The library has gathered work by and about African Americans in our Black History Month guide. Browse recent nonfiction, popular fiction, children’s books, ebooks, streaming movies, and more! Mobile-friendly version available here.

These works have been chosen for their display and recognition of the black experience throughout American history. We encourage all members of the DeSales community to spend this month honoring these stories and reflecting on the systematic racism that still plagues our country. Follow along as we share resources throughout the month on our social media @desales_trexler

You can also celebrate Black History month by viewing our themed display, African Americans and the Vote, now in Trexler Library lobby. Check it out to learn more about prominent African Americans who fought for the right to vote and the history of disenfranchisement of black citizens in the US.

In 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment gave all citizens, regardless of race, the right to vote, but most African Americans remained disenfranchised. During the Jim Crow Era, many states passed racially-motivated laws and amended their constitutions to restrict voting through literacy tests, poll taxes, property-ownership requirements, and other clauses that prevented black Americans from voting. African Americans gained the full voting rights of citizens through the Voting Rights Act of 1965, almost 100 years after the ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment. However, many black communities still face disenfranchisement through modern voter suppression.

Black History Month, or African-American History Month, began as Negro History Week in 1926 which encouraged the teaching of African American history in public schools. In 1970, it was expanded to Black History Month at Kent State University and became a nation-wide celebration in 1976 when President Gerald Ford recognized it.