February is Black History Month: A Booklist
1. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson: Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact…
A Decade in the Life of a Brooklyn Photographer: the Laura Fitzpatrick Collection
Fifteen Recommended Reads for Black History Month
February is Black History Month. Black History Month was proposed by Black professors and the Black United Students group at Kent State University in 1969, and was first celebrated a year later from January 2nd to February 28th. Not until 1976, was it finally celebrated nationwide. One way to celebrate and honor Black history is by reading books by Black writers, poets, activists, etc. Below are fifteen books to read this month, and all year round! Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and…
Black History Month: Portraits
Keely Jean-Baptiste, a Librarians of Tomorrow intern, created a fantastic Black History Month display at the Mill Basin Library last month. Keely selected the books, wrote and designed a booklist, and drew two portraits of John Lewis and Shirley Chisholm. Check out Keely's beautiful work here!
Spotlight: Macon Library, a Classic Carnegie Representing the Bed-Stuy Community
Macon Library, located at 361 Lewis Avenue, is one of the best-preserved Carnegie branches in Brooklyn. Opened in 1907, the two-story, Classical Revival-style building retains its original fireplaces, oak paneling, alcoves and wooden benches, along with the warm charm that has welcomed the Bedford-Stuyvesant community for more than one hundred years. With Bedford-Stuyvesant being rich with African American history, BPL staff. local residents and community leaders made the preservation of that history a priority with the Dionne Mack-Harvin Center, Macon Library's African American…
BKLYN Presents: Black History Month Books to Celebrate
Patricia; Marlene, Assistant Branch Manager - Cypress Hills
During the month of February, we celebrate Black History month and invite you to join the celebration! Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian and former slave, began the celebration in 1929 to celebrate the contributions of African Americans to the United States of America. At first, it was a two week-long celebration. Imagine a two week-long birthday party! He decided on February because it was the birthdays of two men who were very important in the lives of African Americans: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, Former United States president Gerald Ford decided…
Ten Graphic Picks for Black History Month
Afar by Leila Del Duca: In a post-industrial desert wasteland, fifteen-year-old Boetema develops the ability to astral project to other planets. On her own planet, with her parents gone, she and her thirteen-year-old brother, Inotu, must cross a dangerous desert to flee a cyborg bodyguard. Bingo Love by Tee Franklin: "When Hazel Johnson and Mari McCray met at church bingo in 1963, it was love at first sight. Forced apart by their families and society, Hazel and Mari both married young men and had families. Decades later, now in their mid-'60s, Hazel and Mari reunite again at a…
Dive into Databases this Black History Month
Welcome to a new monthly blog installment that will highlight online databases for teens. This month I will be linking databases in honor of Black History Month. Black History Month is a yearly celebration of the achievements of African Americans that takes place in February and every year a theme is chosen. This year's is Black Health and Wellness. One of my favorite databases for the month is the African American Experience I love this database for several reasons. It is a great source for locating primary documents and peer reviewed articles related to the…
Digital Research Resources: Arturo Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
A former BookMatch Teen Intern at BPL, Elani is currently interning at Central Library's Youth Wing during her college’s field work term. I was fortunate to have manifested an interest in archives and history during the pandemic and less so due to the fact that many museums, archives, and historical centers had decided to close or limit their patrons. Even though some are still open to the public, as an out of state college student I don’t have the luxury to go out and visit them regularly. Digital archives are useful especially when you’re a student and/or aren’t currently…
The Fashion Show that Helped Launch a Movement
Top Five Movies to Watch for Black History Month
If you’re looking for a great movie to watch during Black History Month, then this list is for you! Below I’ve listened a few AMAZING movies you must watch, if it's Black History Month or not. Twelve Years a Slave (2013) This movie is an essential. It's about Solomon Northup, a free black man who lived in the North and was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The movie follows his struggle to survive and how he spent the next twelve years of his life fighting to be free again. A MUST watch! Antebellum (2020) Viewers are saying that this movie has a HUGE plot twist at the…
Kids Create: Modern Collage for The Culture
February is black history month, and today, on Valentine's Day, kids can celebrate their love of black culture while honoring artists who made beautiful impacts on the world of modern art. At Paerdegat Library we chose to honor three black modern artists whose names/surnames begin with the letter B: Romare Bearden, Betye Saar and Jean Michel Basquiat. These artists used various art mediums, or elements, to create different types of art that included collages, assemblages, graffiti, cartoons, paintings and prints. You can make a collage out of anything, and we used…
Graphic Novels to Read During Black History Month
As you all know, February is Black History Month. Black History Month was proposed by Black professors and the Black United Students group at Kent State University in 1969, and was first celebrated a year later from January 2nd to February 28th. Not until 1976, was it finally celebrated nationwide. One way to celebrate and honor Black history is by reading graphic novels. As many of us librarians and library workers know, graphic novels are becoming increasingly popular. Graphic novels can also be a helpful tool for struggling readers of all ages, and can improve one’s visual literacy…