A Review of Scottie Sheree’s Book Tag

A Review of Scottie Sheree’s Book Tag Videoblack history tags books

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Every Black History Month, the internet floods us with the same recycled quotes, the same five historical names, and the same surface-level conversations. That’s why Scottie Sheree’s Black History Month Book Tag video feels like a breath of fresh air. Instead of preaching, she curates. Instead of overwhelming, she invites. And instead of centering trauma alone, she balances history, joy, rage, reflection, and community.

This video isn’t just a list—it’s a reading roadmap.

Books Everyone Should Read (Yes, She Meant Everyone)

Scottie opens strong with recommendations that don’t play around.

On the fiction side, she highlights The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, describing it as heavy, haunting, and deeply rooted in historical truth. This isn’t a “curl up with tea” book—it’s a sit with your feelings afterward book.

Then she shifts the mood (thankfully) with Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith—a graphic novel that centers Black women, friendship, softness, and everyday joy. It’s a reminder that Black stories don’t always need to hurt to matter.

On the nonfiction side, Scottie recommends Blackbirds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert, which examines the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre with clarity and care. She pairs that with A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib, a collection that explores Black performance, culture, and joy in a way that feels poetic instead of academic.

Translation: history with soul.

The TBR Pile That’ll Change Your Brain Chemistry

Scottie’s “To Be Read” list is where things get real serious.

She mentions Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington, a must-read that exposes the long history of medical experimentation on Black Americans. Heavy? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.

Next is Four Hundred Souls, edited by Ibram X. Kendi, which reframes African American history as a collective, layered story instead of a single narrative.

And for readers who want truth with humor, she shouts out Black AF History by Michael Harriot—because sometimes laughter is how the medicine goes down.

Black BookTube Gets Its Flowers

One of the best parts of the video is Scottie using her platform to uplift other Black creators. She recommends:

Dezmond Z – funny, contemporary, and unapologetic

Kayla's Bookish Vibes – cozy reads and historical fiction

Brea – creative concepts and fresh ideas

Kelsee – strong opinions, strong content

Bre – community-driven reading challenges

Shelbey – new releases and transparent reading vlogs

It’s giving: support Black readers, not just Black books.

Favorites That Hit Deep

When Scottie names Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi as her favorite book by an African author, it makes perfect sense. The generational storytelling, the emotional weight, the way history echoes—Homegoing stays with you.

And when she calls The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison her favorite book of all time? No debate. Heavy themes, painful truths, and literary brilliance. This is not light reading—but it is essential.

Watching Is Reading Too

Scottie smartly expands Black History Month beyond books with film and documentary recommendations:

The Color Purple – adapted from Alice Walker’s novel

13th – on mass incarceration and the 13th Amendment

Stamped From The Beginning – adapted from Kendi’s book

When They See Us – the story of the Exonerated Five

Because sometimes watching is part of the work.

Looking Ahead, Not Just Back

To close things out, Scottie teases future reading lists and highlights Burn Down, Rise Up by Clay Cane, a historical fiction inspired by real stories of resistance and survival. A perfect reminder that Black history isn’t frozen in the past—it’s ongoing.

Final Thoughts

What makes Scottie Sheree’s video work is balance. She honors pain without centering despair. She celebrates joy without ignoring history. And she reminds viewers that Black History Month isn’t about checking a box—it’s about deepening understanding.

This isn’t a “look how woke I am” list.

It’s a read, reflect, and grow list.

Question for you:

Which of these books—or creators—are you adding to your list this month? And are you reading for knowledge, comfort, or transformation right now?