The PCC Library continuously selects materials related to African American history as well as contemporary Black American culture. Explore our collection, and suggested materials from the web, to learn more about the contributions and achievements of Black Americans as we celebrate Black History Month. About Black History Month Established in 1926 by noted African American historian Carter G. Woodson, Black History Month evolved to become a month-long event in 1976. February was selected because Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln have birthdays during the month. The annual event provides an opportunity to learn about the history, traditions, and contributions of Black Americans. The theme for 2020 is African Americans and the Vote. For more information, see the African American History research guide. PCC Events In celebration of Black History Month, PCC Cascade Campus and the Hollywood Theatre are hosting the Cascade Festival of African Films from January 31 – February 29, 2020. Visit the festival website for additional information.
Recommended videos African American Studies A collection of 332 videos on topics including the era of slavery, the civil war, and the end of slavery and the achievements of reconstruction in the fight for African American rights. Boss: The Black Experience in Business Examines more than 150 years of African American men and women who have embodied the qualities that are the heart of the American entrepreneurial spirit. Cracking the Codes: The System of Racial Inequality This video introduces the dynamics of systemic racial inequality. PCC Library owns streaming rights of this video for 3 years. It will expire in October 2020. In Search of the Dream: A Story of the African American Experience This video series covers the story of African Americans from the arrival of the first slaves in 1619 through the civil rights movement. Let Freedom Ring: Moments from the Civil Rights Movement This NBC news program shows original coverage from America’s civil rights era. Includes the Greensboro sit-ins, the Freedom Rider phenomenon, the March on Washington, and other events. Voices of Women: African American Women Alice Walker, bell hooks and others examine the emergence of African American women as popular and powerful voices of social conscience. Recommended books Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin (2010) Condemnation of Blackness: Race, Crime and the Making of Modern Urban America (e-book)(2010) Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America by Eugene Robinson (2010) Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History An online resource that includes biographies, essays and more to cover aspects of the African-American experience from 1619 to the present day. From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans by John Hope Franklin (2000) The Illustrated Souls of Black Folk (e-book) by W.E.B. Du Bois (2016) It Was All a Dream: A New Generation Confronts the Broken Promise to Black America by Reniqua Allen (2019) Let Nobody Turn us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform and Renewal: An African American Anthology by Manning Marable and Leith Mullings (2009) Lucent Library of Black History A series of e-books designed to help readers understand the connection between black history and the sweep of America’s story. Covers topics from the civil rights movement to the evolution of the blues, the Harlem Renaissance and more. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Robert G. O’Meally (2003) She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (2019) Waking From the Dream: The Struggle For Civil Rights in the Shadow of Martin Luther King Jr. by David L. Chappell (2014) The World’s Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of the Cyclist Major Taylor, America’s First Black Sports Here by Michael Kranish (2019) Recommended websites African-American Odyssey Produced by NPR and PBS, this site contains profiles of prominent African Americans, historical events, racial and societal issues, and contributions to arts and culture. Black Past An online reference center with a wealth of materials on African American history. Maintained by the University of Washington. Includes a section on African American History in the West. Guide to Harlem Renaissance Materials Presents full-text Library of Congress resources and links to the external website on the Harlem Renaissance movement. History.com – Black History Includes this day in history, TV shows, video clips, interactive timeline, important speeches and more. In Motion: The African American Migration Experience The Schomburg Research Center presents thousands of pages of texts and illustrations of thirteen defining migrations that formed and transformed African Americans. Library of Congress: African American History Month Includes speeches, images, collections, and audio/video of outstanding African Americans who have helped pave the way for ethnic multiculturalism. New York Public Library Digital Schomburg Collection Includes exhibitions, books, articles, photographs, prints, audio and video streams and selected external links for research on the global black experience. Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Surgeons Learn about the history of medical education for African Americans, the pioneering African American surgeons who formed their own medical institutions and teaching hospitals and new frontiers in academic surgery. Oxford African American Studies Center: Women and Literature A collection of short articles, essays and photo collections exploring the contributions of African American women to American literature. This site also links to features on other topics, such as African American Artists during the Twentieth Century, African American Women and Photography, Blacks in Film and Television and much more. Voices of Civil Rights A Library of Congress exhibition that features personal narratives of people who experienced the events.