Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month at your Milwaukee Public Library with free programs for all ages that include music, movies, books, games and art.
Author Visits | Programs | Children & Families
Meet Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan, authors of Watch Us Rise
Washington Park Branch - 2121 N. Sherman Blvd.
Saturday, February 16, 3 p.m.
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Renée Watson teams up with poet Ellen Hagan in this feminist anthem about raising your voice. Sponsored by Boswell Book Company. Books will be available for purchase.
Meet Author and Chef Michael Twitty:
A Journey Through African American Cooking Traditions
Mitchell Street Branch - 906 W. Historic Mitchell St.
Monday, February 18, 6 p.m.
Call 414-286-3011 or visit mpl.org/twitty to register.
Michael W. Twitty is a food writer, independent scholar, culinary historian, and historical interpreter personally charged with preparing, preserving and promoting African American foodways and its parent traditions in Africa and her Diaspora.
Sponsored by the UWM Sam & Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies with funding from Bader Philanthropies. Books will be available for purchase by Boswell Book Company.
Programs
Harlem Renaissance Coffee Club
Bay View Branch - 2566 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.
Monday, February 4, 5-7 p.m.
Sip a cup of coffee and enjoy great music from the Harlem Renaissance.
Celebrating the Achievements of Black Inventors
Capitol Branch - 3969 N. 74th St.
Thursday, February 7, 4-5:30 p.m.
Celebrate the achievements of African and African-American inventors. Includes a hands-on activity and discussion about your favorite Black inventors!
Black Art, History, and Culture: Harlem Renaissance Workshop
Atkinson Branch - 1960 W. Atkinson Ave.
Saturday, February 9, 1-2:30 p.m.
Learn about African American Artists during the Harlem Renaissance and create African mask greeting cards using fabrics and beads.
Film Screening and Discussion: All the Difference
Center Street Branch - 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Monday, February 11, 5-7:30 p.m.
The largely invisible and often crushing struggles of young African-American men come to life in this movie that traces the paths of two teens from the South Side of Chicago who dream of graduating from college.
All the Difference is part of American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, a national public media initiative made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to help local communities keep more students on the path to graduation.
Black History Month Book Jacket Bingo
East Branch - 2320 N. Cramer St.
Saturday, February 16, 2-3 p.m.
Villard Square Branch - 5190 N. 35th St.
Thursday, February 21, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Celebrate the accomplishments of Black writers and discover some new favorite authors as you compete to win Bingo.
What Does Black History Mean to Me
Washington Park Branch - 2121 N. Sherman Blvd.
Tuesday, February 12, 6-7 p.m.
Learn about America’s prominent Black figures and share what Black History means for you. Light refreshments provided.
Book Discussion: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander.
Part of the History Buff Book Club.
Tippecanoe Branch - 3912 S. Howell Ave.
Monday, February 25, 6-7 p.m.
Children & Families
African American History Museum
Villard Square Branch - 5190 N. 35th St.
Opening: Tuesday, February 5, 5:30-7 p.m.;
On display February 5-March 2
View exhibits created by children in the community.
A History of Jazz in America
Celebrate Black History Month with jazz enthusiast Carol V. Johnson and the music of jazz greats like Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and more. See classic vinyl jazz albums, listen to live music and enjoy light refreshments. All ages welcome!
Villard Square Branch - 5190 N. 35th St.
Tuesday, February 12, 4:30-6 p.m.
Black History Month Read-In
Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs invites families to listen to heartfelt stories. Craft and light refreshments included.
Martin Luther King Branch - 310 W. Locust St.
Wednesday, February 13, 5:30-7 p.m.
African American Book Jacket Bingo
Test your knowledge of African American children’s literature and win prizes with this fun game of Bingo.
Center Street Branch - 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Tuesday, February 5, 4-5 p.m.
Central Library - 814 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Wednesday, February 20, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
African History Jeopardy
Hosted by Africans on the Move, a community organization based in Milwaukee.
Center Street Branch - 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Wednesday, February 27, 6-7:30 p.m.
Jali Kunda
Learn about traditional West African drumming and storytelling with Keba Diabate and the artists of Jali Kunda.
Center Street Branch - 2727 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Tuesday, January 29, 3-4 p.m.
Tippecanoe Branch - 3912 S. Howell Ave.
Tuesday, February 5, 6-7 p.m.
Zablocki Branch - 3501 W. Oklahoma Ave.
Saturday, February 23, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Washington Park Branch - 2121 N. Sherman Blvd.
Tuesday, February 26, 6-7 p.m.
Bucket Drumming with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music
Make music with a 5-gallon bucket and a pair of drumsticks. Participants will learn basic rhythm patterns and create an original piece of music to accompany a traditional story.
Atkinson Branch - 1960 W. Atkinson Ave.
Monday, February 4, 4-5 p.m.
Central Library - 814 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Saturdays, February 9 and March 9, 2-3 p.m.