This month, UMD and MD Libraries honor black history with public events, discussions, film festivals, resources. Here is a compiled list brought to you by the UMD iSchool.
Originally created by author and Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, in 1926, Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans across the U.S. History and society, from activists and civil rights pioneers, to leaders in industry, politics, science, culture, technology, and more.
This month, join the UMD community and several Maryland Library systems in honoring Black History Month with public events, discussions, film festivals, and resources.
UMD Events and Exhibits:
The David C. Driskell Center curates several virtual exhibits featuring the works of African American artists available all year long
2/3: BlackLight Summit 2022 hosted by the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
2/4: Black History at UMD Pop Up Exhibition (Stamp Gallery) featuring seventeen works selected created by fourteen individual student artists and a collective project created by UMD and Bowie State students
2/8: Simply Because People Refuse to See: Black Lives Matter in Historical Context featuring Dr. Yohuru Williams explores the history of the struggle for racial equality in the United States from the Civil Rights era through the contemporary Black Lives Matter Movement
2/8: Stop the Hate Training for Students
2/14: Douglass Day the iSchool will be participating in this year’s celebration and “transcribe-a-thon” event and Bake Off
2/16: Black Women’s Studies through Spillers, Shadrack, and Sula presented by the English department’s Antiracism: Communities + Collaborations
2/23: Sufiya Abdur-Rahman, Winner of the Iowa Prize for Literary Nonfiction presented by the English department’s Antiracism: Communities + Collaborations
Here are several of the opportunities brought to you by Maryland libraries to celebrate Black History Month:
Anne Arundel County Public Library:
The State of Black Annapolis: A Black History Month Conversation, a three-part in-person and virtual speaker series featuring the brightest minds locally and regionally in the fields of economics, education, elections and entertainment
2/3: Emancipation Proclamation: What They Never Taught You in High School learn more about the history of the Emancipation Proclamation
2/9: Virtual Storytime Event: The MS. V Experience featuring Vanessa Brantley-Newton, award winning children’s author and illustrator of Becoming Vanessa, Just Like Me, and Grandma’s Purse
2/16: The Story of Mr. Thomas Carney – A Maryland Patriot of the American Revolutionary War featuring Mr. Thomas Carney, 50-year-old veteran who will tell his story in reflection, beginning with his family farming on the Eastern Shore
2/19: My Grandmother Told Me: A Tribute to African American Women featuring actress Debra Mims who will lead the audience in this highly interactive walk through an important part of America’s history
2/22: The Black History You Don’t Know featuring a lecture presented by Carl O. Snowden
2/26: Adult Film Fest: Celebrating Black Joy a day of film dedicated to the celebration of Black joy hosted at the Odenton Library
Prince George’s County Memorial Library System:
African American Inventors and Innovators Series this four-part series will explore African American inventors and innovators who influenced our way of life in the workforce as we know it today
2/1: African American History Read Aloud Join the PGCMLS each Tuesday in February as we share a picture book about the African-American experience
2/3: Shelf Life – “The Silent Shore” with Charles L. Chavis Jr. who will share a more complete narrative of a human life taken by lynching in Salisbury, Md., in 1931
2/8: “A Question of Freedom” explores the history of enslaved Black residents of the County who challenged slavery in the courts from the late-18th century
2/9: Black Authors in Sci-Fi & Fantasy a special writing workshop series as we delve into the lives of famous African American Science-Fiction & Fantasy authors such as Octavia E. Butler and N. K. Jemisin
2/10: Wanda Smalls Lloyd on “Coming Full Circle” features author Wanda Smalls Lloyd who will discuss her memoir “Coming Full Circle: From Jim Crow to Journalism”
2/17: Cole S. Manley on “The Unlikely World of the Montgomery Bus Boycott” featuring a discussion led by author and historian, Cole S. Manley
2/22: The Elephant We Don’t See: A Diversity Dialogue “The Source of Self-Regard” by Toni Morrison featuring a discuss on equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism with books as a launch point
2/23: Open Mic: Celebrating Black Culture featuring poets and spoken word artists of all ages
2/24: Hip Hop: The Sound that Shapes Culture featuring topics of musical engineering, music history, and knowledge related to black history
2/28: Film Discussion: “Through the Lens Darky – Black Photographers and the Emrgence of a People” the first documentary to explore the role of photography in shaping the identity, aspirations and social emergence of African Americans from slavery to present
Howard County Public Library:
2/8: Dr. Carter G. Woodson: The Origins and Significance of Black History a 2-part virtual series will be presented by historian and educator Marcus “Sankofa” Nicks
2/10: The Citizens’ Guide to the 1619 Project featuring UMD professor of history, Dr. Richard Bell
2/16: Lady Brion: The Anthem a poetry slam workshop
2/23: Reading Human Rights – Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson part of a monthly book discussion that promote cultural awareness, diversity, equity