This February, the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) is offering more than fifty free programs in celebration of Black History Month. Programs include book discussions, film screenings, history talks, storytimes, art activities, and more, designed to inform, inspire, and engage audiences of all ages.
At libraries around the city, a number of authors, professors, local experts, and performers will explore aspects of Black history often overlooked. The Main Library welcomes Peabody Award-winning journalist Michele Norris to discuss her newest book Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race and Identity on Friday, February 16 (7 p.m.). Her book draws on a narrative archive Norris founded using a simple prompt for people to reflect on race in only six words – a prompt that was answered by more than half a million people. This free event is presented by Carmichael’s Bookstore will feature Norris in-conversation with former Kentucky State Representative Charles Booker. Register online at www.LFPL.org/Authors, or call (502) 574-1623.
Local Black History is also front and center this year. On Tuesday, February 20 (6:30 p.m.) at the Main Library, UofL English professor Dr. David Anderson will examine the social contributions and literary legacies of three prominent Black educators in Louisville at the beginning of the twentieth century: Joseph Seamon Cotter, Sr., Nannie Helen Burroughs, and George Marion McClellan. Register online at www.LFPL.org/MyLibraryU.
Members of the Chickasaw Book Project will share their stories about life in the Chickasaw neighborhood during the 1940s-70s at the Shawnee Library (Saturday, February 10, 1:30 p.m.). At the Bon Air Library, National Park Rangers will enlighten patrons with the story of Stephen Bishop, an enslaved cave guide who was one of the first people to map Mammoth Cave (Thursday, February 1, 6 p.m.). At the South Central Regional Library, the KY Humanities Council offers a multimedia presentation about the Underground Railroad in Kentucky (Saturday, February 3, 2 p.m.). Also at South Central, Chautauqua performer Elizabeth Lawson will bring Charlotte Dupuy, the enslaved woman who sued Henry Clay for freedom, to life (Saturday, February 17, 2 p.m.).
Get moving in the Library with a celebration of the legacy of Simmons College with a special performance from Satin Rhythm Dance Team and the Stick Control Drum Corps (Saturday, February 3, 2 p.m., Southwest Regional Library) and at a special concert with The Ron Jones Quartet who will bring the music of Julian “Cannonball” Adderley to the Shawnee Library (Saturday, February 24, 1 p.m.).
February also marks the return of the Black History Month Film Series. Presented in partnership with UofL Health Sciences Center Office of Diversity and Inclusion, with support from Louisville Public Media and Lean Into Louisville, the series is held every Sunday in February at the Main Library and features thought-provoking and award-winning films, followed by discussions with university professors and local experts. The 2024 lineup features the film Maya Angelou – And Still I Rise, a double-bill of documentaries looking at Black health, The Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution and The Deadliest Disease in America, the new biographical drama Rustin, and the blockbuster hit Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. To register for this free series, visit www.LFPL.org/BHFilms. Teen Librarians have also programed a series of Black History films curated just for teens ages 13-19, screening every Wednesday night in the Teen Underground at the Main Library.
Black History Month at the Library has something for all ages, with special storytimes, craft sessions, and showcases for children and teens as well. The popular Black Superhero Showcase moves to the Shawnee Library on Saturday, February 3, at 2 p.m. and cartoonist Randy Gray gives a lesson on visual storytelling and how to make a comic book for kids in grades 3-6 (Monday, February 19, 2 p.m., register at [502] 964-3515).
For the complete list of LFPL’s Black History Month programs, please visit www.LFPL.org/BlackHistory.
