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Discover weekly, the best short stories

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

150+ 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.

Black Short Stories – Page 2 of 10

Misunderstood

Marie Diaz-Cervo

Weekly Contest #350

The bell rang, and Room 12 settled into its usual hum—pencils scratching, chairs shifting, quiet whispers floating like dust in sunlight. In the back corner sat Eli, small for his age, hood pulled low, eyes fixed on the edge of his desk.“Stay there,” Ms. Carter said without looking at him. “You’re on timeout.”Again.Eli didn’t argue. He never did anymore. At first, he used to ask, “Can I come back now?” But the answer was always the same—not yet, or no. So now he stayed quiet, shrinking into the chair like he hoped he might disappear.The othe...

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DO YOU REMEMBER HIM? A POLICE NOTIFICATION AND MEMORIES COME BACK

Anna Cuccuru

Weekly Contest #349

On March 6, 2026, a notification from the state police arrived at the apartment in Centocelle, in a small and quiet street close to the main street of Via Castani. Via degli Olivi was a strange one that went rather unnoticed even by local petty crime. A notification of a trial charge on charges of battery. The protagonist of this story is a former roommate, usufructuary of the apartment in Rome and who worked from home earning unfortunately too little.-From victim of beatings and injuries and theft of keys to defendant? - thought the protago...

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Words Made Things Stay

Bran Saw

Weekly Contest #349

Today is April 31.I write it the same way every morning. Even though the days don’t move like they used to and no one is checking. Even though the numbers have started to feel like guesses more than facts.I still write the month out. April. All the way through. Momma used to say numbers could slip, but words made things stay where you put them.You watch me when I do it. Not the writing itself. Your eyes don’t follow the page anymore. They stay on my hand, the way it moves. The way I press too hard sometimes, like I’m trying to carve the date...

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“The Girl Nobody Came Back For”

La'Crecia Curtis

Weekly Contest #349

“The Girl Nobody Came Back For” Envy Leeown learned how to measure time by abandonment. Not in minutes. Not in hours. But in how long it took for hope to start hurting. She was ten the first time she understood that waiting could become a place—a quiet, stretching place where promises go to thin out and disappear. The bus station carried the smell of wet pavement and worn-out lives. The kind of place where people didn’t look at each other too long, just in case they saw something familiar. Envy sat on a hard plastic bench, her legs swingi...

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Pawnshop & Prejudice

Julian Benn

Weekly Contest #348

“Was I born only to be unloved? As soon as they see my skin—” The boy’s thoughts were interrupted by the rope tightening around him, cutting into his arm. “Still think you’re better than us?” Mickael growled as he struck the young boy in the face. S’agenouiller (pronounced /sahzh/noo/yay/) spat blood at the feet of his attackers, glaring with contempt, the corners of his eyes dewing. The five of gray-skinned men had tied him to a tree and were taking turns beating him. S’agenouiller had been minding his own business collecting junk on the si...

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Humanity: Is It Me or You?

Jazzy Jay

Weekly Contest #348

CW: Emotional distress UmmHumanityIs It Me or You? Is it me or you?Remind me. Is there something wrong with me?I’m going to admit it now.I’m not gonna hide behind the truth.I’ve been hiding so long I forgot what my own face looked like without the mask. The truth was a blanket I pulled over my head, thinking if I couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see me. But they always see. They always know where to find you when you’re trying to disappear. So I’m done with that. I’m standing here, no blanket, no truth, just skin and bone and the thing ins...

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Wishes

Safara Chambers

Weekly Contest #347

Krystal, 25 I treated myself to some M&M ice cream with caramel sauce for paying my credit card bill and my student loan bill on time. It was also my dinner because I didn’t have much else to eat. Given that the company I worked for had to cut everyone’s pay to settle a legal dispute, I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough to pay all of my bills this month. I really needed to find a new job. I was looking, but it’s hard to break into a new career field, and it’s even harder when you don’t know what field you want to break into. I picked up my ...

