This year’s Black History Month theme is “African Americans and Labor,” highlighting the profound ways that all kinds of work (free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary) intersect with the collective experiences of Black people. What people do for a living helps to inform their sense of self as well as their societal status.
The idea of dedicating an observance to promote the history, culture and achievements of African Americans and other people of color was developed by Carter G. Woodson, the son of two former slaves who would become the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Check out U.S. History (Gale in Context) for primary sources and reference documents. Discover how Black History Month came to be celebrated, and more. Learn all about Carter G. Woodson in Biography (Gale in Context). And browse the Ebony Magazine Archive for articles about civil rights, education, and other related social topics.
Library Events
Our libraries’ Black History Month programming kicks off (literally) with a series of Capoeira for Beginners classes. This Brazilian invention melds elements of martial arts, dance, and music into an energetic workout that is fun and challenging. Drummer extraordinaire Mr. Boom Boom returns to four of our libraries later in the month to share his love of African culture and music in a family friendly show.
- Wednesday, February 12, 7pm-8pm at Cupertino Library. Registration required.
- Saturday, February 22, 1pm-2pm at Gilroy Library
- Saturday, February 22, 4:30pm-5:30pm at Cupertino Library
- Sunday, February 23, 11am-Noon at Milpitas Library
Book clubs and discussions will take place throughout the month.
- Tuesday, February 18, 11am-Noon: Journalist and author Lee Hawkins will give a virtual talk about his memoir, I Am Nobody’s Slave. Registration required.
There will also be several craft events, including making paper and felt quilts and Mardi Gras masks.
Booklists
Our librarians for adults have created a new booklist around Black History Month. Discover more recent booklists on jazz musicians and black chefs, with an emphasis on southern cooking. And keep an eye out for special displays at our libraries!
