The J.W. Martin Library has a book display honoring author Frank Yerby as part of Black History Month.
Yerby was a Black author who wrote multiple books and sold more than 55 million copies during the 20th century, according to Northwestern history professor Dr. Roger Hardaway.
“Nobody’s heard of him around here,” Hardaway said.
Yerby wrote about Black people in the American South during the 1800s. Some of his work depicts Black slaves forcefully trying to gain control of their lives and attain freedom, Hardaway said. However, Hardaway believes Yerby hasn’t been properly revered by scholars, including Black scholars, because he didn’t write the kinds of stories other Black authors did.
“All the Black scholars wrote him off back in the old days,” Hardaway said. “He moved to Europe because he just wanted to get away from, I think, his Black critics more than anybody else. Most of the white folks didn’t know he was Black. They just bought his books because they were really good.”
The display can be seen during normal library hours throughout the week.