A New Year’s reset: UATL’s January 2026 book recommendations
The start of 2026 is a time to start thinking about new beginnings.
Going into a new year means wrapping up holiday festivities and setting goals for the next 365 days.
But the political and social climates are leaving some people exhausted and overwhelmed, and there may be a level of uncertainty about what lies ahead or how to get started on those plans.
To help with this, authors continue to inspire us to prepare for the new year through stories about sports, history, community and wellness. Here are UATL’s January book recommendations themed around taking risks, embracing humanity, looking to the past for inspiration and prioritizing our health.
“Just Follow Me: James Owens and the Integration of Southeastern Conference Football” by Thom Gossom Jr and Sam Heys
Fifty-six years before the Georgia Bulldogs defeated Alabama for its 16th SEC Championship, James Owens defied racism to become the athletic conference’s first Black player at Auburn University.
“Just Follow Me: James Owens and the Integration of Southeastern Conference Football,” Owens’ biography written by actor and Owens’ teammate Thom Gossom Jr and former Atlanta Constitution sports columnist Sam Heys, was released in August. It chronicles the Fairfield, Alabama, native breaking the color barrier for college football, his later work as a coach, pastor and community organizer.
Interviews with Owens, teammates and coaches reveal how the trailblazing athlete, who died in 2016, survived prejudice and discrimination to become a forerunner for equality in the South and in college sports.
“Just Follow Me” exemplifies how youth participation in challenging spaces sets the tone for new and emerging leadership.
“Black History for Every Day of the Year” by David Olusoga, Yinka Olusoga and Kemi Olusoga
Black History is not just February. It’s every day (literally).
“Black History for Every Day of the Year” is a chronology of important dates written by historians David Olusoga, Yinka Olusoga and artist Kemi Olusoga. The book released in September spotlights 366 entries of Black people, events and movements that took place across the globe.
Photos, quotes and sketches accompany the selections, revealing a rich legacy of Black history and culture that is both well-known and often overlooked.
“Let Me Be Real With You: Inspiring Lessons on Living a Life of Service” by Arshay Cooper
In the 1990s, Chicago native Arshay Cooper made history when he became team captain for America’s first all-Black high school rowing team.
Three decades later, Cooper — rower and motivational speaker — turned his journey in non-traditional sports into “Let Me Be Real With You: Inspiring Lessons on Living a Life of Service,” his memoir released in October. He dives into his personal struggles growing up in an area infested with gangs and drugs, how it encouraged him to dedicate his life to helping others defy the odds, and expose them to rowing.
Cooper uses “Let Me Be Real With You,” the follow-up to his 2020 debut “A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team,” to carefully explain eight tenets of wellness he lives by. It’s a reminder for readers to commit themselves to a purpose and not allow their circumstances to determine outcomes.
“Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman’s Guide to Self-Care and Generational Healing” by Tara Pringle Jefferson
“Bloom How You Must: A Black Woman’s Guide to Self-Care and Generational Healing” explores how prioritizing self and community building are central to Black women’s health and wellness.
Released in December, the book written by wellness advocate Tara Pringle Jefferson lays out a road map for Black women who are unsure about how to jump-start their quest for peace. There are anecdotes about icons Toni Morrison gardening, Rosa Parks leading yoga classes and Coretta Scott King taking “girls’ trips” with Myrlie Evers and Betty Shabazz as breaks from their Civil Rights Movement efforts.
Jefferson — founder of digital wellness community, The Self Care Suite, in 2015 — includes interviews from over 100 Black women ages 19 to 99, historical research from experts, personal experiences and exercises readers can incorporate into their daily lives.
“Bloom How You Must” is a tool kit that reinforces to Black women that stress reduction and putting themselves first ensures healing.
“Faith Over Fear: Harnessing Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty” by Michael Leach
At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are continuously getting cut by the current administration and corporations, Michael Leach — the White House’s first chief diversity and inclusion officer appointed by former President Joe Biden — is sharing how ongoing advocacy and taking risks drive meaningful change.
“Faith Over Fear: Harnessing Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty,” Leach’s memoir releasing in February, is an intimate portrait behind how the former NFL executive broke barriers in sports and politics by creating opportunities and fostering environments for underrepresented talent. Leach, now founder and CEO of consulting firm BridgeTrust Partners LLC, doesn’t shy away from talking about moments that tested his confidence but turned into personal reflections that helped define his purpose and commitment to making the world a better place.
“Faith Over Fear” is Leach’s call-to-action for the people and shows perseverance inspires cultural transformation.
About the Author
Christopher A. Daniel is a Black Culture reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is an Atlanta-based, award-winning journalist, cultural critic and ethnomusicologist. He previously taught courses at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Georgia State University.
