Research Guides: Black History Month: Books

About Black History Month

As a Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, like W. E. B. Du Bois before him, believed that truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice. His hopes to raise awareness of African American's contributions to civilization was realized when he and the organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), conceived and announced Negro History Week in 1925. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The response was overwhelming: Black history clubs sprang up; teachers demanded materials to instruct their pupils; and progressive whites, not simply white scholars and philanthropists, stepped forward to endorse the effort.

By the time of Woodson's death in 1950, Negro History Week had become a central part of African American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the celebration. At mid–century, mayors of cities nationwide issued proclamations noting Negro History Week. The Black Awakening of the 1960s dramatically expanded the consciousness of African Americans about the importance of black history, and the Civil Rights movement focused Americans of all colors on the subject of the contributions of African Americans to our history and culture.

The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation's bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” That year, fifty years after the first celebration, the association held the first Black History Month. By this time, the entire nation had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the American story. Since then each American president has issued Black History Month proclamations. And the association—now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)—continues to promote the study of Black history all year.

(Excerpt above is posted on https://blackhistorymonth.gov/about/, and originates from an essay by Daryl Michael Scott, Howard University, for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History)

Books on Black History and Culture Available in Begley Library

Built From The Fire by Victor Luckerson
Call Number: F704.T92 L84 2023
ISBN: 9780593134375
Publication Date: 2023-05-23
"When Ed Goodwin moved with his parents to Greenwood, Tulsa, his family joined a growing community on the cusp of becoming the center of Black life in the West. But, just a few years later, on May 31, 1921, the teenaged Ed hid in a bathtub as a white mob descended on his neighborhood. They laid waste to 35 blocks and murdering as many as 300 people. The Tulsa Race Massacre was one of the worst acts of racist violence in United States history. The Goodwins and many of their neighbors soon rebuilt the district into "a Mecca," in Ed's words, where nightlife thrived, small businesses flourished, and an underworld economy lived comfortably alongside public storefronts. Ed grew into a prominent businessman and bought a community newspaper called the Oklahoma Eagle to chronicle its resurgence and battles against white bigotry. He and his genteel wife, Jeanne, raised an ambitious family, who became literal poster-children for black progress, and their son Jim, an attorney, embodied their hopes for the Civil Rights Movement. But, by the 1970s urban renewal policies had nearly emptied the neighborhood, even as Jim and his neighbors tried to hold onto pieces of Greenwood. Today, the newspaper remains, and Ed's granddaughter Regina represents the neighborhood in the Oklahoma state legislature, working alongside a new generation of local activists"-- Dust jacket.

Reading Contemporary African American Literature by Beauty Bragg
Call Number: PS508.N3 B67 2015
ISBN: 9780739188781
Publication Date: 2014-11-12
Reading Contemporary African American Literature focuses on the subject of contemporary African American popular fiction by women. Bragg's study addresses why such work should be the subject of scholarly examination, describes the events and attitudes which account for the critical neglect of this body of work, and models a critical approach to such narratives that demonstrates the distinctive ways in which this literature captures the complexities of post-civil rights era black experiences. In making her arguments regarding the value of popular writing, Bragg argues that black women's popular fiction foregrounds gender in ways that are frequently missing from other modes of narrative production. They exhibit a responsiveness and timeliness to the shifting social terrain which is reflected in the rapidly shifting styles and themes which characterize popular fiction. In doing so, they extend the historical function of African American literature by continuing to engage the black body as a symbol of political meaning in the social context of the United States. In popular literature Beauty Bragg locates a space from which black women engage a variety of public discourses.

Free Huey by Edward M. Keating; C. R. Garry (Introduction by)
Call Number: KF224.N4 K4
ISBN: 9780878670000
Publication Date: 1971-03-01
Huey P. Newton, co-founder and leader of the Black Panther Party, was arrested in the emergency room of an Oakland hospital. Indicted on three counts: murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and the kidnapping of a civilian in making his escape from the scene of the killing. Shouts of "Free Huey!" and "Cop Killer!" could be heard as the trial began. This book is written by one of the defense lawyers, and tells the complete story starting with the events of that night, all the way through to the jury's verdict.

Decolonising the Mind by Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Call Number: PL8010 .N48 2011
ISBN: 9780852555019
Publication Date: 2011-02-15
Ngugi describes this book as 'a summary of some of the issues in which I have been passionately involved for the last twenty years of my practice in fiction, theatre, criticism and in teaching of literature.' East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda): EAEP

Hip-Hop As Philosophical Text and Testimony by Lissa Skitolsky
Call Number: HN90.S62 S595 2020
ISBN: 9781498566704
Publication Date: 2020-12-16
Hip-hop as survivor testimony? Rhymes as critical text? Drawing on her own experiences as a lifelong hip-hop head and philosophy professor, Lissa Skitolsky reveals the existential power of hip-hop to affect our sensibility and understanding of race and anti-black racism.

Zoe's Ghana Kitchen by Zoe Adjonyoh
ISBN: 9780316335034
Publication Date: 2021-10-19
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR Remix classic Ghanaian dishes for the modern kitchen in a cookbook that is "bright, bold, and bursting with flavor" (Bryant Terry) and "provides a new perspective and a sense of wonder for Ghanaian cooking" (Sicily Sierra) Celebrated cook and writer Zoe Adjonyoh passionately believes we are on the cusp of an African food revolution. First published to widespread acclaim in the United Kingdom, Zoe's Ghana Kitchen began as a pop-up restaurant in London featuring dishes such as Pan-Roasted Cod with Grains of Paradise, Nkruma (Okra) Tempura, Cubeb-Spiced Shortbread, and Coconut and Cassava Cake. Soon those dishes evolved into this tempting and celebratory cookbook, newly revised and updated for American cooks. Join Zoe as she shares the beauty of Ghana's markets, culture, and cuisine, and tells the evocative story of using these tastes and food traditions to navigate her own identity. Whether you are familiar with the delights of Ghanaian cuisine or new to the bold flavors of West Africa, this book contains inspiration for extraordinary home cooking, in dishes such as: Simple Fried Plantains Red Red Stew Red Snapper and Yam Croquettes Bofrot Doughnuts Nkatsenkwan (Peanut Butter Stew with Lamb) Jollof Fried Chicken Ghana-fied Caesar Salad and more With flexible recipes for hearty salads, quick and wholesome dinners, flavorful feasts, and much more, Zoe's Ghana Kitchen brings truly exciting and flavor-packed dishes into your kitchen. This is contemporary African food for simply everyone.

The Soul of a New Cuisine by Marcus Samuelsson
ISBN: 9780764569111
Publication Date: 2006-09-01
"For as long as I can remember, I've had Africa on my mind." Award-winning chef Marcus Samuelsson may be best known for his innovative take on Scandinavian cuisine at New York's Restaurant Aquavit, but his story begins thousands of miles away, in Africa. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden by adoptive parents, his life transcends national boundaries, and his individual approach to cuisine is a global yet personal one that draws freely from many ethnic and cultural influences. InThe Soul of a New Cuisine, Marcus returns to the land of his birth to explore the continent's rich diversity of cultures and cuisines through recipes and stories from his travels in Africa. Stunning color images by award-winning photographer Gediyon Kifle bring the breadth of the African experience to life, from fishermen at sunset off the coast of Zanzibar to French baguettes loaded onto a bicycle in Senegal. Marcus shares more than 200 enticing recipes, including his own African-inspired creations and traditional dishes from all parts of Africa. You can delight in spicy stews and Barbequed Snapper from West Africa and the familiar Mediterranean flavors of dishes like Moroccan Lemon-Olive Chicken, or make your way east and south for the irresistible taste combinations of dishes such as Curried Trout with Coconut-Chili Sauce from Kenya and Apple-Squash Fritters from South Africa's Cape Malay. Usingingredients that are readily available in American markets, the recipes are doable as well as delicious. Of course, one of the keys to authentic African cooking is the use of spice blends and rubs, which elevate simple cooking techniques to an excitingly varied and intense level. Marcus includes his favorites here, with blends that go from sweet to spicy and feature everything from hot chili peppers and peppermint leaves to sesame seeds and ginger. As he says, Africa is "a state of mind that I hope this book will help you tap into wherever you are." By cooking with a handful of this and a pinch of that, trying new foods and enjoying old ones in a new way, and lingering over meals with family and friends, you will bring the free, relaxed spirit of African cooking to your table and discover for yourself the soul of a "new" cuisine.

In Bibi's Kitchen by Hawa Hassan; Julia Turshen (As told to)
ISBN: 1984856731
Publication Date: 2020-10-13
Grandmothers from eight eastern African countries welcome you into their kitchens to share flavorful recipes and stories of family, love, and tradition in this transporting cookbook-meets-travelogue. "Their food is alive with the flavors of mangoes, cinnamon, dates, and plantains and rich with the history of the continent that had been a culinary unknown for much too long."-Jessica B. Harris, food historian, journalist, and public speaker IACP AWARD FINALIST . LONGLISTED FOR THE ART OF EATING PRIZE . NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New Yorker . The New York Times Book Review . The Washington Post . Bon Appetit . NPR . San Francisco Chronicle . Food Network . Vogue . Delish . The Guardian . Smithsonian Magazine . Salon . Town & Country In this incredible volume, Somali chef Hawa Hassan and food writer Julia Turshen present 75 recipes and stories gathered from bibis (or grandmothers) from eight African nations- South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, and Eritrea. Most notably, these eight countries are at the backbone of the spice trade, many of them exporters of things like pepper and vanilla. We meet women such as Ma Shara, who helps tourists"see the real Zanzibar"by teaching them how to make her famous Ajemi Bread with Carrots and Green Pepper; Ma Vicky, who now lives in suburban New York and makes Matoke (Stewed Plantains with Beans and Beef) to bring the flavor of Tanzania to her American home; and Ma Gehennet from Eritrea who shares her recipes for Kicha (Eritrean Flatbread) and Shiro (Ground Chickpea Stew). Through Hawa's writing-and her own personal story-the women, and the stories behind the recipes, come to life. With evocative photography shot on location by Khadija Farah, and food photography by Jennifer May, In Bibi's Kitchen uses food to teach us all about families, war, loss, migration, refuge, and sanctuary.

The Norton Anthology of African American Literature by Henry Louis Gates (Editor); Nellie Y. McKay (Editor)
Call Number: PS508.N3 N67 1997
ISBN: 9780393040012
Publication Date: 1996-11-01
Welcomed on publication as "brilliant, definitive, and a joy to teach from," The Norton Anthology of African American Literature was adopted at more than 1,275 colleges and universities worldwide.

Historical Dictionary of Pre-Colonial Africa by Robert O. Collins
ISBN: 0810839784
Publication Date: 2001-07-17
The Heart of Darkness, this is the image that most in the West hold of pre-colonial Africa. Joseph Conrad's description of a continent lacking in civilization, commerce, and Christianity is familiar to many readers. Historians have been working to dispel this notion before since the institution of African independence after World War II. Collins seeks to familiarize the reader with pre-colonial Africa, the Africa that began with the migrations of the Bantu from their homeland in 500 B.C. and ended with European control in the 19th century, revealing the culture, events, achievement and rulers of Africa from this time.

Sisters in the Struggle by Bettye Collier-Thomas (Editor); V. P. Franklin (Editor)
Call Number: E185.61 .S615 2001
ISBN: 9780814716021
Publication Date: 2001-08-01
The rarely heard stories of the brave women at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement Women were at the forefront of the civil rights struggle, but their indvidiual stories were rarely heard. It also includes first-person testimonials from the women who made headlines with their courageous resistance to segregation--Rosa Parks, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, and Dorothy Height. This collection represents the coming of age of African-American women's history and presents new stories that point the way to future study.

Born in Blackness by Howard W. French
Call Number: DT31 .F86 2021
ISBN: 9781324092407
Publication Date: 2022-10-25
An historical narrative that begins with the commencement of commercial relations between Portugal and Africa in the fifteenth century and ends with the onset of World War II, Born in Blackness interweaves precise historical detail with poignant, personal reportage. In so doing, it dramatically retrieves the lives of major African historical figures, from the unimaginably rich medieval emperors who traded with the Near East and beyond, to the Kongo sovereigns who heroically battled seventeenth-century European powers, to the ex-slaves who liberated Haitians from bondage and profoundly altered the course of American history.

A History of Sub-Saharan Africa by Robert O. Collins; James M. Burns
ISBN: 9780521687089
Publication Date: 2007-02-08
In a trawl through the entire sweep of sub-Saharan history, the authors have written an accessible introduction for students and general readers. The opening chapter on geography and climate frames the discussion, demonstrating how the environment has shaped the societies and cultures of those living in the region. Thereafter they describe the rise of states and empires in the classical period, the slave trade within Africa and beyond to the Americas, and the European conquest. The concluding section focuses on Africa in the twentieth century as it gains independence and searches for a new identity beyond colonialism. While the authors mull over the debates which have shaped the study of African history, at the centre of this story are the tragedies, triumphs and the resilience of the African people. The book is illustrated with photographs, maps, and sidebars which feature the salient points on either side of the debates.

