Every February we observe Black History Month to recognize, celebrate, and honor the achievements, history and experience of Black Americans. The Library has large collections of fiction, music, DVDs, poetry, and nonfiction by or about African Americans. These will be highlighted in one of our large displays, making it easy to read a book, watch a movie, or listen to music that reflects the Black experience.
Here are some other options:
Explore the Black experience through cinema.
Novels set in the past from contemporary Black writers.
For Black History Month, books and other media highlighting the contributions and experiences of African American artists.
My favorite way to explore history is to read historical fiction. Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictitious plot takes place in the setting of real, historical events. Last year I read The Turner House by Angela Flournoy, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. I loved the story of a Detroit family with 13 siblings from the 1940s to the housing crisis of 2008. Flournoy portrays the many siblings and their relationships in a way that isn't overwhelming. Not all siblings get equal time, with the youngest, Lelah, a 40-year-old gambling addict, getting the fullest development. The writing is flawless. I especially love how fluidly Flournoy writes physical descriptions of characters. Flournoy has a new book out this year, The Wilderness.
Also in February, our Monday afternoon book discussion will read and discuss James by Percival Everett. The novel is a reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain but narrated by Huckleberry's friend on his travels, the fugitive slave Jim, rather than by Huck, as in the original. It won the 2024 Kirkus Prize, the National Book Award for Fiction, and the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. I just finished it, and it is fantastic.
We hope you make some time this month to reflect on the history of Black Americans and to enjoy their many contributions to the richness of our culture.
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