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February 2024: Black History Month

(From left to right:: Richard Wright, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Prince, Faith Ringgold. Ringgold graphic by Dribble user Liubov.)

“I am even more certain that to create dangerously is also to create fearlessly, boldly embracing the public and private terrors that would silence us, then bravely moving forward even when it feels as though we are chasing or being chased by ghosts.”

– Edwidge Danticat

February is Black History Month. The theme for 2024 is African Americans and the Arts, highlighting the many impacts Black Americans have had on visual arts, music, cultural movements, and more. 

See below for select VSCS Libraries materials that celebrate Black art and artists. You may also visit our full list of resources about and by Black artists.

Featured Books & eBooks

A sampling of recent books highlighting Black excellence and influence in the arts. All electronic titles are available to read online and our physical titles may be requested for pick-up at a VSCS library or sent to your home.

African-American Art

From its origins in early eighteenth century slave communities to the end of the twentieth century, African-American art has made a vital contribution to the art of the United States. African-American Art provides a major reassessment of the subject, setting the art in the context of the African-American experience.

African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond

A beautifully illustrated survey of African American art of the twentieth century, drawn from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection. Presents a powerful selection of paintings, sculpture, prints, and photographs by forty-three black artists who explored the African American experience of the twentieth century.

Black Artists in America: From the Great Depression to Civil Rights

Exploring how artists at midcentury addressed the social issues of their day--from Jacob Lawrence to Elizabeth Catlett, Rose Piper to Charles White. This timely book surveys the varied ways in which Black American artists responded to the political, social, and economic climate of the United States of that time.

The Black Arts Movement

Emerging from a matrix of Old Left, black nationalist, and bohemian ideologies and institutions, African American artists and intellectuals in the 1960s coalesced to form the Black Arts Movement, the cultural wing of the Black Power Movement. In this comprehensive analysis, James Smethurst examines the formation of the Black Arts Movement and demonstrates how it deeply influenced the production and reception of literature and art in the United States through its negotiations of the ideological climate of the Cold War, decolonization, and the civil rights movement.

Featured Videos

A selection of documentaries on Black musicians, artists, and other cultural artists from the library streaming video databases: Kanopy and Films on Demand.

If you haven't accessed Kanopy before, learn how to set up your account in this FAQ.

Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise: Biography of an Influential Civil Rights Activist and Poet

2017 1hr. 53min. Directed by Bob Hercules & Rita Coburn Whack
Distinctly referred to as “a redwood tree, with deep roots in American culture,” Dr. Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928-May 28, 2014) led a prolific life. As a singer, dancer, activist, poet and writer, she inspired generations with lyrical modern African-American thought that pushed boundaries. Best known for her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Random House), she gave people the freedom to think about their history in a way they never had before.

With unprecedented access, filmmakers Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack trace Dr. Angelou’s incredible journey, shedding light on the untold aspects of her life through never-before-seen footage, rare archival photographs and videos and her own words.

The Apollo

2019 1 hr. 42 min.
The Apollo chronicles the legacy of New York City’s landmark Apollo Theater, covering the rich history of the storied performance space over its 85 years. What began as a refuge for marginalized artists emerged as a hallowed hall of black excellence and empowerment. In the film, Williams reflects on the struggle of black lives in America, the role that art plays in that struggle, and the part the Apollo Theater continues to play in the cultural conversation. Weaving together archival footage of music, comedy and dance performances with behind-the-scenes verité footage of the team that makes the theater run, the film features interviews with such artists as Angela Bassett, Common, Jamie Foxx, Doug E. Fresh, Savion Glover, Patti LaBelle, Paul McCartney, Smokey Robinson, and Pharrell Williams. Parallel to the historical narrative, THE APOLLO examines the current state of race in America, chronicling the multimedia stage adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ acclaimed Between the World and Me as it comes together on the theater’s grand stage.

The Believers - The First Transgender Gospel Choir

2006 1 hr. 19 min.
The Believers is an unprecedented feature documentary that shatters assumptions about faith, gender, and religion. Built around the world's first transgender gospel choir, the film portrays the choir's dilemma: how to reconcile their gender identity with a widespread belief that changing one's gender goes against the word of God.

Set against the story of the Transcendence Gospel Choir's founding, the documentary reveals the lives of its members, including Tom, once a radical lesbian feminist; Ashley, choir founder and professional sound engineer; and Bobby, a recovering drug addict and former sex worker. The film takes us from the Transcendence Gospel Choir's shaky beginnings--a heartwarmingly chaotic, cacophonous group unable to agree on much of anything, arguing over appropriate wardrobe and learning to sing with transitioning voices--through their transformation into the polished, award-winning choir and close-knit family they are today, garnering major performances and winning an Outmusic Award in 2004 for the album Whosoever Believes.

The intimate personal stories shed light on the complexity of balancing social change, family history, religion and identity. At the heart of their dilemma is a struggle for acceptance within two worlds historically at odds with one another. As one of the film's subjects eloquently says, "I'm living in a window. I get to see both sides."

The Believers is a unique story of determination and perseverance and an important look at the intricacy and diversity of spirituality and the LGBTQ community.