Books of Local Interest Available in Begley Library

Freedom Flyers by J. Todd Moye
Call Number: D790.252 332nd .M69 2010
ISBN: 9780199896554
Publication Date: 2012-01-01
In this inspiring account of the Tuskegee Airmen - the country's first African American military pilots - historian J. Todd Moye captures the challenges and triumphs of these brave aviators in their own words, drawing on more than 800 interviews recorded for the National Park Service's Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Project. Denied the right to fully participate in the U.S. war effort alongside whites at the beginning of World War II, African Americans - spurred on by black newspapers and civil rights organizations such as the NAACP - compelled the prestigious Army Air Corps to open its training programs to black pilots, despite the objections of its top generals. Thousands of young men came from every part of the country to Tuskegee, Alabama, in the heart of the segregated South, to enter the program, which expanded in 1943 to train multi-engine bomber pilots in addition to fighter pilots. By the end of the war, Tuskegee Airfield had become a small city populated by black mechanics, parachute packers, doctors, and nurses. Together, they helped prove that racial segregation of the fighting forces was so inefficient as to be counterproductive to the nation's defense. Freedom Flyers brings to life the legacy of a determined, visionary cadre of African American airmen who proved their capabilities and patriotism beyond question, transformed the armed forces - formerly the nation's most racially polarized institution - and jump-started the modern struggle for racial equality.

The Underground Railroad Conductor by Calarco, Tom
Call Number: E445.N56 C34 2003
ISBN: 9780974299303
Publication Date: 2003-01-01
A guide to underground railroad sites in eastern New York and a companion to the underground railroad in the Adirondack Region.

1. The underground railroad in New York State -- 2. Researching the underground railroad -- Legendary stops in eastern New York: 3. Legendary stops in New York City -- 4. Legendary stops in the Mid-Hudson Region -- 5. Legendary stops in Albany County -- 6. Legendary stops in Rensselaer County -- 7. Legendary stops in Washington County -- 8. Legendary stops in Saratoga County -- 9. Legendary stops in Warren County -- Getter closer to the promised land: 10. Legendary stops in Clinton County -- 11. Legendary stops in Essex and Franklin Counties -- 12. Legendary stops in St. Lawrence County.

Emancipating New York by David N. Gellman
Call Number: E445.N56 G45 2006
ISBN: 9780807131749
Publication Date: 2006-11-01
An innovative blend of cultural and political history, Emancipating New York is the most complete study to date of the abolition of slavery in New York state. David N. Gellman shows New Yorkers engaged in vigorous debates and determined activism during the final decades of the eighteenth century as they grappled with the possibility of freeing the state's black population.

eBooks Available Through Begley Library

Toussaint Louverture : a Black Jacobin in the Age of Revolutions
Toussaint Louverture (c1743-1803) was the heroic leading figure in the Haitian Revolution of 1791-1804, the only successful slave revolt in recorded history, and he remains an international inspiration, seen by many to be one of the greatest anti-imperialist fighters who ever lived. Toussaint was a military genius who led an army composed overwhelmingly of former enslaved Africans and people of African descent to victory after victory under the banner Liberty or Death over the professional armies of France, Spain and Britain, before paying the ultimate price himself for refusing to compromise with imperial power at the expense of the maintenance of liberty for all.

The Black Seminoles: History of a Freedom Seeking Peoples
This Story of a remarkable people, the Black Seminoles, and their charismatic leader, Chief John Horse, chronicles their heroic struggle for freedom. Beginning with the early 1800s, small groups of fugitive slaves living in Florida joined the Seminole Indians (an association that thrived for decades on reciprocal respect and affection).

The Black Officer Corps: A History of Black Military Advancement from Integration through Vietnam
The U.S. Armed Forces started integrating its services in 1948, and with that push, more African Americans started rising through the ranks to become officers, although the number of black officers has always been much lower than African Americans’ total percentage in the military.

