Celebrate Black History Month with the Library

Every February, we celebrate Black History Month to recognize the contributions of African Americans to our history and culture. The roots of this celebration can be traced back to Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, who established a weeklong celebration in February of 1926 to coincide with the birthdays of abolitionist Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln. Since 1976, every February has been designated Black History Month with a special theme. The 2024 theme "African Americans and the Arts" highlights the history and influence of African American artists in the visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music and more.

Here are upcoming events and library resources to honor Black voices and achievements.

Library Events

Picture Books Celebrating Black Joy

Book Lists

Anti-Racist Resources

Ebooks & Audiobooks

Music

Film

Research

  • Did you know Dr. Patricia Bath pioneered the laser treatment for cataracts? What about Dr. Charles Drew's revolutionary research on blood plasma that made blood banks possible? Use Biography in Context, opens a new window to learn about the many amazing contributions by African Americans you might not have known about!
  • Access Ancestry, opens a new window and use this guide to get started researching African American family history.
  • Discover diverse books and related instructional materials for PreK-12 with Teaching Books, opens a new window.  

To access most of these resources, all you need to do is log in with your library card, opens a new window. We hope you discover some great tools to continue celebrating and learning about Black history all year long!