February is Black History Month, a time to reflect upon the many contributions of Black Americans in history and to celebrate their accomplishments. Here at the Canton Public Library, we’re highlighting the works of Black creators in our collections through blogs, reading lists, displays and more.
Children's Recommendations
Black Historical Fiction for Kids – Take a journey through United States history as told by Black voices with these historical fiction and narrative nonfiction titles.
Black Joy Books – These books feature positive stories about Black kids and do not focus on themes of trauma or grief.
Read a Book by a Black Author – Children learn about the world through books and stories. Every culture has its own stories and telling those stories through books is a powerful way to bring people together and encourage us to embrace who we are.
What is Juneteenth? – Learn more about Juneteenth, historical people that made a difference, and the impact of these events over 100 years later.
Teen Recommendations
Black Girl Magic – Celebrate Black Girl Magic with these titles featuring women from all walks of life—each is full of intelligence, grit, beauty, and, of course, magic.
Black Lives Matter: Teens – These books explore the Black Lives Matter movement and how it has changed and grown in recent years.
Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy for Teens – If you're looking for a new YA book to love featuring a Black protagonist and written by a Black author, look no further than this list.
Black YA Authors – Explore this list of Black authors to find a new book in one of your favorite genres.
Adult Recommendations
African American Cooking – These cookbooks by African Americans offer more than just recipes. You will learn about the history of soul food, Black home cooks, Black chefs and the techniques they use to create delicious food.
Back to the Afro-future – Afrofuturism is a wide-ranging Black cultural movement that imagines futures in music, art, philosophy, technology and literature. Check out some of these easy-to-download speculative fiction e-audiobooks that connect futuristic themes with hidden, historical African ancestry.
Black Authors by Genre – Take a look at this list, broken down by genres, to find new Black authors you can read any time of the year.
Biopics for Black History Month – Celebrate with some of these great biopics about Black figures who have shaped history.
Black History Month Audiobooks – Listen to the stories of more than 400 years of Black history with one of these audiobooks.
Black History Month with Gale in Context: Biography – Browse over 500 biographies of African Americans past and present.
Graphic Novels from Black Creators – This collection from top Black creators includes award-winners, history, horror, memoir, nonfiction, politics, philosophy, sci-fi and superheroes.
Juneteenth: History and Celebration – Juneteenth is a federally recognized holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. Find out more about this important day here.
Learn by Listening: Audiobooks on Juneteenth – Listen to these audiobooks to learn more about this momentous day in history and the how the end of slavery impacted everyone.
Learn the history behind Black History Month. Today, Black History Month is a far-reaching, momentous cultural event, but it wasn’t always this way.
Looking for more opportunities to celebrate? Check out these metro Detroit museums, many of which are holding special events and exhibits for Black History Month.
Add a comment to: Celebrate Black History Month