Wilken’s Library Celebrates Black History Month

by Olivia Appleton

February is Black History Month, dedicated to the celebration of Black culture. The Wilken’s Library has many books on display on the subject.

“The library has a wide selection of books with essays, memoirs/biographies, poetry, and literature pertaining to Black culture, including titles written by POC authors,” says Jessica Jordan, technical services librarian. “All of these titles (and more!) are available to students, faculty, staff, and the Cape Cod Community to check out to read and are definitely recommended by the library staff.”

Here are five books included in the display:

“Sing, Unburied, Sing,” by Jesmyn Ward

Two siblings live with their grandparents, with an occasional visit from a drug-addicted mother on a farm on Mississippi. This family is going through many hardships, mentally and physically. When the father of the children is released from prison, the mother takes her children and a friend on a road trip to the Mississippi State Penitentiary to find him. The crew go on a dangerous, coming-of-age journey filled with themes of the American story.

“Americanah,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

A young couple leave military-led Nigeria to pursue a different life. The woman leaves for America, where she struggles with what it means to be Black in America. The man wants to join her, but due to the aftermath of 9/11, it is no longer an option for him. He then moves to an undocumented life in London. Fifteen years later, the couple reunite in a new Nigeria with great feelings for each other and their country.

“The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison

In Lorain, Ohio, a Black 11-year-old girl prays for her eyes to be blue, like all the white, blond girls in America. In autumn of 1941, the girl’s life changes in painful ways. First published in June 1970, it is considered by many as a significant work of American fiction.

“All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson

George M. Johnson’s story of his childhood, adolescence, and young adult years in New Jersey and Virginia is told in the format of personal essays. Johnson tells his story of growing up as a Black queer boy and what they faced and continue to face in America.

“The Underground Railroad,” by Colson Whitehead

Cora is coming into womanhood and feels like an outcast among her group on a cotton plantation in Georgia. When a Black man arrives from Virginia and tells everyone about the Underground Railroad, Cora is swept into a terrifying journey to escape the plantation.

Books for black culture.(Jessica Jordan)

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