Family comes into focus with the 2021 theme for Black History Month, The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity. While family gatherings may look a little different this year, the joys of sharing memories, photos and stories strengthen connections.
Johnson County Library has so many resources it might be hard to choose which to read, listen to, or participate in, so it’s good we get to celebrate all month long. Black History Month begins February 1 and ends March 1.
This photo of the McCallop Family can be found at jocohistory.org.
Explore:
Primary Sources
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Associated Press Collections Online – Includes news coverage on Martin Luther King, Jr., Freedom Riders, desegregation, voting rights and more.
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American Civil Liberties Union Papers – 20th century ACLU records focusing on race, civil rights and more.
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Slavery and Anti-Slavery: A Transnational Archive – Documents and research guides related to the history of slavery, abolition and emancipation.
Local History
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The Legacy of Corinthian Nutter – Learn about the major contributions Ms. Nutter made in Webb v. School District 90 (located in Merriam, KS), which ended segregation five years before Brown v. the Board of Education.
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JoCo History Collections - Historical photographs and maps documenting the people, places and organizations of Johnson County.
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The Midwest Afro-American Genealogical Interest Coalition (MAGIC)- Promotes genealogy and family history through presentations, monthly meetings, a quarterly magazine, exhibitions and tours of Kansas City.
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Olathe’s early African-American community –Kansas’ anti-slavery legacy offered a fresh start for many former slaves and their families after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Watch
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African-American Stories on Kanopy – Hundreds of films, documentaries, and series exploring everything from current events to the history and cultural legacy of African-Americans.
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The Past is Prologue - A series of programs featuring topics that were often left out, glossed over or misrepresented in our history books, such as The Kansas City Monarchs and the Negro National League , Corinthian Nutter and the South Park School, and The Town of Nicodemus, KS
Read
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Celebrate 100 Years of the Negro Leagues - 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues – learn about its development, players, and legacy.
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Read More Black Authors: Kids and Teens – Celebrate Black voices with this collection of both fiction and non-fiction titles for younger readers.
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Upbeat Black History Month – A collection of uplifting African-American stories from throughout our country's history, with an emphasis on the underknown.
Share
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Take the Black History Month Kahoot quiz for some fun and to test your knowledge: