The month of February marks the national recognition of Black History Month. Spokane Public Library has a variety of book lists, events, and films to recognize and celebrate the history, culture, and achievements of the Black community. We encourage you to show your support and reflect on these recommendations all year long.
Events
- Poetry Rising | February 2, 6pm @ Hillyard Library
- Film: ‘Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band’ – The Unsung Hero of Jazz History | February 11, 10:30am @ Shadle Park Library
- Black Owned Business & Resource Fair | February 11, 2-4pm @ Central Library
- Black History Celebration | February 11, 4pm @ Central Library
- NW Passages: Spokane Black Stories | February 15, 7pm 2 @ Central Library
Book Lists
Adult Fiction | Adult Nonfiction
Movies (Courtesy of Kanopy – 8 film credits available per month for free with your library card)
Browse Black History Month Films
Focusing on everyday life in Black communities rarely featured in American cinema, Burnett’s films combine lyrical storytelling with a starkly neorealist, documentary-style approach most famously seen in KILLER OF SHEEP, the chronicle of a slaughterhouse employee’s daily struggles and the emotional baggage he carries home.
Rise Up: The Movement that Changed America
This special explores the key battles in the Civil Rights Movement that transformed American society from the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 to the Chicago Campaign which led to the Fair Housing Act of 1968.
SUBJECTS OF DESIRE explores the cultural shift in North American beauty standards towards embracing Black female aesthetics and features while exposing the deliberate and often dangerous portrayals of Black women in the media.
