We are approaching 100 years since the first Negro History Week/Black History Month. At the same time, we are at a crossroads as to what BHM programming should look like in the future. This project is a critical step in examining that future. We are able to study BHM in public libraries given the groundwork of our ancestors. We honor their vision and commitment to commemorating African American achievements. The Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) is dedicated to determining how we can best carry on this great legacy. BCALA received a Planning Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to begin exploring the current state of Black History Month (BHM) programming offered at public libraries and identify significant gaps.
Click the arrows to explore additional dates along the timeline.
Benjamin Franklin and Junto Club members start the first public library in America, The
Library Company of Philadelphia.
The American Library Association was founded.
Louisville Western Branch Library is built with funding from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to serve the African American community. It is fully staffed by African Americans with Rev. Thomas Fountain Blue as the director.
The Association for the Study of Negro Life and History was founded (later renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, ASALH).
Dr. Carter G. Woodson inaugurates Negro History Week.
Dr. Woodson and Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune co-founded the Negro History Bulletin which highlighted annual BHM themes and contained lesson plans.
The Public Library Association was founded.
Access to Public Libraries Study funded by ALA documents racism in library services in the United States.
Enactment of the Library Services and Construction Act.
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association is founded.
ASALH begins Black History Month with an expansion and renaming of Negro History week.
ALA elects its first African-American president; Clara Stanton Jones.
Educational guide entitled Black History Month Resource Book by Mary Snodgrass was published.
Literature Review
The literature review on BHM programming in public libraries can be divided into three periods:
The Black History Month Taxonomy allows librarians to evaluate the kinds of BHM programming they conduct and see if there is too much reliance on one type of programming. For librarians not doing BHM programming, it will give them a quick idea of what is possible.
While there is a need to do Black History Month Programming given the demographic shifts occurring in the United States and the contributions African Americans have made to society, we were surprised to find from our preliminary research that 13% of the District/Library Systems and 22% of the branches do not conduct BHM programming. We also discovered other important information.