Black History

Opal Lee And What It Means To Be Free, by author Alice Faye Duncan, and illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Keturah A. Bobo, tells the inspiring story of Opal Lee, a black activist that builds on her vision to make Juneteenth a holiday for every American to celebrate, as it represents our nation's creed of "freedom for all".

One hundred original profiles of the most influential African Americans of the twentieth century.
Without Louis Armstrong or Miles Davis, we would not have jazz. Without Toni Morrison or Ralph Ellison, we would miss some of our greatest novels. Without Dr. King or Thurgood Marshall, we would be deprived of political breakthroughs that affirm and strengthen our democracy. Here, two of the leading African American scholars of our day, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and Cornel West, show us why the twentieth century was the African American century, as they offer their personal picks of the African American figures who did the most to shape our world.
This colorful collection of personalities includes much-loved figures such as scientist George Washington Carver, contemporary favorites such as comedian Richard Pryor and novelist Alice Walker, and even less-well-known people such as aviator Bessie Coleman. Gates and West also recognize the achievements of controversial figures such as Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and rap artist Tupac Shakur. Lively, accessible, and illustrated throughout, The African American Century is a celebration of black achievement and a tribute to the black struggle for freedom in America that will inspire readers for years to come. 432 pages, softcover.

Discover a significant event in Black history for every day of the year! Kids who love facts and trivia will appreciate nearly 300 pages of milestones in Black sports, music, art, history, politics, and more, all neatly arranged by day of the year. Inspiring and empowering as it is informative, this guide covers both achievements and setbacks in the lives and Black men and women as they fought for the world's respect. Discover the day Matthew Henson discovered the North Pole (April 6, 1909), the day England officially banned the African slave trade (March 25, 1807), the day Aretha Franklin released her first song to enter Billboard's Top 100 (February 27, 1961), the day George Washington Carver first advised Mahatma Gandhi on the virtues of a plant-based diet to help boycott British goods (February 24, 1929), and much, much more! 368 pages, softcover. Ages 9 and up.

Though often erased and ignored during their lifetimes, Black leaders, writers, civil rights activists, scientists, and more have influenced, inspired, and changed the societies we live in. Grow your understanding of Black history with 30 historical timelines that place individuals and events into the context of world history, covering key moments in European, Caribbean, North American and African history, taking readers from pre-colonial Africa through the Jim Crow Era and the Civil Rights Movement to today’s Black Lives Matter movement.  Learn about the contributions of 100 prominent individuals such as Mansa Musa, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Lewis Latimer, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King, and Barack Obama. 96 pages, hardcover. Ages 8 – 12.

Born into slavery in the U.S. before the Revolutionary War, young Richard Allen believes he faces a hopeless future. But after becoming a Christian as a young man and then seeing his master also come to faith, Allen buys his freedom. As a free man, he serves God first as circuit riding preacher and then as a pastor in Philadelphia. Even so, Allen cannot completely leave the injustice of his past behind. When the White senior pastor tells Allen and other Black congregants to "know their place,"—which is in the balcony, away from White parishioners—Reverend Allen must make a decision. How will he stand up for his people? When an epidemic strikes Philadelphia, will he risk his own life to help those who treated him as a second-class citizen? In this episode of The Torchlighters, meet the founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and learn how he faithfully served God in the face of discrimination and plague. English and Spanish subtitles. Approx. 30 minutes.

For centuries slavery reigned in parts of America, forcing an entire people into a lifetime of suffering and servitude. Living under the thumb of this oppressive system, young Harriet Tubman prayed ceaselessly that she and her family would be set free. Little did she know, God would use her and her resolute faith in Jesus to rescue not only her own family, but hundreds of other enslaved African-Americans as well. Discover how Harriet became the "Moses of her people," obeyed God and persevered despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles in this latest episode of the Torchlighters. Approx. 30 minutes.

The first black woman in Los Angeles to own property and later, one of California's wealthiest African American women, Biddy Mason never dreamed of becoming a pioneer. She was forced to by her master, to whom she had been given as a "wedding gift" at just eighteen years of age. Walking 1700 miles across the Great Plains, Biddy herded cattle, set up camp, fed a large family, and cared for her master's sickly wife-all with a nursing baby on her hip. Though small in stature, Biddy had an indomitable spirit, braving bitter cold, thunderstorms, hailstorms, blistering heat, and blistered feet. After gaining her freedom in California, Biddy put all her knowledge, skill, and resourcefulness to good use, delivering babies, healing the sick, and feeding the hungry. Known for her charity and generosity, Biddy cared for the afflicted during the smallpox epidemic, founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, started schools for black children, and visited jail inmates. Her grateful community lovingly called her Grandma Mason-the woman who lived by the gospel of the "open hand." 64 pages, softcover. Grades 1 and up.