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Black History

Welcome to the Black History Month Resource Guide: In honor of February being Black History Month, we are highlighting a number of African American resources that are available through Bowman Library, in addition to a variety of web resources.

Black History Month 2024

Bowman Library focus for the 2024 Celebration of Black History Month:

Graphic Novels and Non-Fiction by Black Authors

 

Graphic Novels represent a deep well of creative writing and illustration.  Graphic Novels can cover any genre and any narrative.  They encompass literature, history, memoir, investigative journalism, and cultural critique.  There are some beautiful adaptations of literature in our collection, such as Octavia Butler's Kindred, as well as personal narratives such as Pulitzer Prize winning author Darrin Bell's The Talk.  There are many more in our collection, both as physical copies and ebooks.  Please check them out!

History of Black History Month

From the Association for the Study of African American Life and History:

"Today, it is clear that blacks have significantly impacted the development of the social, political, and economic structures of the United States and the world. Credit for the evolving awareness of the true place of blacks in history can, in large part, be bestowed on one man, Carter G. Woodson."

Recognizing the dearth of information on the accomplishments of blacks in 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

Under Woodson’s pioneering leadership, the Association created research and publication outlets for black scholars with the establishment of the Journal of Negro History (1916) and the Negro History Bulletin (1937), which garners a popular public appeal. In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience. ASALH views the promotion of Black History Month as one of the most important components of advancing Dr.Woodson’s legacy."