Every February, we honor black history in America by reflecting on the many and varied achievements of our fellow Americans of African descent. Originally observed as “Negro History Week” to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, the holiday was informally expanded in 1976 to a month-long celebration. Here at Princeton University, the African American Studies Department has posted a list of this year’s special events on their website. Princeton University Press offers this reading list in recognition of the central role played by African Americans in the history of the United States:
The Loneliness of the Black Republican
Leah Wright Rigueur
Exporting American Dreams
Mary L. Dudziak
The Hero’s Fight
Patricia Fernández-Kelly
Reaping Something New
Daniel Hack
The Indignant Generation
Lawrence P. Jackson
Story/Time
Bill T. Jones
The Notebooks
Jean-Michel Basquiat