Hi everyone!
This month is Black History Month which is used to celebrate an awareness of the individuals and movements that helped to shape black history. This can be seen, for example, by looking at the work of famous people from Mary Seacole, to Martin Luther King Jr, to Kobe Bryant.
The library has put together a collection of books, both fiction and nonfiction, which explore black history. You can access this by logging onto the eLibrary (see our article on how to do this below), or by going to the South Site Library in person. There’s a ‘Reading List’ of books, as well as the 'Book of the Week' and 'News' articles all linked to Black History Month.
Here are some of our favourite suggestions:
A bit about Black History Month
Black History Month was first proposed in 1915 by Carter G. Woodson, who is now referred to as the ‘Father of Black History’. Initially it was only celebrated in one week, rather than a month. Now we recognise the whole of October as a chance to shine a light on the past and achievements of black individuals and groups, including the Civil Rights Movement in America which aimed to end segregation (the division between white and black people) and gain equality regardless of race.
In 1976, Black History Month was officially recognised by the President at the time who urged Americans to:
“seize the opportunity to honour the too often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history”.
So if this was so long ago, why is it still important? There are still issues of racism in society and the Black Lives Matter movement resurged after the killing of George Floyd by a police officer last year. Discrimination based on ethnicity is illegal, yet there are still inequalities in the workplace, with Forbes revealing this year that there are no black CEOs in any of Britain’s 100 largest companies. Furthermore, black history has previously been overlooked in education with schools teaching an ethnocentric curriculum (focused around white people and ‘British’ history, without recognising the diversity of our population). Now that more information is available, such as our library resources, a broader and more inclusive education is available.
So the library resources are just one way that you can remember to celebrate Black History Month. You could read black history books, watch documentaries, or listen to podcasts about famous individuals.
There are also lots of fictional programmes based on real events, such as the film ‘Hidden Figures’ which follows the story of black female mathematicians working for NASA during the Space Race. It’s definitely worth the watch!
Educating yourself about issues of racism or the Civil Rights Movement is really important in building tolerance and empathy, ultimately creating a more equitable society.
Know the past, shape the future.
Thank you for reading.