Documenting Black Student Reading Practices

Since 2018, I have led an oral history project focusing on Black students. In fall 2025, I narrowed the focus and began asking students more directly about their reading interests and habits. Undergraduates Al Smith and Joyce Woodard are assisting by conducting interviews and producing short reflections on reading, digital culture, and what they are learning through the interview process.

I’m especially excited to have Al and Joyce writing on a regular basis. In earlier stages of the project, we did not produce enough writing that reflected on what we were observing and learning in real time. We do not intend to repeat that oversight.

Together, we will document and share what we are learning. Over time, these entries will form a growing catalog of observations and findings about Black student reading practices and intellectual life.

Related:

• Academic Journeys project

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

Reading as an Escape

By Albert Smith

Among the genres discussed as being Black men’s favorite, the most consistent one had been novels. When asked why fiction was favored, the response was typically that it allowed an escape from what they had been reading.

Black men cited comic books and graphic novels as being among their favorite books as well. Some even noted that Japanese manga were essential to their reading habits as it allowed for a new world that they weren’t accustomed to or responsible for participating in. The overarching theme of escaping from what they know was very apparent throughout interviews.

This trend was vital in understanding the reading habits of Black men as those I spoke with noted that they weren’t able to do much reading outside of their assigned class readings. In their non-academic reading time, there was a purposeful attempt to engage with reading that would encourage creativity and imagination rather than add to something that was pre-existing and limited by reality.

Recognizing that students often read for escape in their free time helps us understand why their preferences lean toward narrative forms that allow them to imagine worlds beyond their immediate circumstances. experiences.

Related: 

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

Classroom Conditions in Promoting Black Men Participation

By Albert Smith

What conditions have to be in place for Black men to feel comfortable presenting in classroom contexts? That’s a question I’ve been wondering about and my ongoing interviews with collegiate Black men assisted me in thinking about it.

Some Black men I spoke with said that they did not speak in class because they viewed themselves as quiet. Others noted that their classes did not expect or want their input (i.e. lecture-based learning). Still others said that they had opinions but they were overlooked.

Classroom conditions that were found to be more conducive to the engagement of Black men were environments that promoted books and topics that were relevant and were considered to being interesting to them. Being interested in the subject matter was also important for participation.

In addition, classrooms where students were surrounded by like-minded peers and taught by a professor who encouraged conversation and critical thinking further supported engagement. Black men who participated in classrooms like this noted having more positive and impactful experiences.

Related: 

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

Black students and online reading

By Joyce Woodard

Today, it is common for universities to use digital platforms like Blackboard and Canvas, making most aspects of school, aside from classes, completely digital. If those platforms were to go away, how would that impact the way Black students read, or would they be affected at all?

“It wouldn’t change much; I guess it would be harder to access certain readings for class,” Jazelle Swope said. While the lack of digital platforms would present some challenges, those challenges wouldn’t be related to leisurely reading, according to Swope. “...if it’s just for entertainment, it’s not going to be hard at all,” she said.

Black students do a lot of reading online because it’s essentially the only way to access assigned readings, not because it is their preferred method. Because young Black readers grew up as digital platforms became increasingly essential to day-to-day life, it is often assumed that they prefer digital platforms, but that’s clearly not the case.

While it is encouraging to see Black readers so determined to read by any means, it is worth noting that the transition would most likely be harder than they think. As mentioned earlier, young Black readers don’t really know a world without digital platforms, so why do they believe they would be fine without them? The truth is that digital tools are deeply embedded in the lives of young readers, and there is a need for balance between both digital and physical reading.

       

Related:

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

Reading and Community

By Joyce Woodard

Since being in college, I have become more interested in reading outside of school, thanks to discovering new writers and being inspired to read by others. I enjoy speaking to other young Black women about books because they usually have the best recommendations, but I'm interested to know how they have grown their relationship with reading, or how its changed.

Prior to college, I didn’t read much on my own, and while my reading habits have improved, I could still be doing more. I think asking other Black readers how they have improved or what keeps them interested would be helpful, not only for me but also for others. Black women readers read an array of authors and genres, so I think it would be fascinating to understand how those factors shape their reading.

Personally, I think a sense of community has shaped me into the reader I am, but do other Black women readers feel the same? Surely, there is someone who reads for different reasons, and that's why I'm interested in learning more.

Everyone has a different relationship with reading, and as someone actively working to improve my approach, I think speaking with Black women readers would help me make those improvements.

Related:

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture  

Building Spaces for Black Men Readers

By Albert Smith 

Systemically there is much that can be done to promote the reading habits of Black men at SIUE. I feel that an impactful start would be creating and upholding a space for Black men to read. While the Lovejoy Library is a space that warrants a place to study for SIUE’s general student populace, it doesn’t have much to incentivize students to stay around and engage with new literature.

The space would need to be a place that is in proximity to the rest of campus and has plenty of reading options. Preferably, it would also be in a space where Black men are already at/going. SIUE has some great initiatives/curriculum in place already that have garnered widespread support and interest. The introductory courses offered by African American literary studies at SIUE would be examples of this, but these courses (like all courses) are only offered for one year.

SIUE introducing a Black man reading initiative that seeks to support reading habits following their first-semester course could be beneficial. This could keep students connected to the university and develop their reading habits throughout their time at SIUE. 

While the initiative could come in several ways (an organization, a check-in, etc.) having SIUE’s support at the administrative level would greatly contribute to expanding how Black men read and think about reading.

Related:

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

When the Interests and Career Pressures of Black Men Intersect

By Albert Smith 

While conducting interviews, there were a few trends that would cause me to analyze black men and their reading habits on a deeper level. For example, their choice of major and the reasoning behind choosing it would oftentimes be indirect or not related at all.

A few students mentioned that their choice of major was solely a result of their interests, but many of the students noted that their choice was oftentimes driven by money and stability. Some even fully acknowledged that their choice was strictly a “cash-grab” and that they weren’t that engaged in what they were pursuing.

This trend revealed itself to be  prominent throughout the interviews, and it sparked my curiosity as to what African American men seek to gain from school and how the relationship between their passions and needs intersect. Despite identifying interests in the humanities, culture, and art, they would oftentimes neglect that interest in favor of a contrary major.

I’ve also gained a ton of curiosity as to how reading (as a habit) can be encouraged and promoted without academic pressure. It seemed that at the root of complications and struggles with reading was finding some time to read content that wasn’t academically assigned. While academic-based literature is essential to higher education, there still needs to be some sort of development at the personal and non-academic level. I'm really curious to see what all that might entail.

Related:

• Notes on Black Readers & Digital Culture

A Record Semester (Fall 2025) for African American Literary Studies at SIUE

In fall 2025, our African American literary studies group at SIUE offered more courses than ever before, with 33 classes in a single semester.

To put that in perspective, our previous high was 12 courses in one semester, back in spring 2023.

So what changed?

Most notably, the university enrolled a record number of first-semester Black students, and 514 of those students took our introductory African American literature course. For the first time, we also paired that course with labs, significantly expanding our instructional capacity and support for students. 

Here’s what we offered: 14 sections of the first-semester African American literature course, 14 lab sections, an online African American literature survey, African American Women Writers, a 400-level African American literature course, a diversity and comic books course, and a graduate seminar in African American literature. In total, 12 instructors taught across these offerings.

Fall 2025 marked a new scale of reach for African American literary studies at SIUE.

Related:

• African American Literary Studies at SIUE