Decatur Public Library is hosting A Virtual Celebration of Black Literature for Black History Month. We drew our inspiration from the National African American Read-In but –due to COVID-19 – we had to adapt it to a virtual platform. We’ve gathered book recommendations for favorite Black authors or books, from members of our community, and posted them either to our YouTube channel or our Facebook page. You can take part by looking at our recommendations or giving us one of your own!
Due to unavoidable delays, we will extend the virtual celebration into March.
To recommend your favorite Black author or book by a Black author, email stephrhonda@myDPL.org for details on how to participate.
DPL Suggested Black Authors
Click the suggested author title above for ideas about who to read. Check out our Book displays in Young Adult, the Main area, & Youth Services to browse available titles. And don’t forget the digital platforms: Libby, hoopla, Tumblebooks (K-3rd grade) & Tumblebookcloud, jr. (3rd – 6th grade) for more great options!
Young Adult book recommendations
Children’s book recommendations
Dr. Carver and the Class of 1935
Links of Interest
- “Adrenaline Rush” by Rudy Francisco – This is the spoken-word poetry Ms. Anna refers to in our Virtual Celebration of Black Literatrure – Young Adult Books video.
- Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days – by Annie L. Burton, this book is a first-hand account of slavery, written by the subject herself.
- “In the Company of Good Things.” Oxford American, www.oxfordamerican.org/magazine/item/937-in-the-company-of-good-things. – Writer Yuval Taylor tells of his family traveling the route taken by Zora Neale Hurston & Langston Hughes when they travelled together during the summer of 1927.
- African American Literature Book Club – AALBC.com is the oldest, largest, and most frequently visited web site dedicated to books by, or about, people of African descent. Started in 1997, AALBC.com is a widely recognized source of information about Black authors
- Black & Bookish – This link will take you to an outstanding article about the importance of representation in literature and being able to see your own stories in print. There are also GREAT reading lists & author lists on this site.
- Black Literature – this website is devoted to books by, for and about Black writers. Check it out for news articles about Black authors.
- Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College – Clicking on this link will take you to the Book Club book selection, but explore the rest of the website for more programs, author, information, and publications.
- Schomburg Center’s Black Liberation Reading List for Adults – The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, one of The New York Public Library’s renowned research libraries, is a world-leading cultural institution devoted to the research, preservation, and exhibition of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. Click the link above for their Black Liberation Reading List.
- Selected biographies of famous Black Writers from Biography.com.
- The African American Read In book lists – Since the African American Read In was our inspiration for DPL’s Virtual Celebration, check out the bottom of the page when you click on the link.
- The Black Freedom Struggle website from ProQuest – a new resource featuring primary source documents from various time periods in US history regarding African Americans’ pursuit of equality. This resource has materials appropriate for middle school, high school, college, and independent researchers.
Click the buttons below to visit our social media outlets featuring our Virtual Celebration of Black Literature.
