Black History Month Events
David Mills will do a poetry reading from his latest work Unhired Hands. This work tells the story of enslaved people in the American colonies.
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Acknowledgment: NYSCA grant program
Yonkers Public Library's arts programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Celebrate Black History Month at YPL!
The "Periodic Table of Black History" can be viewed on Riverfront Library's third floor, which also features the African American Collection, a collection of hundreds of reference works, biographies, historical guides, and fiction representing Black history and culture.
February is Black History Month, a time to reflect on the history of our nation and to celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans who have created impactful change in our society.
The origins of Black History Month Black History Month can be traced as far back as 1915, when historian and author Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the organization now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Dr. Woodson initiated the first “Negro History Week” in February 1926, the same week that included the birthdays of Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. It wasn’t until 1986 that Congress officially designated February as Black History Month.
Black History Blog Posts
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, January 19th. On this day, we celebrate the life and birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is a day to remember and reflect on his work for the advancement of civil rights.
Happy Birthday Muhammad Ali!
Muhammad Ali was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. At the age of twelve, his bicycle was stolen and in a desire to get revenge on the thief, he began taking boxing lessons from Louisville police officer Joe Martin.
African American Oral History Project
Oral history interviews with the Yonkers African American community, findable on the YPL Archive.
Desegregation Resources
Dissertations, primary documents, and documents on the landmark United States v. Yonkers case from the YPL Local History collection.