700+ Black Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Discover the best new stories by Black authors, written to themed prompts and curated by our judges.

⭐️ Recommended stories

“The Last Man Kneeling” by Stephanie I

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

(*warning; Implied racism and mentions of slavery. *) THE LAST MAN KNEELING The man in the painting was nameless, but he knew three things for certain:1. He was depicted kneeling on a plush red carpet, his face locked in a stern expression as he gazed into the flickering flames of a grand fireplace.2. The artist who had brought him to life and placed him on display was known as Asher Vanderbilt, his elegant signature adorning the bottom of the canvas in golden letters.3. And most importantly - at night, the nameless man would come alive. It ...

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“No more laundry.” by Tommy Goround

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #169

It's a mortuary fact that dead bodies should not be buried without a banana. Most of the dead people around our town drink too much coffee and spout their mouths out in public, then they just die, die, and the explosive parts of their personality gather energy.For example, Hilda Benderhole used to have the most terrible intergestion about the way my dog urinated all over her flowers. We all know that flowers need the dogs, especially in a drought. When Hilda died, her husband wouldn't even use those flowers for her grave...

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“Over These Still Rising Waters” by Atrice J. R.

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #156

“Don’t you remember?” his wife — his wife! — says, giving him a purely curious look despite the scorn that Alex knows he deserves. Briana stands at the window nearest to him, its glass having long become miniscule shards on the dusty warehouse floor. The sun’s light gives her large afro a blossoming halo, her dark skin glowing with gold undertones. She’s a vibrant painting, a masterpiece made flesh even with the travel-...

35 likes 19 comments 19

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“Hands of a Sailor” by H.e. Ross

Submitted to Contest #245

I sat in front of Dobie as he got animated while telling his tale of the Turtling hurricane that he survived. I know a little was going to be from his imagination but I sat to hear the tale of a real storyteller on a starry night with a warm breeze against my cheek and the gentle rock of my ketch in the change of tide swell. He took a gulp of rum and began with a nod of head.‘The wind started to go all wrong and Cop’n had to order a reef in the main. Then he had to order the jib topsail down, then another reef. The seas were kicking up with ...

14 likes 1 comment 1

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“The Guilt” by Mary Reid

Submitted to Contest #244

“The Guilt” by Mary M Reid “Knock, knock.”  Caught off guard, Mrs. Forde quickly turned around, causing the dish she was washing to slip through her fingers. “Brianna! I wasn’t expecting you today.” “Didn’t mean to startle you,” said Brianna as she planted a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “Elie’s rehearsing for a play so I have some time and thought I’d drop by. Where’s dad?” “We’re having BBQ so he’s heating up the grill. Why don’t you join us,” said Mrs. Forde who was always pleased when her daughter was able to drop by.“Sounds good, tha...

1 like 1 comment 1

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“Turn a blind eye!” by Moira King

Submitted to Contest #244

Leah’s long white dress gently billowed as the wind blew in from the seafront. She stood near the cliff, staring out at the spectacular blue sea. Leah had never seen such clear water before. She marvelled at it. Is this really to be the view I can so easily enjoy every day of my new life? Of our new life? She smiled to herself and threw her hands up. She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of the sea and the sweet fresh air. Her body came alive. She felt born again. Footsteps approached. She could hear the sand shifting beneath each st...

5 likes 0 comments 0

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“Higher Learning” by Landon Booker

Submitted to Contest #244

Shortly thereafter, the Commonwealth Attorney came to see me. Thirtyish in a stylish gray suit, he approached me with the confidence of a man holding Aces. He said “Jones! I know you think you’re smart but let me tell ya how this gone play out! First Ima tell the jury your co-defendant signed a statement saying the two of you committed this robbery. Oh! Your lawyer is going to object! And the judge will agree but the jury will have already heard it! Then Ima roll Troy into the courtroom in his wheelchair an...

7 likes 0 comments 0

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“Saut d'Eau” by H.e. Ross

Submitted to Contest #244

I left Labadie for the Turks and Caicos Islands spending a year establishing a magazine there with my lovely friend, DianaLou. Every chance I got I was back in Haiti until I finally moved to a loosely situated community called Merger, twenty kilometres south of Port au Prince. It was an ugly little box of a summer cottage I rented but sat on a rectangular acre of land bordered by coconut palms, the railroad tracks and the two lane highway beyond them, a line of thorny shrubbery with fallow farmland on its other side and the sea. I had a brea...

10 likes 1 comment 1

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“We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled History…” by Samuel Jackson

Submitted to Contest #243

October 30th, 1938… It was supposed to be a harmless radio broadcast, or so they say. None of us really knew at the time. The blackout came without warning, cutting off the radio’s descriptions of an extraterrestrial ship which had just landed in Grovers Mill, New Jersey. As far as we could put together, aliens had just come down from space, and shortly after, we’d lost all power. The assumptions were widespread, resulting in a mass panic that had struck the city of Mobile, Alabama within minutes. A once beautiful city, now suffering the sam...

