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.
Make History Come to Life
Try out FreedomFlix to learn history in a dynamic and engaging way from the Colonial era to the Civil Rights Movement and beyond.
Check out BookFlix to watch video storybooks and eBooks.
Teachables
Great for parents and teachers! Print, save, and share materials about Black History Month.