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
Learn about Black History
See below for lists of nonfiction and contemporary fiction geared toward adult readers and centered around the experiences and perspectives of Black Americans.
For teens, kids, and the youngest readers, below are lists of books that highlight Black history, culture and experiences.
Online resources include:
- Witherspoon-Jackson Cultural and Historical Society, including a virtual walking tour of Princeton’s Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood
- Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
- Self-guided web-based and mobile-friendly walking tours created by (In)Visible Princeton, a Princeton University initiative
- BlackPast
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
- African-American History Online (available to library cardholders)
#Programs
Programs & Exhibits at the Library
The Marel Hidalgo Quartet launches Black History Month at the library with “Sounds of the African Diaspora,” a jazz brunch event on Feb. 2. The quartet will play a variety of styles representing the music of the African diaspora: jazz, blues, calypso, reggae jazz, mento, Brazilian and Afro-Latin rhythms. The quartet features Marel Hidalgo on guitar, Radam Schwartz on piano, Joe Peterson on bass and Joe Brown Jr. on drums. Doors open at 11 a.m. for coffee or tea and pastries. Registration is requested, but not required.
Trenton Children’s Chorus and Trenton Music Makers Chamber Orchestra, the performance groups of Capital Harmony Works, present “A Black History Month Celebration: Songs of Hope, Unity, and Courage” on Feb. 8 in the Community Room. The programs featuret a wide repertoire of music including “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye, “Fuga Con Pajarillo” by Aldemaro Romero and more.
The Black Voices Book Group continues its monthly meetings in February with a discussion of “Finding Me: A Memoir” by Viola Davis, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. This group meets via Google Meet, which works best using the Chrome internet browser. No registration is required, and all are welcome to join.
Community members are invited to participate in Douglass Day 2025 events on Feb. 14, celebrating the life and legacy of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. From noon to 3 p.m., join transcribe-a-thons at the Princeton Public Library or the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, where participants will work together on crowdsourcing the transcription of “The African American Perspectives Collection” from the Library of Congress. This collection highlights African American history through figures like Douglass, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and Booker T. Washington. A limited number of computers will be available at the library, so participants are encouraged to bring laptops. Light refreshments will be served at both locations. Later, from 2 to 4 p.m., drop by the Firestone Library Lobby at Princeton University for a Special Collections Showcase, featuring rare works by and about Douglass and other important African American voices.
For youth, a special series of Community Leader Storytimes is being presented by Princeton Nursery School, in partnership with the library and the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society. The weekly storytimes will feature a motivational read-aloud by an inspiring local African-American community leader followed by an engaging arts and craft activity. Community Leader Storytimes are made possible through funding awarded to Princeton Nursery School from Mercer County’s Cultural and Heritage Commission’s annual History Regrant program, a partnership between the New Jersey Historical Commission’s County History Partnership Program (CHPP) and the Commission.
Through February, a special art and history exhibit from the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM): “The Art of the Witness Stones Project” is on view in the Reading Room. This exhibit shares the artwork of Timberlane Middle School’s eighth-grade students who researched the lives of Friday Truehart, Frost Blackwell, and Nance, three individuals who were enslaved in Central New Jersey during the 18th and 19th centuries. In collaboration with SSAAM and the Witness Stones Project, students created touching artwork reflecting on the lives of these enslaved people and the legacy of slavery in New Jersey.
#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
- Aggregated resources from the Center for Racial Justice in Education
- 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
- “Black Freedom Struggle in the U.S.: Challenges and Triumphs in Pursuit of Equality,” a collection of primary sources from ProQuest
Content made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this programming do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.