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The Heart Posture for True Love

Selena Williams

Weekly Contest #347

Vikie and Tonya have been best friends since they were 5 years old. Their parents always told them that when they got older, they would become wives and have a family of their own. So, when Vikie turned 25, she was tired of her family asking her when she was going to get married. She pressured her boyfriend to marry her, or she’d leave him. After a four-year-long relationship with her boyfriend, she finally got engaged. Tonya, on the other hand, had never been in a relationship; her family even questioned her sexuality, but Tonya didn’t let ...

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Move

Bran Saw

Weekly Contest #346

The air inside was warmer than it should’ve been, like the house had been holding its breath and finally let it out when I stepped in. My footsteps echoed louder than I remembered, every creak of the floor announcing me. I dropped my bag by the door out of habit, already knowing no one would call out asking why I dropped it there. Felt weird, coming back to a place that still knew me.The smell hit me next- not strong, not fresh, but familiar. Grease and sugar and something faintly sweet, like vanilla hanging in the air. Made me think of Satu...

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Here.

Bran Saw

Weekly Contest #346

Text Message- 6:42 pmHereDelivered Text Message- 6:47 pmI parked on the streetDelivered Text Message- 6:47 pmI didn’t want to take your spotDelivered No response Missed Call- 6:49 Voicemail (0:27)“Hey… I, uh, I know you’re not gonna pick up. I- I just… I said I’d tell you when I got here, soooo… I’m here.(long pause, throat clearing)Hey, wha’chu got me saved as, right now? You used to always change my name based on how mad you were at me. *laughs* Text Message- 6:52 pmThey cut down that treeDelivered Text Message- 6:52 pmWe made up so many ...

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The Woman in the Mirror

LaLa DeVille

Weekly Contest #345

As Ashley stood in front of the bedroom mirror, she began examining the woman who had quietly turned fifty-seven. The warm glow of the bedside lamp softened the faint lines under her eyes and highlighted the silver strands woven through her hair—strands she stubbornly refused to hide. For a long moment, she simply looked, searching the familiar face for the girl she once knew, aware that she had long since vanished. Some days, it felt as if that girl had been standing in her cap and gown just yesterday, full of hope and certainty about the l...

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Moon Landing 2026: Sequins in Space

Robert Radcliff

Weekly Contest #344

The Crew2026, and humanity has decided to revisit the moon. But this time, the mission is not just about science — it is about style, inclusivity, and proving that history could sparkle.The crew of Apollo Fabulous is unlike any before:• Captain Neela Armchair, (who was born Jamal) with nerves of steel and wit sharp enough to cut through lunar rock.• Buzz Glitterbeam, an extrovert astronaut who treats every mission like a Broadway premiere.• Mike Oldbarrel, a grumpy veteran who had seen too many launches and too few happy hours. The Journey O...

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Benjamin Franklin and his runaway slave named King

H.e. Ross

Weekly Contest #344

I was told this story about Ben Franklin, you know the American guy with the string and kite. This was years ago when I travelled over East to the town of Woodbridge and some Black fella was going on about an old relative of his who lived in Woodbridge. I liked the tale and wrote it down as I could remember. I call it, Ben Franklin and his runaway slave named King. When Benjamin Franklin was a kid he got signed on as an indentured servant to his really brutal older brother who ran a print shop in Boston in the British Colony of Massachuset...

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Tasha's Story

Johnthea Buskey

Weekly Contest #343

Tasha’s Story As Tasha placed her phone down on the bed, she felt nothing but happiness. She had just spoken with her boyfriend, and he had some things to do today but will call her later. She was so happy. He had become the man of her dreams. She had known him for years but this past year, things had become serious. She knew what the future would hold. Lots of traveling, lots of family function and great sex, if the past meant anything. She can’t remember being so happy. Before she got ready for the day, she decided to check out Facebook. ...

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Go To Her

H.e. Ross

Weekly Contest #342

Since I didn’t know what to expect at the Hotel Oloffson I dressed respectful of island custom in long pants at night and a better quality cotton shirt. By the time my taxi arrived I had to take the shirt off and walk around the circular driveway garden holding it in front to dry in the humid self created breeze of my own walking. My legs wouldn’t stop draining their juices as I walked, and my pants stuck to me like a scared cat. The shirt did not dry completely but I figured everybody else must be having the same problems, so I ascended th...

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