The Life of Paper: Letters and a Poetics of Living Beyond Captivity
The Life of Paper offers a wholly original and inspiring analysis of how people facing systematic social dismantling have engaged letter correspondence to remake themselves-from bodily integrity to subjectivity and collective and spiritual being. Exploring the evolution of racism and confinement in California history, this ambitious investigation disrupts common understandings of the mass incarceration of African Americans (1960s-present) in its meditation on modern development and imprisonment as a way of life.
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The book also explores the detention of Chinese migrants (1880s-1920s), and the internment of Japanese Americans (1930s-1940s).

Local-Based Reference Materials Available through Schenectady County Library

The Schenectady County Public Library has a selection of local-interest biographies and historical works.

A visit to the library will allow you to read more about the incredible life of Dr. Georgetta Dix, who made a tremendous impact to the city of Schenectady. During her lifetime, Dr. Dix and her husband led the Refreshing Spring Church, which later included a Child Care Center for which she received several accolades and proclamations of outstanding community service. The church would eventually grow and include a food pantry, drug counseling program, and women's support group. Many of Dr. Dix's accolades include, but are not limited to:

1. Being credited with breaking the poverty cycle through the care she provided to families and children.

2. Multiple City of Schenectady proclamations dedicated to her and the day care center.

3. Recommendations issued by high ranking members of the community and political advocates

4. Recognition from the Mt. Pleasant High School, who had been presented an award for their advocacy in human rights, by the NYS Division of Human Rights. The high school cited community members like Dr. Dix for their contribution to human rights efforts.

4. Deemed a "Schenectady Patroon" by the City of Schenectady.

Discover more through the Schenectady County Public Library via:

https://pac.sals.edu/polaris/search/title.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.3&pos=3&cn=593188

Call Number: Schdy R B Dix Qui

Fiction Books by Black Authors - Available at Schenectady County Library

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
ISBN: 9780399587665
Publication Date: 2018-01-30
A groomsman and his last-minute guest are about to discover if a fake date can go the distance in this fun and flirty multicultural romance debut by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory--author of the Resse Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick The Proposal. THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER #5 LibraryReads Pick "A swoony rom-com brimming with humor and charm."--Entertainment Weekly (The Must List) "What a charming, warm, sexy gem of a novel....One of the best books I've read in a while."--Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Hunger Agreeing to go to a wedding with a guy she gets stuck with in an elevator is something Alexa Monroe wouldn't normally do. But there's something about Drew Nichols that's too hard to resist. On the eve of his ex's wedding festivities, Drew is minus a plus one. Until a power outage strands him with the perfect candidate for a fake girlfriend.... After Alexa and Drew have more fun than they ever thought possible, Drew has to fly back to Los Angeles and his job as a pediatric surgeon, and Alexa heads home to Berkeley, where she's the mayor's chief of staff. Too bad they can't stop thinking about the other.... They're just two high-powered professionals on a collision course toward the long distance dating disaster of the century--or closing the gap between what they think they need and what they truly want.... One of... Entertainment Weekly's "12 Romances for V-Day" * Cosmopolitan's "2018 Anticipated Reads" * Elle's "2018 Must Reads" * Harpers Bazaar's "New January Must Reads" * The Fug Girls' "Best Books of the Year" * Elle UK's "Books to Get You Through 2018" * Nylon's "January Must Reads" * Hello Giggles' "New Release Recs" * Electric Lit's "Books by WoC to Read in 2018" * Bitch Media's "2018 Must Reads" * BookBub's "2018 Romance Must Reads" * Bookriot's "Must Read 2018 January Releases" * RetailMeNot's "2018 Must Reads"

Guide to more books by this author:

SCPL Link to Books by Author Jasmine Guillory

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
ISBN: 9780062941206
Publication Date: 2019-11-05
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamorous family’s mansion.

Guide to more books by this author:

SCPL Link to Books by Author Talia Hibbert

The Inheritance Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin
ISBN: 9780316334006
Publication Date: 2014-12-09
After her mother's death, a young woman is summoned to the floating city of Sky to claim a royal inheritance she never knew existed in this epic fantasy trilogy from the NYT bestselling author of The Fifth Season. Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle. The Inheritance Trilogy omnibus includes the novels: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms, The Kingdom of Gods, and a brand new novella set in the same world: The Awakened Kingdom.

Guide to more books by this author:

SCPL Link to Books by Author JK Jemison