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Looking for a steady supply of african american short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

810+ African american Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Whether you want to read about African American author's hopes and resilience or their unique struggles, you'll find what you're looking for here.

African american Short Stories – Page 5 of 55

Grey World

Submitted to Contest #282

Angelina and her family lived in Grey World, a village north of the quarter. Because of the grey, no flowers grew, and the trees were bare. They did not know the taste of fruits or vegetables or how sunshine felt against their skin. They only knew how it felt to live under a gloomy sky that never changed, even when it rained. Year-round, they had to wear thick coats, scarves, and hats to protect their skin against the cold. Like others in their community, Angelina and her family wore bright colors to be identified from a distance. However, d...

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The Rebirth of a Dreamer

Submitted to Contest #281

Authors Note This story contains themes of:Emotional Abuse – Mention of past emotional manipulation and lack of support in relationships.Sexual Assault – References to past sexual trauma.Depression/Anxiety – Depiction of feelings of hopelessness, frustration, and emotional struggle.Financial Struggles – References to debt, financial insecurity, and difficulty making ends meet.Self-Harm (Implied) – Moments of self-destructive thoughts and behaviors (emotional distress that may be interpreted as emotional self-harm).Fa...

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Who did you f***

Submitted to Contest #281

A stranger wearing a suit at a bachelor party in a hotel suite stood out for some reason. Not that wearing a black suit with a white shirt, red tie, and holding a briefcase is all that odd. I mean he could’ve been a hotel manager or a member of that staff. But this gentleman looked different. His eyes more intense than the usual service worker. The guys at the party barely noticed. They were too busy dancing to Too Short’s song, “Blow the Whistle”. And before that, “Yeah” by Usher and Lil Jon. Their eyes were focused on the ass and titties i...

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THE QUEST: A Search for the Impossible Dream

Submitted to Contest #280

“Hey Boss Lady, over here.” “Ange, it’s me, Nik. Hey girl!” “C’mon, ma’am. Watch where ya goin’. I’m in a hurry. I got a plane to catch. And that’s my cab.” “Forget that guy, Ange. Some people just don’t have any manners these days. Like you even wanted his cab. You drove your Lex down, right?” “Oh my gosh, Nik. What are you doing here? And yes, I drove the Lex. But more importantly, how did you get here? And JaRew what’s up? More importantly, how did the two of you hook up?” “Wow, Ange, Nik was right. You have been living in another ...

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"What's wrong with you?"

Submitted to Contest #280

“How long were you standing outside?” “I just got here!” “Come on in, let me take your coat.” “No, I won’t be here long!” “Would you like to sit down?” “No! Can we get to the reason I’m here, please?” “You look beautiful today! Did you do something different with your hair?” “I dyed it red last week. You clearly was with your other family. Did you have a good time with the wife?” “She’s not my wife; she’s the mother of my children. I wish you two would just sit down and have an adult conversation. We h...

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Sub/Urban Bebop

Submitted to Contest #280

       “And our next guest is one I’m sure you’ve all heard of, though if anyone hasn’t heard of him, come talk to me after the show so you can give me the address of the rock you’ve been living under!”            “You said it Jim!”            “Thanks for the input random audience member! But without further ado, let’s welcome the New York Times Best-selling author for the past f...

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The Reflection of Him

Submitted to Contest #279

TW: [Mentions/Hints of Sexual Abuse, Self-Harm] Solleiyana couldn't sleep. Her thoughts swirled like the restless spirits she'd seen in her sleep, tethered to the prophecy that had named her daughter, Yaaraelith, The Mask of Malice. The words had left a bitter taste, a foreboding she could not shake. Barefoot, she moved through the cool marble halls, and torches lining the walls flickered weakly. Then she heard it—a whisper, playful and fleeting, like a giggle. She stopped. The sound came again, from a room up ahead. Her lips curved into a s...

