The roots of Black History Month go back to 1915, with historian Carter G. Woodson’s incorporation of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History). In February 1926, the ASNLH sponsored a National Negro Week to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, and this celebration to honor and recognize achievements of Black Americans evolved into an annual event. In 1970, students and educators at Kent State University celebrated the first Black History Month (in actuality, 2 months, from Jan 2 – Feb 28), giving rise to the official recognition of February as Black History Month in 1976.

Here at the Library, we will be celebrating Black History Month with a daily recognition of extraordinary books by African American writers. Throughout the month of February, staff members will pick a “book of the day” to showcase a favorite title from our collection, highlighting works from the 1700s to the present day, from men and women authors, and across genres.

We will be posting the “book of the day” on our Twitter and Instagram feeds, and I’ll update this webpage daily. All of the titles highlighted are in our collection and available for checkout, so we hope that this walk through our stacks sparks a desire to pick up an old favorite like Beloved or discover a new classic like Read Until You Understand. But we’d also love to hear from you about your favorite works by African Americans. Share what you’re reading with us!

During this month-long celebration, also visit our Black Literature Matters resource hub where you’ll find links to view our 4-part original event series Black Literature Matters which re-examines the voices and achievements of Black writers through the centuries through the use of dramatic readings, historical context, and images; peruse our recommended reading lists; and visit the trailer for our current exhibition. Black Literature Matters, the exhibition, is open to the public in our Peluso Family Exhibition Gallery until May 1, 2022.

Black History Month 2022 Book of the Day:

February 28: The bean eaters : poems /Gwendolyn Brooks

February 27: There is confusion / Jessie Redmon Fauset

February 26: Schomburg: the man who built a library / Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by Eric Velasquez

February 25: Tristan Strong punches a hole in the sky / Kwame Mbalia

February 24: Blood on the Forge / William Attaway

February 23: Revolution in our time: the Black Panther Party's promise to the people / Kegla Magoon

February 22: Tiny stitches : the life of medical pioneer Vivien Thomas / by Gwendolyn Hooks, illustrated by Colin Bootman

February 21: Digest / Gregory Pardlo

February 20: 1919 / Eve L. Ewing

February 19: The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story / edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman, and Jake Silverstein

February 18: Dorothy Porter Wesley at Howard University : building a legacy of Black history / Janet Sims-Wood

February 17: Gordon Parks: segregation story / Gordon Parks (w/ contributions by Michael E. Shapiro, et al.)

February 16: Freedom over me : eleven slaves, their lives and dreams brought to life / by Ashley Bryan

February 15: Paris noir : African Americans in the City of Light / Tyler Stovall

February 14: Read until you understand : the profound wisdom of Black life and literature / Farah Jasmine Griffin

February 13: Lot : stories / Bryan Washington

February 12: When they call you a terrorist : a Black Lives Matter memoir / Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele ; with a foreword by Angela Davis

February 11: Love is a revolution / Renée Watson

February 10: If he hollers let him go / Chester Himes

February 9: The true definition of Neva Beane / Christine Kendall

February 8: The water dancer : a novel / Ta-Nehisi Coates

February 7: The interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, or, Gustavus Vassa, the African : an authoritative text / written by himself ; contexts, criticism, edited by Werner Sollors

February 6: Cane : an authoritative text, backgrounds, criticism / Jean Toomer ; edited by Darwin T. Turner

February 5: Black food : stories, art & recipes from across the African diaspora / edited & curated by Bryant Terry ; photographs by Oriana Koren

February 4: Her stories : African American folktales, fairy tales, and true tales / told by Virginia Hamilton ; illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon

February 3: Middle passage / Charles Johnson

February 2: Unspeakable : the Tulsa Race Massacre / Carole Boston Weatherford; Floyd Cooper

February 1: Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge / Erica Armstrong Dunbar | kid's version