The Color Purple, Alice Walker's novel about African-American women enduring societal oppression and abuse by men, solidified her as a prominent voice for 1970s black feminist ideals.

Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon (1977) provides a male perspective similar to "Everyday Use." Through various encounters with friends and family, Macon ("Milkman") Dead III discovers the significance of the past and the importance of human connections.

Gloria Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place (1982) narrates the lives of seven African-American women residing on a dead-end urban street. Despite their often painful experiences, they maintain their spiritual strength and use it to fortify their community.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965), co-written with Alex Haley, was pivotal to the Black Power Movement, which Dee Johnson and Hakim-a-barber support. Malcolm X reflects on his early life as a hustler, defends his controversial social and political views, and details his conversion to Islam.

Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) by Zora Neale Hurston, a Harlem Renaissance writer revived by Alice Walker, tells the story of an African-American woman's journey to assert her independence.