Do you know why we celebrate black history month? Dr. Carter G. Woodson, a pioneer in the study of African American history, is credited with the launch of Negro History week in 1926. Dr. Woodson, the son of former slaves, received little formal education until he entered high school at the age of 19. He went on to earn his masters from the University of Chicago and then a Ph.D. from Harvard. February was chosen because it is the birthday month of two men who greatly influenced African American history, Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Douglas was an escaped slave who became a powerful voice for abolition of slavery and civil rights. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery in the United States. During the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial Celebration this week evolved into a month long celebration of the role African Americans have played in United States history.
Throughout the month of February, the Bastrop Public Library will display materials that celebrate the role African Americans played in history. One of our newest additions to this collection is “African American Firsts: Famous Little-Known and Unsung Triumphs of Blacks in America” by Joan Potter. This is a revised and updated edition which focuses on and celebrates African American accomplishments in a variety of fields.
Gerald Early’s, “Best African American Fiction (2010)” is a collection of short stories and excerpts from novels for adults and young adults written by African American authors this past year. “The Black Book” (35th edition) honors the past role of African Americans to our country’s history and highlights future endeavors. The book, “Post Black: How a New Generation is Redefining African American Identity,” written by Ytasha Womak, provides a fresh look and discussion of black identity in the 21st century. The memoir, “A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School” is written by Carlotta Walls LaNier, one of the “Little Rock Nine.”
The role people of African descent play in shaping the United States and the world is chronicled in Howard Dodson’s “Becoming American: the African-American Journey.” A great biography of Satchel Paige, an American baseball icon, has been written by Larry Tye and is titled “Satchel: the Life and Times of an American Legend.” If you are interested in learning more about the contributions of African-American musicians come and check out “Lift Every Voice: the History of African-American Music” by Burton W. Peretti.
For young adult readers, three excellent historical fiction novels are available.
“Chains” by Laurie Halse Anderson focuses on the lives of two slave girls during the American Revolution. Isabel and Ruth are owned by a ruthless loyalist couple. They decide to spy for the rebel forces and find themselves trapped between two worlds. In “Flygirl” by Sherri Smith, a light-skinned African American girl passes for white in order to join the WWII Airforce Service Pilots. Kekla Magoon has written “Rock and the River,” a story chronicling a teenager caught between his father’s support for Martin Luther King’s nonviolent philosophy and his brother’s belief in the Black Panther Party.
The library also has several titles for children that provide insight into the contributions of African Americans. An especially moving title is “Marching for Freedom: Walk Together, Children, and don’t you Grow Weary” by Elizabeth Partridge. The book describes the walk from Selma to Montgomery which occurred in March 1965. The critical role that children and young adults played in this civil rights march is emphasized. The photos included make this book come alive for the reader. The Coretta Scott King winning book in 2010 for illustrations “My People” by Langston Hughes and illustrated by Charles R. Smith is an outstanding selection. Charles Smith uses photographs to illustrate the Hughes’s poem that is an ode to black beauty.
Several new biographies are also available. These include: “Claudette Colvin: Twice toward Justice “by Phillip Hoose; “Henry Aaron’s Dream” by Matt Tavares; and” Muhammad Ali: the People’s Champion” by Walter Dean Myers. Another great choice is Vaunda Nelson’s “Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal.” The book relates the story of the first African American deputy U.S. Marshall and his three-decade career as one of the most respected lawmen in the Old West.
So come to the library and check out some of these great books. You’ll enjoy yourself and learn something too!