Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America

Lots of historical information and current social topics woven into stories that encourage young people to think critically about what they believe "blackness" is, how it came to be, and how it's evolving. There's a vast array of believable characters managing diverse challenges and triumphs.

Presents very diverse black teens in a positive light. There are immigrants and descendants of enslaved people, teens who work in the mall and teens who compete in computer hackathons, individuals with loving family relationships and individuals with frayed family relationships. There are positive representations of gay and lesbian characters. Stories are set in many different regions of the country and in both urban and rural places. In most of the stories, the main character handles an ethical dilemma, some heroically. There are a few instances of negative behaviors presented casually, as mischief, including pot smoking (at work), stealing, and "sexting."

Many of the stories include some mention of dating or romantic crushes, including same-sex attraction and relationships. A boy and girl kiss and caress under their clothes, above the waist; the boy chooses to stop it from going further because he believes the girl is "too special." A boy describes waking from a dream about his male love interest with an erection and "sticky" shorts. In one story, kids take naked photos on their phones and share them.