9 likes 2 comments 2

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“Beyond the Canvas” by Zaria Nurse

Submitted to Contest #242

Through the years, buildings have changed in design, with less care for intricacies most have adopted modern features of minimalism and futurism, this is not to say they lack in receiving admiration but something about those who stood decades before exuded grandness that one is simply unable to forget. Amongst most fine buildings of this nature was the museum in its ancient glory. History ran across its corridors, plastered itself against its walls and spread throughout its rooms adding more than just the enchanting exterior, within was othe...

10 likes 3 comments 3

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“The Last Man Kneeling” by Stephanie I

⭐️ Shortlisted for Contest #242

(*warning; Implied racism and mentions of slavery. *) THE LAST MAN KNEELING The man in the painting was nameless, but he knew three things for certain:1. He was depicted kneeling on a plush red carpet, his face locked in a stern expression as he gazed into the flickering flames of a grand fireplace.2. The artist who had brought him to life and placed him on display was known as Asher Vanderbilt, his elegant signature adorning the bottom of the canvas in golden letters.3. And most importantly - at night, the nameless man would come alive. It ...

27 likes 6 comments 6

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“#Shrimpy” by Timothy Motley

Submitted to Contest #241

Kulu Onya’s thumb hovered over the send icon on his phone. Waves of anxiety sent shocking currents of nervousness throughout his sinewy fingers. They begged to jitter, to clench themselves into fist, but he wouldn’t allow them to. His brain wanted him to tap that pesky icon underneath his thumb. But his heart cried out a warning that it may not be able to bear the weight of the repercussions. In the end his brain won out. He hit send and the one word message was suddenly unleashed. Just one word. ‘Why’ Kulu threw his phone down next to him o...

4 likes 0 comments 0

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“"Unfolding Destiny" : A Journey of Resilience and Empowerment ” by Kelechi Duru

Submitted to Contest #240

Adanna's journey began in the vibrant tapestry of an African setting, in a rural Community called 'Nwokenwe' meaning 'Males Own'. The name implies that males own properties, Lands,including the Women whom they married.It was a Community where unfortunately, societal expectations wove a restrictive narrative for women. Raised in an environment where prevailing beliefs dictated that a woman's destiny and certificates in...

15 likes 2 comments 2

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“Wither of Her Flowers.” by Carlton Wilkins

Submitted to Contest #239

  Warning: Abuse, murder, mental health. It never rained in the town of Oddinn, South Carolina. Well, it never rained actual rain. Instead, seeds fell from the sky. Amazing seeds. Seeds that gave the people their Flowerfrins. And once again, the fluffy, mint green clouds were here. Hovering over Oddinn, raining down a shower of glossy, golden seeds.  The people of Oddinn, beautiful and Black, filled the streets with joy as the much anticipated rain of seeds cam...

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“Fast Magic, And Other Services” by Maria Burgos

Submitted to Contest #239

As desperate as one can be, I guess, though Raúl, who would never think he would ever need the services of a Madame, but here he was in front of a big blue door surrounded by purple velvet walls and green somber lights. The air was chill and smelled of drunken roses spilled everywhere, and even though he was a supposedly atheist and anti-magic pro-naturalist to his core, there he was. This house of witc...

7 likes 0 comments 0

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“The solace of a man hides a litany of emotions. The heart of a woman lies all the love she will ever receive. ” by Kwasi Sike

Submitted to Contest #238

*Trigger Warning: Substance Abuse, Mental Health, Sexual Violence* When my father came down the hallway, his face burgeoning with excitement at the potential of the long-awaited day when he could finally exist differently. Three hundred and sixty-four days of a monotonous gait zapped away by the mere presence of… well, presents.  He is a simple man, five feet ten inches, with a beer belly ...

8 likes 1 comment 1

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“Kita in Color” by Kristina Aziz

Submitted to Contest #239

The sun was low in the sky, giving off a faint yellow light when they saw the Village. Kita and her ward had only taken a few steps past the gates, but already there was an ominous weight hanging in the air. The streets were nowhere near empty, but there was a curious stillness that went beyond the lack of population, like a blanket had been draped over the town and been tucked in so tight that it muffled all sound. ...

24 likes 3 comments 3

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“Rich, Red” by Charles Stanford

Submitted to Contest #237

A lady had been dropped off today. Despite the reddish hair, blackness was evident in tight coils and a rounded nose. Her dark eyes surveyed the dim household, stepping in gingerly. She marveled at the deep blue walls, lacquered floors, and the faint smell of dried flowers. The absence of a looming presence allowed her to take everything in. Rosa let out a quiet sigh so subtle it sounded like any other breath. Thi...

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