Carrollton Libraries: What's Going On: Black History Month 2025

Themes Over The Years

ASALH’s Black History Themes

(Association for the Study of African American Life and History)

2030: Black Economics

2029: Sustaining and Saving Black Land and Property

2028: TBD

2027: African Americans in the Digital Age

2026: A Century of Black History Commemorations

2025: African Americans and Labor

2024: African Americans and the Arts

2023: Black Resistance

2022: Black Health and Wellness

2021: The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity

2020: African Americans and the Vote

2019: Black Migrations

2018: African Americans in Times of War

2017: The Crisis in Black Education

2016: Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories

2015: A Century of Black Life, History, and Culture

2014: Civil Rights in America

2013: At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington

2012: President Barack Obama National Black History Month Proclamation

2012: Black Women in American Culture and History

2011: African Americans and the Civil War

2010: The History of Black Economic Empowerment

2009: The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas

2008: Carter G. Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism

2007: From Slavery to Freedom: Africans in the Americas

2006: Celebrating Community: A Tribute to Black Fraternal, Social, and Civil Institutions

2005: The Niagara Movement: Black Protest Reborn, 1905-2005

2004: Before Brown, Beyond Boundaries: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

2003: The Souls of Black Folks: Centennial Reflections

2002: The Color Line Revisited: Is Racism Dead?

2001: Creating and Defining the African American Community: Family, Church Politics and Culture

2000: Heritage and Horizons: The African American Legacy and the Challenges for the 21st Century

1999: Legacy of African American Leadership for the Present and the Future

1998: Black Business

1997: African Americans and Civil Rights; a Reprisal

1996: Black Women

1995: Reflections on 1895: Douglass, Du Bois & Washington

1994: Empowering Black Americans

1993: Afro-American Scholars: Leaders, Activists and Writers

1992: African Roots Experience New Worlds, Pre-Columbus to Space Exploration

1991: Educating America: Black Universities and Colleges, Strengths and Crisis

1990: Seventy-Five Years of Scholarly Excellence: A Homage to Our Forebearers

1989: Afro Americans and Religion

1988: Constitutional Status of Afro Americans in the 21st Century

1987: Afro Americans and the Constitution from Colonial Times to the Present

1986: Afro American Experience: International Connection

1985: Afro American Family

1984: Afro Americans and Education

1983: Afro Americans in the United States

1982: Afro American Survival

1981: Black History: Role Model for Youth

1980: Heritage for America

1979: History: Torch for the future

1978: Roots, Achievements and Projections

1977: Heritage Days: The Black Perspective; the Third Century

1976: America for All Americans

1975: Fulfilling America’s Promise: Black History Month

1974: Helping America Understand

1973: Biography Illuminates the Black Experience

1972: African Art, Music, Literature; a Valuable Cultural Experience

1971: African Civilization and Culture: A Worthy Historical Background

1970: 15th Amendment and Black America in the Century (1870-1970)

1969: Changing the Afro American Image through History

1968: The Centennial of the Fourteenth Amendment Afro American History Week

1967: Negro History in the Home, School, and the Community

1966: Freedom from Racial Myths and Stereotypes Through Negro History

1965: Negro History: Freedom’s Foundation

1964: Negro History: A Basis for the New Freedom

1963: Negro History Evaluates Emancipation (1863-1963)

1962: Negro History and a New Birth of Freedom

1961: Freedom and Democracy for the Negro after 100 years (1861-1961)

1960: Strengthening America Through Education in Negro History and African Culture

1959: Negro History: A Foundation for a Proud America

1958: Negro History: A Factor in Nationalism and Internationalism

1957: Negro History

1956: Negro History in an Era of Changing Human Relations

1955: Negro History: A Contribution to America’s Intercultural Life

1954: Negro History: A Foundation for Integration

1953: Negro History and Human Relations

1952: Great Negro Educators (Teachers)

1951: Eminent Negroes in World Affairs

1950: Outstanding Moments in Negro History

1949: The Use of Spirituals in the Classroom

1948: The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth

1947: Democracy Possible only Through Brotherhood

1946: Let us Have Peace

1945: The Negro and Reconversion

1944: The Negro and the New Order

1943: The Negro in the Modern World

1942: The Negro in Democracy

1941: The Career of Frederick Douglass

1940: Negro Labor

1939: Special Achievements of the Race: Religion, Education, Business, Architecture, Engineering, Innovation, Pioneering

1938: Special Achievements of the Race: Oratory, Drama, Music, Painting, Sculpture, Science and Inventions

1937: American Negro History from the Time of Importation from Africa up to the Present Day

1936: African Background Outlined

1935: The Negro Achievements in Africa

1934: Contribution of the Negro in Poetry, in Painting, in Sculpture and in Science

1933: Ethiopia Meets Error in Truth

1932: What George Washington Bicentennial Commission Fail to Do

1931: Neglected Aspects of Negro History

1930: Significant Achievements of the Negro

1929: Possibility of Putting Negro History in the Curriculum

1928: Civilization: A World Achievement

Theme

February is Black History Month and this year’s theme is “African Americans and Labor.”

