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Black History Month

Every day we appreciate having opportunities to connect people with stories that reflect their own experiences. Darien is a better place to call home thanks to our Black neighbors, colleagues, and friends. The Library celebrates year-round their vibrant cultural heritage. We are honored to be part of the continuous process of building a more inclusive community together.

History of Black History Month

The United States celebrates Black History Month (also known as African American Heritage Month) in the month of February each year. The celebration originated with historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926 who called for a week of recognition.

President Gerald Ford said in 1976 for the first national observation, "...we can seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history."

The National Museum of African American History & Culture was established in 2003, opened in 2016, and is located in Washington, D.C.

Celebrate Black History graphic

Notable Black Americans

Dr. Carter G. Woodson

Dr. Carter G. Woodson

Dr. Woodson was a noted historian and studied the history of African diaspora. He is called the "Father of Black History." When asked if he was afraid of lawsuits for his proposals, he wrote, "I should welcome a law suit. It would do the cause much good. Let us banish fear."

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Serena Williams

Serena Williams

Williams is a tennis player who has won numerous titles and beaten world records for the number of wins she has scored on the court. She holds 23 Grand Slam singles titles. In 2013, her serve was clocked at 128.6 mph. With her sister Venus, they are "unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals."

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Photo by Tourism Victoria via CC BY 2.0

Lonnie Johnson

Lonnie Johnson

Johnson is an inventor who holds more than 250 patents. His most famous one is the Super Soaker and the modern Nerf gun. He is also an aerospace engineer that worked at the NASA's Jet Propulsion Labratory and developed "the nuclear power source for the Galileo mission to Jupiter."

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Elizabeth Jennings Graham

Elizabeth Jennings Graham

Graham was a civil rights activist who won a lawsuit in 1855 that eventually led to desegregating street cars in New York. She filed after she had resisted being removed from a streetcar on her way to church. In later life, she founded the first NYC kindergarten for Black children.

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Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander

Alexander is a poet, children's author, and educator. He has written 21 bestselling books. In 2015, he won the Newbery Medal for The Crossover and the Newberry Honor in 2020 for The Undefeated.

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Photo by Larry D. Moore via CC BY-SA 4.0

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Tharpe was a singer and guitarist whose "unique mixature of spiritual lyrics and electric guitar that was extremely important to the origins of rock and roll." She is known as the "Godmother of rock-and-roll."

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Benjamin O. Davis Sr.

Benjamin O. Davis Sr.

Davis was an American general and the first African-American brigadier general. He his tireless and notable military career to support Black soldiers led to the desegregation of the armed forces in 1948.

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Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland

Copeland is a ballet dancer and author. She was the first Black woman to achieve the distinction of being a principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre's history. She has won numerous competitions.

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Photo by Gilda N. Squire via CC BY-SA 4.0

Discover

Black Freedom Struggle in the US: Primary Sources
This website focuses on Black Freedom, featuring select primary source documents related to critical people and events in African American history. The intention is to support a wide range of students (see examples for using in teaching and learning), as well independent researchers and anyone interested in learning more about the foundation of ongoing racial injustice in the U.S.--and the fights against it.

Black Women's Suffrage Digital Collection
The Black Women’s Suffrage Digital Collection is a collaborative project to provide digital access to materials documenting the roles and experiences of Black Women in the Women’s Suffrage Movement and, more broadly, women’s rights, voting rights, and civic activism between the 1850s and 1960. The materials in this collection include photographs, correspondence, speeches, event programs, publications, oral histories, and other artifacts.