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Black History Month

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Black History Month

Black History Month: Honor the past, inspire the future. History, arts & culture, people

Black History Month is a celebration of the accomplishments by Black and African Americans and a tribute to the adversities they face in our nation’s history and present. Learn more about the contributions of Black artists and musicians, inventors and scientists, educators, athletes, and more through resources and events at Mid-Continent Public Library.

Use your MCPL Access Pass (Library Card) to explore these resources or apply for a free card today.

Events and Programs

Explore upcoming library events celebrating Black History Month

History

African-American History

Explore 500 years of the African American experience from the slave trade to the Civil Rights movement to the present day in this online resource.

Slavery, Abolition & Social Justice

Research materials relating to slavery from libraries and archives across the country.

Bessie Coleman

Bessie Coleman became the first African American woman to get both a national and international pilot’s license. Find books and ebooks about the challenges she overcame to achieve her goals.

People

Robert Smalls

After commandeering a Confederate ship to free himself and his family, he became the first Black captain of an Army ship and later a member of the U.S. Congress. Find books and resources that tell his story.

Access Video on Demand

Learn about Black Americans from leaders of the Civil Rights Movement to the women of color who are transforming politics from the ground up.

African American Biographical Database

Biographies of activists, former slaves, artists, athletes, educators, lawyers, writers, scientists, and more.

Arts & Culture

Black Thought & Culture

Nonfiction writings that presents what it is to be black in America. Includes the only full run of The Black Panther newspaper.

African American Music Reference

Essays and images that cover blues, jazz, spirituals, civil rights songs, slave songs, gospel, and other forms of black American musical expression.

Farah Jasmine Griffin

In Read Until You Understand: The Profound Wisdom of Black Life and Literature, Griffin intertwines her personal history with stories and experiences told by Black artists and authors including Toni Morrison and Barack Obama.

Celebrating African American Actors in Film

For Kids

Lewis Latimer

Lewis Latimer assisted with some of the greatest inventions of all time, including the lightbulb and the telephone. Often overlooked, his contributions as an engineer, an artist, and an activist are featured in this accessible children’s book.

Teachables

Great for parents and teachers! Print, save, and share materials about Black History Month.

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