The Association for the Study of African American Life and History named the 2024 theme for Black History Month, “African Americans and the Arts,” and Yakima Valley Libraries commemorates the celebration by highlighting stories of and works by our nation’s courageous and creative Black leaders.
Artists of African descent have used art to preserve history and community memory as well as for empowerment. Though for centuries, Western intellectuals denied or minimized their innovative contributions to art and history, we can still see the unbroken chain of Black art production from antiquity to the present, from Egypt across Africa, from Europe to the New World (www.asalh.org).
Join us in celebrating the narratives of Black leaders, poets, authors, filmmakers, and artists.
For more about Black History Month, visit www.blackhistorymonth.gov.
For more about African Americans and the Arts, visit www.asalh.org.
RESOURCES:
Newsbank Database
Learn about the experience and impact of Black Americans throughout history with Newsbank’s Black Life in America. This expansive database provides library users with a digital archive of news media beginning from the 18th century to today. Click here to research historical news articles.
Kanopy Films
Join us in honoring Black History Month with this collection of narrative and documentary films on Kanopy. These titles remind us that change is possible when we stand united. To access the collection, click here.
eBooks & eAudiobooks
Visit Overdrive to view their curated list of eBooks and eAudiobooks which celebrate the perspectives of Black authors. Click here to download a title through Overdrive’s Libby app.
Special Collections & Archives
The Northwest Reading Room is Yakima Valley Library’s hub for local and regional history; it stewards resources from the territorial period through the mid-20th century. Visit Archive Librarians, Carlos Pelley and Matt Kendall, to learn about Yakima’s diverse history. Click here for more information.
PRINT BOOK LISTS:
Contemporary Fiction
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