This month offers us an opportunity to explore the histories and cultures of Black people in the United States through a variety of programs, events, and book displays for children, teens, adults, and families.
Lancaster Public Library aims to include these topics in programming and content throughout the year, and this month serves as a chance to focus our efforts.
Adult Titles for Black History Month
Heavy : An American Memoir / Kiese Laymon
Giovanni’s Room / James Baldwin
Homegoing / Yaa Gyasi
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings / Maya Angelou
Between the World and Me / Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Underground Railroad : A Novel / Colson Whitehead
Americanah / Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Kindred / Octavia E. Butler
Sister Outsider : Essays and Speeches / by Audre Lorde
Black Buck / Mateo Askaripour
The Prophets : A Novel / Robert Jones, Jr.
The Trees by Percival Everett
A Lowcountry Bride by Preslaysa Williams
Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S Bryce
In Every Mirror She’s Black by Lola Akinmade Akerstrom
The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon
Reckless by Stacey Abrams writing as Selena Montgomery
Single Black Female by Tracy Brown
The Undertakers by Nicole Glover
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman, and Jake Silverstein
Call and Response: The Story of Black Lives Matter by Veronica Chambers with Jennifer Harlan
Footnotes: the Black Artists Who Rewrote the Rules of the Great White Way by Caseen Gaines
Black Food: Stories Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora by Bryant Terry
Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World by Wil Haygood
I’m Possible: A Story of Survival, a Tuba, and the Small Miracle of a Big Dream by Richard Antoine White
The Redemption of Bobby Love: A Story of Faith, Family, and Justice by Bobby and Cheryl Love
Chasing Me To My Grave by Winfred Rembert
From Staircase to Stage: The story of Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan by Raekwon
Unprotected by Billy Porter
Books to help kids and teens celebrate Black History Month
Me and Muhammad Ali by Jabari Asim and illustrated by AG Ford
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson and illustrated by Frank Morrison
Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper
Parker Shines On by by Parker Curry & Jessica Curry; illustrated by Brittany Jackson; with an afterword by Misty Copeland
Ruby’s Reunion Day Dinner by Angela Dalton and illustrated by Jestenia Southerland
Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens and illustrated by Monica Mikai
Change Sings by Amanda Gorman and pictures by Loren Long
My Fade is Fresh by Shauntay Grant and illustrated by Kitt Thomas
Ambitious Girl by Meena Harris and illustrated by Marissa Valdez
Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy and illustrated by Ekua Holmes
When Langston Dances by Kaija Langley and illustrated by Keith Mallett
The Bell Rang by James E. Ransome
Family Reunion by Chad & Dad Richardson and illustrated by Ashleigh Corrin
The Talk by Alicia D. Williams and illustrated by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu
Black Boy Joy edited by Kwame Mbalia
Being Clem by Lesa Cline-Ransome
The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert
JD and the Great Barber Battle written by J. Dillard and illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts
Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles
Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Irelan
The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon
We Were the Fire by Sheila P. Moses
A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée
Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Root Magic by Eden Royce
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone, with illustrations by Dawud Anyabwile
The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods
NONFICTION
Together We March by Leah Henderson and illustrated by Tyler Feder
Going Places by Tonya Bolden and illustrated by Eric Velasquez
Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter by Shani Mahiri King and illustrated by Bobby C. Martin Jr
Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book by Keila V. Dawson and illustrated by Alleanna Harris
The 1619 Project: Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones
Choosing Brave by Angela Joy and illustrated by Janelle Washington
A Ride to Remember by Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan and illustrated by Floyd Cooper
Changing the Equation by Tonya Bolden
The Roots of Rap by Carole Boston Weatherford and art by Frank Morrison
Above the Rim by Jen Bryant and illustrations by Frank Morrison
Zion Unmatched by Zion Clark and James S. Hirsch
Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes
Young, Gifted, and Black by Jamia Wilson
We Can: Portraits of Power by Tyler Gordon
Stand Up! by Brittney Cooper and illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson
ABCs of Black History words by Rio Cortez and pictures by Lauren Semmer
Your Legacy by Schele Williams and illustrated by Tonya Engel
The People Remember by Ibi Zoboi and illustrated by Loveis Wise
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper
BIOGRAPHIES
Maya’s Song by Renée Watson and illustrated by Bryan Collier
The Story of Simone Biles by Rachael Burk and illustrated by Steffi Walthall
I Am Ruby Bridges byRuby Bridges and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith
Laverne Cox by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and illustrated by Olivia Daisy Coles
Tacko Fall: To New Heights by Tacko Fall & Justin Hayne and illustrated by Reggie Brown
Facing Frederick by Tonya Bolden
RESPECT: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Frank Morrison
Call Me Miss Hamilton by Carole Boston Weatherford with illustrations by Jeffery Boston Weatherford
Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Laura Freeman
A Man Called Horse by Glennette Tilley Turner
Mae Jemison by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara and illustrated by Janna Morton
Because of You, John Lewis by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Keith Henry Brown
Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport and illustrations by Brian Collier
Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrations by Jamey Christoph
We Wait for the Sun by Dovey Johnson Roundtree and Katie McCabe with pictures by Raissa Figueroa
A Song for the Unsung by Carole Boston Wetherford & Rob Sanders and illustrated by Byron McCray
Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Eric Velasquez.
She Persisted: Harriet Tubman by Andrea Davis Pinkney with illustrations by Gillian Flint
Song in a Rainstorm by Glenda Armand and illustrated by Brittany Jackson
Moving Forward by by Chris Barton ; illustrated by Steffi Walthall
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Who is the Man in the Air? by Gabe Soria and illustrated by Brittney Williams
Black Heroes of the Wild West by James Otis Smith
When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Harriet Tubman: Toward Freedom by Whit Taylor & Kazimir Lee
The Underground Abductor by Nathan Hale
I Rise by Marie Arnold
Black Enough edited by Ibi Zoboi
Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown
Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne
Kneel by Candace Buford
Blackout by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, Nicola Yoon
Things We Couldn’t Say by Jay Coles
Daughters of Jubilation by Kara Lee Corthron
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris
Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh
Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson with lyrics by Malik “Malik-16” Sharif
This is My America by Kim Johnson
One of the Good Ones by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro
The Awakening of Malcolm X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson
Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
All the Days Past, All the Days to Come by Mildred D. Taylor
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
A Sitting in St. James by Rita Williams-Garcia
Punching the Air written by Ibi Zoboi with Yusef Salaam with illustrations by Omar T. Pasha
NONFICTION
The Beautiful Struggle: A Memoir by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop by Jeff Chang, with Dave “Davey D” Cook
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: Adapted for Young Adults by Jason Reynolds
Race Against Time by Sandra Neil Wallace & Rich Wallace
We Are Not Broken by George M. Johnson
In the Name of Emmett Till by Robert H. Mayer with a foreword by Leslie-Burl McLemore
The Freedom Summer Murders by Don Mitchell
We Are Not Yet Equal by Carol Anderson with Tonya Bolden
Just Mercy: Adapted for Young Adults by Bryan Stevenson
Black Girl Magic by Mahogany L. Browne and art by Jess X. Snow
Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert
BIOGRAPHIES
Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George Johnson
Becoming: Adapted for Young Readers by Michelle Obama
Stupid Black Girl by by Aisha Redux with art by Brianna McCarthy
I See the Promised Land text by Arthur Flowers and illustrations by Manu Chitrakar
Sampling of LPL and Community Programs Celebrating Black History Month
Black History Month Fashion Show
Saturday, February 4 · 5PM · Reynolds Middle School
The Black History Month Fashion Show is a celebration of black beauty, black style, and their impact on popular style and culture. This event is free and is open to the public. For any questions, please contact Derek Smith at vsmith@caplanc.org.
Monday Night at the Movies
Monday, February 6 · 5PM · Lancaster City Branch
We’re watching Home (2015), the story of a young girl, her cat, and the alien she befriends. Rihanna is the voice behind Tip, the lead character in the DreamWorks’ film. Tip was DreamWorks’ first human protagonist of color since 1998 (The Prince of Egypt).
Dorothy Height Social Justice Club Meeting
Thursday, February 9 · 6PM · YWCA Lancaster
Don’t miss the final Dorothy Height Social Justice Club 1619 Project meeting. The discussion will revolve around the final chapters, but reading the text ahead of time is not necessary.
Black History Month on Screen
Saturday, February 11 · 1PM · Lancaster City Branch
Join us for a special screening of Till, an emotional film that re-examines the tragedy of Emmett Till’s lynching framed within a mother’s grief.
After the film, you’re invited to stay for the discussions facilitated by the Lancaster Branch of the NAACP.
Noveltea Book Club
Thursday, February 16 · 6PM · Mountville Branch
Join us at the Mountville Branch for a discussion of Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. Inspired by true events, Take My Hand is a moving novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible wrong done to her patients.
Black History Month on Screen
Saturday, February 25 · 1PM · Lancaster City Branch
Inspired by true events, The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s.
After the film, you’re invited to stay for the discussions facilitated by the Lancaster Branch of the NAACP.
Step Show & Dance Battle
Saturday, February 25 · 6PM · McCaskey East
The Step Show & Dance Battle features some of the best step teams and dance teams from the region and beyond for an afternoon of high energy performances. Tickets are $15. Proceeds benefit Infamous Unstoppables Drill Team & Drum Squad, a program of the Crispus Attucks Community Center
History & Heritage of the Black Community
Kanopy has curated a collection of films that highlights the history and heritage of the Black community. Comprised of current and classic titles, these films delve deep into the discussions around race and representation.
