Although February is now well known as Black History Month, it originally began as a week long celebration starting in 1926. In 1969, a month long tribute was initially proposed by black educators and students at Kent State University. When President Gerald Ford proclaimed Black History Month during the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976, recognition of it took hold across the country, particularly in educational institutions. Through the years, various themes have been chosen including recent themes such as “African Americans and the Vote,” The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity,” and this year’s theme, “Black Health and Wellness.” This month provides us all with the chance to reflect on African American history, heritage, and culture, as well as to acknowledge accomplishments, influences, tragedies, and triumphs.
The library periodically puts together displays to highlight different areas of our collection; this month we’ve taken the opportunity to recognize Black History Month with a display featuring DVDs and mostly recent books from our collection. You can explore the display on the first floor of the library or online; all materials are available for checkout.
For more information see:
A Proclamation on National Black History Month, 2022
Association for the Study of African American Life and History
