
"I always contended that we as a race must not seek to rise from a position of disadvantage to one of advantage, but to create a moral balance in society where democracy and brotherhood would be reality for all men." - Martin Luther King Jr.
Black History Month is an annual reflection, recognition, and celebration of Black American accomplishments and contributions to the nation, past and present. Stellar MLS is proud to continue to amplify, advocate for and support Black voices.
Explore Black History Resources:
The History and Legacy of Eatonville, Florida
Did you know the oldest black-incorporated municipality in the United States is located in Central Florida? Founded in 1887, Eatonville has "great historical significance, a legacy of racial progress and ultimate success."
Read more HERE.
Florida Highwaymen
"In the segregated world of 1950s Florida, not many opportunities were available for African American artists. Unable to show their work in galleries, which were typically “whites only” venues for both customers and artists, Black artists had few options for marketing and selling their work. The group of artists who came to be known as the Florida Highwaymen painters found themselves creating opportunities where there were few, and in the process created a new style of art – and a new style of selling art – that earned these artists a place in history."
Read more HERE.
Mary Ann Carroll, Al Black, Robert Lewis, and James Gibson circa 2012
The Color of Law
From NAR®: As stewards of the right to own, use and transfer private property, fair housing protects our livelihood and business as REALTORS® and depends on a free, open market that embraces equal opportunity.
As we celebrate Black History Month, Stellar MLS believes it is critical as real estate professionals that we understand the history behind race and housing in America. In Richard Rothstein’s book, The Color Of Law, the history is made clear asserting that it was the laws and policy decisions passed by local, state, and federal governments that actually promoted the discriminatory patterns that continue to this day.
The Color of Law is recommended reading by NAR® and is available as an audiobook for NAR® members as part of the Fair Housing and Civil Rights collection (Member ID required). It is also available on the publisher's website, and on Amazon.com.
Black Leaders Making History Today
National Housing Conference recognized leaders making history today in housing policy, advocacy, research, and community development. Some leaders recognized include Maurice A. Jones of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Alanna McCargo of Urban Institute, Lisa Rice of the National Fair Housing Alliance, Bill Bynum of HOPE Enterprise, House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and the committee’s Housing, Community Development and Insurance Subcommittee Chairman Lacy Clay (D-Mo.).
Read more HERE.
Reducing the Black Homeownership Gap
To look at the five-point framework in more depth, download this pdf.
Black History Online resources and LibGuides
- 400 Years of African American History, National Park Service
- African American History, National Archives
- African American Heritage, National Park Service
- Amistad Research Center at Tulane University
- Association for the Study of African American Life and History
- Behind the Veil Oral History Project, Duke University Libraries
- Black History Month, Library of Congress
- Black History Collection, Fold 3 by Ancestry
- Black History Month Resource Guide, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
- Black History Month Resource Collection, Facing History and Ourselves
- Exploring Black History Month, Princeton (N.J.) Public Library
- Frederick Douglass Newspapers, 1847 to 1874, Library of Congress
- The History Makers: The Nation’s Largest African American Video Oral History Collection
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, Open Access Initiative
- National Museum of African American History and Culture, Virtual Exhibitions
- National Underground Railroad, Freedom Center Online Learning Resources
- Origins of Black History Month, Association for the Study of African American Life and History
- Stories to Celebrate Black History Month, StoryCorps
News
- “Black History Month: Teaching the Complete History,” Teaching Tolerance, January 29, 2020
- “Beyond Slavery and Civil Rights: What Parents Need to Know about Black History Month,” The Washington Post, February 21, 2020
- "Black Bethlehem: Documenting the Black Experience in a Majority White Town," Programming Librarian, September 15, 2020
- “How Black Lives Matter Is Changing What Students Learn During Black History Month,” Time, February 6, 2020
- “Meet the Man Who Created Black History Month,” CNN, February 1, 2019
- “Overlooked,” The New York Times, January 31, 2019
- “Seeing Black History in Context,” The New York Times, February 19, 2020
- "Standing against Racism in My Rural Library," Programming Librarian, June 11, 2020
- “The Little-Known Southern Underground Railroad into Mexico Is an Important Piece of Black History,” Remezcla, January 30, 2020
- "The 1619 Project," The New York Times, August 14, 2019
Sample programs
- Black History Month at the Free Library of Philadelphia, Free Library of Philadelphia, Pa.
- Black History Month at NYPL, New York (N.Y.) Public Library
- Black History Month 2022, Anne Arundel County (Md.) Library
- Black History Month 2022 events, Hackley Library, Muskegon, Mich
- Celebrate African American History with CPL, Chicago (Ill.) Public Library
- Fall for Fine Arts 2: African American Artists, Programming Librarian, November 19, 2021
- Black Superhero Showcase, Programming Librarian, March 14, 2019
- "Doing Right by History: The We Are Alexandria Library Sit-in," Programming Librarian, July 20, 2020
- More Than a Month 2022, San Francisco (Calif.) Public Library
- Webinar: Reading and Talking about Race: An Intro to ALA's Great Stories Club (Part 1: Deeper than Our Skins)
- Webinar: Reading and Talking about Race: An Intro to ALA's Great Stories Club (Part 2: Finding Your Voice)