An Esquire “Best Christmas Book to Read During the Holidays”
A collection of Christmas stories written by African-American journalists, activists, and writers from the late 19th century to the modern civil rights movement.
Back in print for the first time in over a decade, this landmark collection features writings from well-known black writers, activists, and visionaries such as Pauline Hopkins, Langston Hughes, and John Henrik Clarke along with literary gems from rediscovered writers. Originally published in African American newspapers, periodicals, and journals between 1880 and 1953, these enchanting Christmas tales are part of the black literary tradition that flourished after the Civil War.
Edited and assembled by esteemed historian Dr. Bettye Collier-Thomas, the short stories and poems in this collection reflect the Christmas experiences of everyday African Americans and explore familial and romantic love, faith, and more serious topics such as racism, violence, poverty, and racial identity. Featuring the best stories and poems from previous editions along with new material including “The Sermon in the Cradle” by W. E. B. Du Bois, A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories celebrates a rich storytelling tradition and will be cherished by readers for years to come.
“If you’re lured in by writers you know and love, like Langston Hughes and W .E. B. Du Bois, go ahead and get comfortable, because you’re bound to discover so many more.”
—Esquire
“One of the greatest Christmas gifts ever was the one given on Christmas Day: to bid us free to become better human beings. There will be for quite some time the question of how well we have used that gift. Some have used it to keep others down; some have used it as an excuse for plunder and mayhem; some have used it as a basis for love and forgiveness. A Treasury of African American Christmas Stories gives us all the gift of engaging our hearts and minds in the true stories of Christmas.”
—Nikki Giovanni
“I remember when I first picked up Bettye Collier-Thomas’s lovely collection of African American Christmas stories over two decades ago. My daughter was seven at the time and the book was like a dream come true. Here was a veritable who’s who of Black writers, whose powerful stories and poems ran the gamut of literary expressions—from the tragic to the comic, fables to romance. A book for all seasons, these stories are bound to amuse, educate, and inspire all kids, from one to ninety-two.”
—Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams
Note to Readers
Introduction
The Sermon in the Cradle
W. E. B. Du Bois
A Carol of Color
Mary Jenness
The Christmas Reunion Down at Martinsville
Augustus M. Hodges
The Children’s Christmas
Alice Ruth Moore Dunbar
Christmas Eve Story
Fanny Jackson Coppin
Mollie’s Best Christmas Gift
Mary E. Lee
A Christmas Story
Carrie Jane Thomas
Fannie May’s Christmas
Katherine Davis Tillman
Elsie’s Christmas
Salem Tutt Whitney
General Washington: A Christmas Story
Pauline Elizabeth Hopkins
The Autobiography of a Dollar Bill
Lelia Plummer
Mirama’s Christmas Test
Timothy Thomas Fortune
A Christmas Party That Prevented a Split in the Church
Margaret Black
Three Men and a Woman
Augustus M. Hodges
It Came to Pass: A Christmas Story
Bruce L. Reynolds
A Christmas Journey
Louis Lorenzo Redding
Uncle U.S. Santa Claus
James Conway Jackson
The Devil Spends Christmas Eve in Dixie
Andrew Dobson
One Christmas Eve
Langston Hughes
Santa Claus Is a White Man
John Henrik Clarke
Merry Christmas Eve
Adele Hamlin
White Christmas
Valena Minor Williams
Sources
- “Recommended holiday season books for parents, young adults and children,” KPBS/San Diego NPR, book included in holiday reading list
- “The 25 Best Christmas Books of All Time,” Book Riot, included in Christmas books roundup
- “The 10 Best Christmas Books to Read During the Holidays,” Esquire, listed in 2021 reading roundup of Chrismas books
- “Temple historian’s book brings back holiday treasures,” Philadelphia Tribune, Q&A
- “Library shelves lined with holiday material,” The Robesonian (North Carolina), included in feature on holiday books at the Robeson County Public Library
- “African-American Interest Adult Titles, 2018-2019,” Publishers Weekly, listed in reading roundup
- “Recent Books of Interest to African American Scholars,” The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, listed in reading roundup