This month, research and learn more to "encourage broad reflections on intersections between Black people’s work and their workplaces in all their iterations and key moments, themes, and events in Black history and culture across time and space and throughout the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora."

Some sources to kick off your learning journey:

Black History Month 2025

National Museum of African American History and Culture

National Park Service

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Carrollton Celebrates Black Out Week!

We invite you to participate in a special “Caribbean Tropics” Dress Down Day on Monday! This theme pays tribute to the vibrant Afro-Caribbean heritage of Allapattah and Little Haiti, two historic Miami neighborhoods rich in Black culture, resilience, and contributions.

Little Haiti stands as one of the most important centers of Haitian culture in the U.S. In the 1980s, it became a refuge for Haitian immigrants fleeing political turmoil, and today it remains a stronghold of Haitian art, language, and activism. The neighborhood has been a key force in preserving and celebrating Haitian identity, from its vibrant murals to the iconic Little Haiti Cultural Center.

Allapattah, known as “Little Santo Domingo,” became home to many Dominican and Afro-Caribbean immigrants in the late 20th century. Over time, it has grown into a cultural hub filled with Caribbean-owned businesses, music, and flavors that reflect the rich diversity of the region.

By dressing in bright tropical colors, floral prints, linen, or Caribbean-inspired attire, we celebrate the rich Afro-Caribbean influence that continues to shape Miami’s history and culture.

Presales for our BSU Cookout are live!

We invite you to join us for the BSU Cookout Friday, February 7th—a time to celebrate Black history, culture, and community through food, music, and fellowship.

Cookouts hold a special place in Black history, deeply rooted in traditions of gathering, storytelling, and celebration. Dating back to the times of enslavement and continuing through the Civil Rights Movement, cookouts have always been about more than just food—they have been spaces for unity, joy, and resilience. Whether it’s a Sunday backyard barbecue, a church picnic, or a community block party, cookouts bring people together to share laughter, music, and a sense of belonging.

This BSU Cookout is more than a meal—it’s a moment to reflect on the importance of connection, to honor the past, and to build bonds that strengthen our Carrollton family. Enjoy a delicious meal catered by House of Mac and Wall's Ice Cream, participate in fun games, and embrace the vibrant legacy of "Harlem of the South"—a tribute to Overtown's rich cultural history as an entertainment hub for jazz and blues artists from the 1920s to the 1960s.

Presale tickets are available through February 7th! Your ticket includes a Dress Down Day and supports The Overtown Youth Center, ensuring that our celebration also gives back to the community.

Upon purchasing your ticket, make sure to pick up your wristband at the Office of Community Relations (Trinita Second Floor) during your Resource Period on Wednesday & Thursday.

Ticket or not, you are welcome to enjoy your lunch at the BSU Cookout!

Roots and Routes | Library of Congress American Folklife Center

Through the Library of Congress, the "Roots and Routes: Mapping African American Expressive Culture" Story Map experience

"draws on live performances, artist interviews, and other Library resources to illustrate the astonishing diversity, creativity, and geographical spread of American cultural traditions rooted in the African diaspora. Musicians, singers and storytellers express their senses of self, place, community, and history through the blues, gospel music, narratives, freedom songs, and movement. Documentary evidence of these art forms includes moving images, audio recordings, photographs, books, maps, and graphic illustrations. These archival multi-format collections at the national library provide pathways to understanding the depth and vitality of African American cultural and social life."

It was developed by Guha Shankar, Valda Morris, Melanie Zeck, and Thea Austen | American Folklife Center

Check out their African American Heritage Resources at the end of the presentation to learn more!

Celebrate Black Art & Artists

Index of Black Artists of North America | The MET
The Index of Black Artists of North America is a research aid for discovering publications in Watsonline, the online catalog of the Met libraries, by and about Black artists who are connected to the United States, Canada, Mexico, and countries of the Caribbean, through nationality, residence, or heritage. Launched in 2021 as the “Index of African American Artists,” the index was renamed in 2024 to reflect an expanded regional focus and range of heritages and nationalities.

Play Artle Archive!

Guess the Artle artist's name in 4 attempts.

Each guess must be a valid artist's name. Type an artist's name in the search field and click submit. A red 'X' denotes an incorrect answer. After an incorrect guess, you will get a different work of art to help you guess.A new Artle game will be available each day from the National Gallery of Art. Have fun!