Next Big Idea. Get started by downloading the app today!
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