Remembering the Past, Inspiring the Future

Do you realize that since 1976, every U.S. President has officially declared the month of February Black History Month in honor of the achievements of African-Americans and their role in U.S. history?

celebrates Black History all year with a variety of books, movies and music that are written about, by, or in celebration of the many noted African-Americans who have enriched our lives.

The library’s collection has been enhanced through the musical talents of Count Basie, Aretha Franklin and Muddy Waters; the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes and with one of the many novels written by noted authors like Zora Neale Hurston, Walter Mosley or Alice Walker. The library has many biographies that share the life’s accomplishments of numerous noted black Americans like the Obamas, Thurgood Marshall or Sidney Poitier.

There isn’t an area in the library that doesn’t include something created by black Americans who have improved our lives in countless ways. Here are some recommendations that celebrate them:

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (adult fiction)

“I’m sitting here waiting on the man with two names to come and tell me the truth. That is all I ask for. I need to know what happened and why. Because even though I can remember as far back as I have years, ninety-one years, I still don’t know what happened.” 

Thus begins the story of Ptolemy Grey, suffering from dementia at 91, forgotten by his family and friends, living in a tiny, cluttered apartment with only his memories. Then he meets 17-year-old Robyn, whose friendship affects Ptolemy in unexplained ways and helps his failing mind unlock the secrets of his past. This allows him to make a life-altering decision about his future. This compelling tale will hold your interest from cover to cover and you will appreciate the well-crafted story penned by this award-winning author.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (adult non-fiction)

This is the true story of perhaps the most important person in medical history, Henrietta Lacks or HeLa as the scientists call her. Henrietta, a southern tobacco farmer, was like many young African-American women of her time, a victim of medical experimentation without her informed consent. Henrietta’s cells were removed without her knowledge and became instrumental in the development of among other things, the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and advances in cancer research. Her cells are alive today, 60-plus years after her death, with more medical breakthroughs and advances underway. This is the story of a woman buried in an unmarked grave who helped save the lives of millions. Her story raises many ethical and moral issues.

The Handbook for Boys by Walter Dean Myers (teen fiction)

Growing up is tough…really tough. But what if you had a handbook that told you how to figure things out? How to stay out of trouble? How to think about success? How to think about the guy on the street?”  This story is about two friends, Jimmy and Kevin, and the lessons learned at Duke’s Barbershop, or as they refer to it “the torture chamber," where they are sentenced to six months of community service. This is a great story about making a difference in someone’s life and well worth the time it will take to read it.

The Honest to Goodness Truth by Patricia McKissack (children's fiction)

This is the story about the truth, the whole truth and how the truth can hurt. Children will identify with the main character, Libby, who takes her mother’s advice to “Tell the truth and shame the devil” and finds that telling the truth makes all her friends mad at her. This is a humorous look at how Libby learns there is a right way and a wrong way to tell the truth.  

For the youngest readers, the Caldecott Award winner, The Lion and the Mouse, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is an excellent choice.  

Sometimes the best stories are ones told with few words. That is one of the wonderful things about illustrations–they make the pages come alive. That's why I really like this book by award-winning illustrator Jerry Pinkney, who tells the story of courage and friendship through the wonderful images that come off the pages. For more great books for kids, check out Booklist's top 10 children’s books for Black History Month.

These are but a small sampling of the many wonderful stories available at the library. Stop by and check out some of the folk tales, art and music that commemorate the struggles and success of African-Americans in this country.