Black History Month History • Culture • Perspectives
This month we honor and recognize the diverse and rich history of African Americans. We will be celebrating throughout February through several online events, staff-curated booklists, and a collection of online resources and exhibits.
Online Events
The 1619 and 1628 Charter Angolans in Jamestown: My Family Story
Original date: Tuesday, February 2 at 6:30 p.m.Join historian, author, genealogist, and nonprofit museum/bookstore owner Gigi Best-Richardson as she shares how her Angolan ancestors arrived in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 and 1628. This presentation will unveil research on the lineage, discovery, and documentation of indentured ancestors who became Melungeon (Free Persons of Color) and extended families of Kecoughtan (Point Comfort) in the state of Virginia.
Watch on demand
African Americans in the West
Original date: Monday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m.This session led by Dr. Julian Chambliss will explore the real and imagined narratives connected to Black Americans in the West in popular culture and show how their omission from the U.S. Western narrative began and persists in modern culture.
Watch on demand
Black History Month: Story Time
Original date: Thursday, February 11 at 9:30 a.m.Black History Month is a time to learn about the experiences and contributions of African Americans. Join us as we celebrate with stories and activities.
Watch on demand
An Evening with Dorothy Davis: The Photography and Legacy of Griffith J. Davis
Original date: Thursday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m.Dorothy M. Davis, President of Griffith J. Davis Photographs and Archives, will present an illustrated talk focusing on the impact of the photography and legacy of her father Griffith J. Davis (1923-1993), pioneering Black photojournalist, filmmaker, and US Senior Foreign Service Officer.
Watch on demand
Desegregation of Public Accommodations in Maryland, 1962
Original date: Tuesday, February 16 at 6:30 p.m.In this presentation, Dr. John Hartman will share his experiences as a Civil Rights protestor who was arrested in 1962. Learn how his and other such cases were overturned by the Maryland Supreme Court, which led to the state becoming the first in the South to desegregate public accommodations.
Watch on demand
African-American Tech Pioneers
Tuesday, February 23 at 5:30 p.m.Celebrate Black History Month with the technological achievements of African Americans. Recommended for all ages.
Watch on demand
Recommended Reads for Adults
For Fans of National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman
Black History in the Tampa Bay Area
Our Lives, Our Legacies: The Hillsborough Black Experience
The goal of this online collection is to record and preserve the stories of African American residents in Hillsborough County.
This project began when the library was awarded a grant from 'StoryCorps @ your library,' a national program designed to encourage multi-format public programming on broad themes of oral narrative, local history and heritage.
View the collection
Black Freedom Struggle
This curated selection of primary sources is designed for learning about the struggles and triumphs of Black Americans.
Black Freedom StruggleLearn More
- Online Exhibitions National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Digital Collections Library of Congress – African American History
- Local History African American Historical Resources
“If you know whence you came, there is really no limit to where you can go.”