Black History & Culture: Resource Guide

About this Guide

This guide offers a variety of starting points for research on African American and Black culture. Searching the library’s catalog may present too wide a variety of resources, such that general terms like “Black” or “African American” may not lead to the desired results.

This guide brings together a curated collection of books, websites, educator resources and past programs. It aims to lead to the same kind of spontaneous connections as may be found by exploring the library’s physical space. It also provides a brief discussion of Black History Month as a time when the library places a special emphasis on African American and Black culture in its events and collections.

#Educator

Resources for Educators

See the materials below for potential starting points for engaging learners. You’ll find lesson plans, digital tools, primary source collections, and more.

• Resources for teachers from the Sankofa Collaborative, a central New Jersey organization
• Oral histories and further resources from the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
• Content from the Historical Society of Princeton
• Educator resources collected by federal cultural agencies
• Teaching tools from Edutopia
• Lessons and resources from the National Education Association
• Teaching ideas from the Anti-Defamation League
• Lesson plans from the Smithsonian Institution’s History Explorer

#Programs

Past Programs at the Library

A selection of past programs provide further context for and insight into the experiences of Black people living in America. The library’s YouTube channel hosts many more such recordings of past programs, but these represent an illuminating cross-section of the content available there.

Not In Our Town Princeton hosts a regular gathering at the Princeton Public Library entitled, “Continuing Conversations on Race & White Privilege.” The statement of intent with regards to these gatherings is as follows: “Our priority is to create a safe and welcoming atmosphere in which our African American sisters and brothers and other people of color will feel respected and have their stories listened to and really heard. We are motivated to explore our own privilege and biases and to continue to learn and grow by hearing each other’s stories, so that we can best make a difference.” This playlist brings together the library’s record of past events in this series.

Presented in partnership with Princeton University’s Criminal Justice Initiative at the School of Public and International Affairs and Effron Center for the Study of America, in this program sociologist Karida L. Brown, joined in conversation by Laurence Ralph, presents her new book, “The Battle for the Black Mind,” an explosive historical account of the struggle for educational justice in America. Drawing on over a decade of archival research, personal reflection, and keen sociological insight, this book traces a century of segregated schooling, examining how early efforts to control Black minds through education systems has laid the foundation for the systemic inequities we still live with today.

In this recording, presented in partnership by the library, the Historical Society of Princeton and the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society, Shirley Satterfield, executive director of the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society, offers a Heritage Tour of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. During the tour, Satterfield, a longtime Witherspoon-Jackson resident, gives an overview of the 29 plaques that have been installed in the neighborhood, Princeton’s 20th historic district. The plaques tell the rich history of African-American establishments in Princeton.

#Month

Black History Month

February is Black History Month. This month offers an opportunity to learn about the histories and cultures of Black people in the United States. The library aims to explore these topics through programming and collections development throughout the year, but this month serves as a chance to focus our efforts.

The origins of Black History Month date to the early 20th century, when historian Carter G. Woodson, in collaboration with other Black advocates and scholars, campaigned for an annual week dedicated to Black history. The organizers scheduled the week for February because it coincided with two dates of significance, particularly for Black Americans: the birthdays of Frederick Douglass, a prominent abolitionist and civil rights advocate, and U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The first observance enjoyed ample grassroots involvement, and by the mid-20th century the week had gained widespread national attention. In 1976, the federal government officially recognized African American History Month for the first time; the U.S. president has made an annual pronouncement formalizing the month every year since.

Both African American and Black are widely used terms. While the month is also referred to as African American History Month, the library primarily uses Black History Month to stay current with national conversations about respectful language. As always with language of this nature, it is recommended to defer to the preferences of the person or people who are members of a given community.

Learn more about the history of Black History Month at the website of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.