Celebrate Black History Month With These Library Books & Resources
Black History month is celebrated each February. Its roots date back to 1926, when Carter G. Woodson – an historian with the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History – initiated the first “Negro History Week.” The primary emphasis was on coordinated teaching of the history of black Americans in our nation’s public schools. The second week of February was chosen because it coincided with Abraham Lincoln’s birthday (2/12) and Frederick Douglass’ birthday (2/14).
Black History Month was first observed in 1970 at Kent State University at the proposal of black educators and Black United Students organization. President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976 during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial when he urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” (“Black History Month”, Wikipedia)
The following books, recently purchased for the Fauquier Public Library collection, do just that.
- The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
- The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell: Speed, Grace and the Negro Leagues by Lonnie Wheeler
- Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal by Eric K. Washington
- Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights by Gretch Sorin
- Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers by Donald Bogle
- A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team by Arshay Cooper
- The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food by Marcus Samuelsson with Osayi Endolyn
- The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcom X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs
- Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All by Martha S. Jones
- We Return Fighting: World War I and the Shaping of the Modern Black Identity by the National Museum of African American History
Additional Resources to Explore
Research
- *NEW* African American History: Read about key figures and events, examine famous speeches and other primary sources, and get context from in-depth timelines
- EBSCO History eBook collection
- Bloom’s Literature – Harlem Renaissance
- Biography In Context – Prominent African Americans
Genealogy
- Fold 3: Over 760,000 African American records
- HeritageQuest: Click on U.S. Freedman’s Bank Record, 1861-1875
Reading & Listening
- Race in America: e-books, e-audio books from OverDrive
- African American Nonfiction: ebooks, e-audio books from Overdrive
- African American Fiction Authors: Find African American fiction authors by genre with this list from NoveList
- African American Historical Fiction: Explore historical novels that bring to life African American experiences, from the colonial era the Civil Rights Movement with this list from NoveList
Watching
Movie Marathon Kit: Celebrate Black History