Black History Month

King: A Filmed Record
by

This Oscar-nominated documentary chronicles many defining moments of MLK’s career, including footage of key speeches.

The Sum of Us
by McGhee, Heather C.

In this deeply researched book, the economist delves into the ways that racism and racist policies leave everyone worse off.

I am MLK Jr.
by

This documentary highlights major moments from the civil rights movement, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington.

Making the Movement:
by David L. Crane

Presents more than 200 nonviolent weapons along with the stories of the campaigns and the activists that fueled the civil rights cause.

Waging a Good War
by Thomas E. Ricks

Ricks explores how the civil rights movement used military tactics like having clear goals, adopting a tactical approach, carefully training troops, and seeing the mission through, to advance the war for equality.

How the Word Is Passed
by Clint Smith

Readers embark on a remarkable tour of monuments and landmarks in this well-researched examination of slavery which provides insight on how memory and history have shaped America.

No Justice, No Peace:
by Devin Allen

Through words and pictures, this book offers a look at the resistance that has empowered Black lives for generations. It is a reminder of our moral responsibility to break unjust laws and take action.

The Civil Rights Queen
by Tomiko Brown-Nagin

As the first black woman to be appointed as a federal judge, and the first black woman to argue a case before the Supreme Court, civil rights pioneer Constance Baker Motley has led an extraordinary life

Yonder
by Jabari Asim

Black people on a southern plantation in the mid-1800s are forced to work in inhumane conditions until a visiting minister begins to preach independence. As they learn what freedom might truly mean, they reimagine what life and love they could have.

Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America
by

Interweaving lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews, and shocking revelations, lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America.

The Two Lives of Sara
by Catherine Adel West

During the racially divided 1960s, a Black, unwed mother, working for Mama Sugar at a boarding house in Memphis, Tennessee, finds refuge until secrets are revealed, forcing her to make a life changing decision.

The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song
by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

The Black church has historically been a place for community and activism that provided a platform for influential leaders.

Traveling Black: A Story of Race and Resistance by Mia Bay
by Mia Bay

Stories of struggle and resilience on planes, trains, and automobiles highlight mobility as a central theme towards Black freedom.

From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

Through study of historical and contemporary systemic racism, including mass incarceration and Black unemployment, Taylor argues that activism against police brutality is a strong path towards Black liberation.

Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World
by Wil Haygood

Journalist Will Haygood takes a cinematic look at the portrayal of Black culture through film. This history of the Black experience is expressed by the actors and filmmakers, who produced these films.

All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake
by Tiya Miles

This is the extraordinary story of a family keepsake that bonded three generations of African American women from South Carolina.

The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers

To come to terms with who she is and what she wants, Ailey, the daughter of a doctor and a schoolteacher, embarks on a journey through her family's past, helping her embrace her heritage, which is the story of the Black experience in itself.

What's Mine and Yours
by Naima Coster

Integrated into a predominantly white high school, an anxious young Black student and a half-Latina whose mother would have her pass as white join a bridge-building school play that shapes the trajectory of their adult lives.

The Prophets
by Robert Jones, Jr.

Two enslaved young men on a Deep South plantation find refuge in each other while transforming a quiet shed into a haven for their fellow slaves, before an enslaved preacher declares their bond sinful.

Presumed Guilty
by Erwin Chemerinsky

Reveals how the Supreme Court allows the perpetuation of racist policing by presuming that suspects, especially people of color, are guilty.

Say Their Names
by Bunn, Curtis/ Cottman, Michael H./ Gaines, Patrice/ Charles, Nick/ Harriston, Keith

Examines how inequality has been propagated throughout history, highlighting the disparities that have long characterized the dangers of being Black in America.

Created Equal
by

Charts Thomas's rise from poverty in the racially-segregated South to the role of Supreme Court justice, shedding new light on the value of an equal opportunity.

One Night in Miami
by

Revisits a February 1964 meeting of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke in a room at the Hampton House, celebrating Ali's surprise title win over Sonny Liston.

Judas and the Black Messiah
by

Offered a plea deal by the FBI, William O'Neal infiltrates the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party to gather intelligence on Chairman Fred Hampton.

Driving While Black
by Gretchen Sullivan Sorin

With the invention of the automobile, Black drivers needed to know more than just the rules of the road to keep themselves safe.

Southern Food and Civil Rights: Feeding the Revolution
by Frederick Douglass Opie

These stories and recipes prove that you can’t start a Revolution on an empty stomach.

A Black Woman’s History of the United States
by Daina Ramey Berry

Learn about our country’s history through the stories of Black women.

Civil Rights Movement:The March on Washington
by Smith Show Media Group

I Have a Dream: Music to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr
by American Music Experts

The Ultimate Black History Collection
by Various Artists

Civil Rights Leader-Martin Luther King, Jr.
by

Civil Rights
by Thomas Sowell, Read by James Bundy

Thomas Sowell takes a tough, factual look at whether the Civil Rights movement has lived up to its hopes or its rhetoric.

NPR American Chronicles: Civil Rights
by Various Authors

Personal recollections and historical accounts paint vivid pictures of individuals and events that transformed a nation.

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
by Deborah Riley Draper

In 1936, 18 African American athletes participated in the Berlin Olympic Games, defying Nazi Aryan Supremacy and Jim Crow Racism.

Strength to Love
by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This collection of sermons by the American civil rights leader explains his convictions about the conditions and problems of contemporary society.

Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall And The NAACP
by Mick Caouette

Civil rights attorney Thurgood Marshall's triumph in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision to desegregate America's public schools completed the final leg of a heroic journey to end legal segregation.

An Act Of Defiance
by Jean Van De Velde

10 political activists face a possible death sentence for conspiracy to commit sabotage after they are arrested by the apartheid South African government during the summer of 1963.

John Lewis: Good Trouble
by Dawn Porter-Director

An intimate account of legendary U.S. Representative John Lewis' life, legacy and more than 60 years of extraordinary activism

Why We Can’t Wait
by Martin Luther King Jr

Dr. King’s best-selling account of the civil rights movement in Birmingham during the spring and summer of 1963.

Trumpet of Conscience
by Martin Luther King Jr.

In November and December 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered five lectures for the renowned Massey Lecture Series of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The collection sums up his lasting creed and is his final testament on racism, poverty, an

Justice For All
by Lloyd A Barbee

Gathers Barbee's writings on the subjects of his legislative efforts and world events, providing an important historical record of the civil rights movement and insight into issues that continue into today.

Father Groppi
by Stuart Stotts

Tells the story of Father James Groppi, a Catholic priest from Milwaukee, Wis., who stood up for civil rights in the 1960s and 1970s.

City With a Chance
by Frank Aukofer

Details the civil rights struggles in Milwaukee during the 1960s.

Vel Phillips: Dream Big Dreams
by DVD

Discover how Vel Phillips rose to prominence as one of Wisconsin's great civil rights activists, achieving an impressive list of "firsts" as part of her legacy.

The Long March to Freedom
by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

The collected works of a 15-part series highlighting the 1967 open housing marches as seen through the participants and their influence in Milwaukee, Wisconsin today.

The Selma of the North
by Patrick D. Jones

Local leaders inspired people to participate in campaigns against employment and housing discrimination, segregated public schools, welfare cuts, and police brutality.

Civil Rights Activism in Milwaukee
by Paul H. Geenen

Discover the challenges faced by civil rights groups in their fight for open housing and better working conditions for Milwaukee's minority community.