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Wicked Memories

Submitted to Contest #277

(Sensitivity Note- This story contains curse words, sexual harassment, and bullying themes)Petunia’s heart raced rapidly as the rhythm of her high heels hit the hard tile floor. “Breathe bitch”, she silently scolded herself as she took another lingering look in the glass window of her old school’s hallway. Her freshly straightened, silky black bob floated playfully over her Ferragamo, form-fitting red dress. It gripped her hourglass hips and stopped just below her knees, accentuating her glistening, freshly fit calves.When she first tried th...

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I've Lost Her

Submitted to Contest #277

As I sit in the darkening living room eating my fourth peanut butter sandwich of the week I wonder If she’s ok. I dip my cup a bucket of water to quench my thirst, not the best tasting water but I’m thirsty and it’s all I have. I sit on our couch adjusting my eyes to the changing light in the room.  It’s been three days since I’ve saw her. I came home from school, turned the key and automatically could feel that she wasn’t home. I’m used to her missing for a day, that’s normal for her. But three days is new, I’m longing for her to ...

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Fitting In

Submitted to Contest #277

He had walked alone for too long.At the end of his life, it never emerged as a thought that flashed before his eyes as he recalled his existence just before crossing the bar.There were no parents in sight, no bright light to guide the way, and a profound sense of not belonging lingered in the air. Her eyes shut, and darkness enveloped her. At that moment, an intense heat enveloped him, accompanied by an insatiable thirst that he had never experienced before.Unbeknownst to them, the only problem lay in the fact that they had crossed the bar a...

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The older light guy

Submitted to Contest #276

The older light guy. Older , short, and light skin. Oh no. He was so not my type. We use to work together in a store, a grocery store at that. We had two different positions in the store. I was a security officer, and he was a cashier. We would always laugh, and joke every time we seen each other at work. We had fun at work. Time went by fast when we worked together. This man has always been a funny guy, comedian is what he should've been in life. He knew how to make me laugh and smile. I loved that about him. I would ask him for gum almos...

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Javon and Kimberly

Submitted to Contest #276

My name is Javon Jackson. I’m a twenty-nine-year-old black cop in a black high-crime precinct in Newark, New Jersey. Besides my service revolver, I carry a blackjack. Often, the blackjack comes in handy when I need to show some perp that I mean business without threatening or, God forbid, using deadly force. Like most cops, I keep a backup piece at home: a Glock 22 semi-auto. It's under lock and key in a gun safe. The combination is my daughter's birthday.New Jersey is heavily blue and controlled by Democrats. As is their wont, they spend ot...

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Mother/Daughter relationship

Submitted to Contest #276

It's that time. Time for my mom to give birth to me. A six-pound, twelve-ounce baby girl born to happy parents. My mom told me she had a hard time coming up with a name for a girl, so she named me after her uncle’s wife, Shermayne. As I look back on my baby photos, it was clear that I spent a lot of time with my grandmother growing up, whom I absolutely love and adore. She has her flaws, but that’s another story for another day. My parents ended up splitting when I was very young, around the ages of two to three, leaving my mom to become a s...

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Me and Andre

Submitted to Contest #276

Andre was my best friend in the summer of 1982. I met him at the YMCA summer camp held at White Plains High School in Westchester County, New York when I was 13 years old. He was black and I was white. We became fast friends. We rode together on the bus every day and we shared our lunch and we played dodgeball and sometimes we stood up to the bullies together. We didn't always win, and sometimes we left bloody, but we always stood together.If you fought Andre, you were definitely gonna fight me too, and vice versa. He was skinny and lanky bu...

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A Stroll Around the Park

Submitted to Contest #275

“Happy birthday, Sugar,” the man said.“Why, thank you darlin’,” the woman replied.The man bent his six-foot two frame to plant a quick kiss on the lips of his five-foot-eight wife. She accepted the kiss but then playfully slapped him on the upper arm.“You old fool,” she teased, “you always tryin’ to steal a kiss from me.”The man laughed heartily. “Woman, what you talkin’ ‘bout? I only been tryin’ to steal kisses from you since we was knee-high to a grasshopper!”She grinned, a wide broad grin that crinkled her eyes with joy.&nb...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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