Black History Archives | American Libraries Magazine

ALA Honors African Americans Who Fought Library Segregation

July 3, 2018

Resolution to Honor African Americans Who Fought Library Segregation Whereas the system of “Jim Crow” laws and customs officially existed into the 1960s—a century after the official end of slavery in the United States; Whereas virulent racism, disenfranchisement, Black Codes, and racial segregation laws imposed a rigid system of officially sanctioned racial segregation in virtually … Continue reading ALA Honors African Americans Who Fought Library Segregation →

Members of an African drum and dance ensemble lead patrons in a performance routine as part of Richland Library's day-long Black History Month Fair on January 28, 2017. Photo: Richland Library

Every Month Is Black History Month

By Quincy Pugh | March 1, 2018

Richland Library in Columbia, South Carolina, needed a better way to reach its African-American community. Quincy Pugh, film and sound manager, explains how the decision to celebrate black history year-round and start “I Have a Problem with That”—a series of panel discussions that address challenging social issues—has boosted program attendance and engagement among its target … Continue reading Every Month Is Black History Month →

Jessie Carney Smith in 1965, her first year as a university librarian at Fisk University in Nashville.

Blazing Trails

By Greg Landgraf | January 2, 2018

American Libraries spoke with five leading African-American librarians about their careers, the changes they have witnessed over the decades, and the current issues in librarianship. While no two people have the same story, all five interviewees note inclusivity as an important theme. They discuss libraries as safe havens, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the … Continue reading Blazing Trails →

Patricia Bearden (left) and Raquel Flores-Clemons present “Partners in History: Chicago State University Archive and International Society of Sons and Daughters of Slave Ancestry Digital Collaboration" at DPLAfest in Chicago on April 20.

DPLAfest Comes to Chicago

By John Amundsen | April 25, 2017

Several presentations highlighted efforts to document, preserve, and share digital collections on social justice and community engagement. Preserving African-American history on Chicago’s South Side “Partners in History: Chicago State University Archive and International Society of Sons and Daughters of Slave Ancestry Digital Collaboration,” led by Chicago State University (CSU) Archivist Raquel Flores-Clemons, Patricia Bearden, president … Continue reading DPLAfest Comes to Chicago →

Former Broward County (Fla.) Library Director Samuel F. Morrison stands next to a replica of himself. It stands at the entrance of the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale.

This Former Library Director Is Beside Himself

By Alison Marcotte | October 9, 2015

Morrison, who received his master’s in library science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, became director of the Broward County library system in 1990 and retired in 2003. As director, he began campaigning to build AARLCC, and in 2002, the 60,000-square-foot facility opened as a branch of Broward County Library. Its collection of books, … Continue reading This Former Library Director Is Beside Himself →

Black History Month Graphic Novels for Your Collection

By Sarah Hunter | February 5, 2015

Need to refresh your Black History Month offerings? Here are some graphic novels, both fiction and nonfiction, that address Black History in dynamic, engaging ways. For Adults: Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White By Lila Quintero Weaver. Illus. by the author. 2012. Univ. of Alabama, paper, $24.95 (9780817357146). Perry County, Alabama, was a hotbed … Continue reading Black History Month Graphic Novels for Your Collection →

Latest Library Links

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Greg Miller writes: “For schoolchildren in the 1880s, this colorful star chart would have brought astronomy to life. Through vivid images, hidden flaps and sliders, and clever use of lighting effects, the chart was designed to help teachers illustrate Earth’s place in the universe. The chart was part of a kit, called Yaggy’s Geographical Study, produced for teachers in 1887 by Levi Walter Yaggy, an inventor-turned-publisher who held several map-related patents. Contained in a canvas-covered plywood box, the kit contained maps and charts depicting the world and its climatic zones and peoples. A second edition was released in 1893.”

National Geographic, July 19, 2018
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The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library at Ohio State University has acquired a rare collection of materials by Oliver “Ollie” Harrington (1912–1995). Arriving from Germany, Harrington’s collection includes original published cartoons, along with roughs, sketchbooks, and other archival materials. Inspired by and later involved with the Harlem Renaissance, Harrington published cartoons in a number of Black and leftist newspapers, including the Amsterdam News and the Chicago Defender. Best known for his series Bootsie, Harrington continued with his work after leaving the US due to the scrutiny he was under by the House Un-American Activities Committee in the early 1950s.

Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum Blog, May 23
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Erica Bauermeister writes: “Scents are the stealth weapons in the arsenal of the senses. They head directly to the emotional parts of the brain, bypassing rationality. The memories they evoke are rich, immersive things, three-dimensional, and intimate. Novels about scents tend to affect us in a similar way. We read their sentences and dive into a sense we rarely pay attention to in our normal lives. Perfumers divide fragrances into families, much as we categorize books by genres. For these five evocative books, perfume categories seem a perfect way to characterize them.”

Literary Hub, May 24
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Melissa DeWitt writes: “As a new librarian, and as someone who is new to working at a university, there’s a lot to learn. I’ve found that it’s the students, especially student employees in the library, that provide the most holistic view of campus life and culture. In addition to myths and campus lore, students have very strong opinions about their classes, professors, and perceptions of leadership. I’ve learned about what classes were difficult and why in different departments. Basically, if I want to know how students feel about new construction plans, the history of a particular spot on campus, or the perception of an assignment, I just have to ask.”

ACRLog, May 24
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Reggie Ugwu writes: “Hip-hop artist and Yo! MTV Raps host Fred Brathwaite, better known as Fab 5 Freddy, never kept a consistent diary in the 1970s and 1980s. Instead, decades before social media, he documented the events of his daily life on film, deploying either a compact point-and-shoot camera or a Hi8 camcorder that he always kept at the ready. His personal photographs and videos, consisting of 120 boxes, comprise much of a career-spanning archive that was recently acquired by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, part of the New York Public Library.”

New York Times, May 24
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The African Union Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding on May 20 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions to foster closer collaboration between the two institutions in a strategic move to drive sustainable development of the continent, through education and skills. The collaboration seeks to encourage a reading culture in Africa and enhance human intellectual capital by offering relevant resources. AfLIA President John Tsebe affirmed the association’s eagerness to support AU in realizing its Agenda 2063 goals, by having libraries participate in the process.

African Union, May 20
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Jenn Carson writes: “I am one of those people often approached to deliver webinars and conference talks and write books about my ‘endless ideas and enthusiasm.’ Am I lying and faking it? Lying, no. Forcing myself to be uncomfortable, definitely. I have found ways to work around, or more accurately work with, my insecurity, complacency, and aversion to public speaking (or public anything). And I hate to sound like my mother, but it’s actually been good for me to get out of my comfort zone. I’m going to share what’s worked for me, in the hopes it will help you too.”

Programming Librarian, May 22

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