Black History Month Blog

Take some time during Black History Month to uncover some lesser-known facts about the history of African Americans in the United States. While many of us readily recognize the incredible achievements of such prominent figures as Frederick Douglass and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it's important to remember the contributions of African Americans in all places and times throughout our nation's past. For instance, many know that Dr. King received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, but some may not know that the first African American to receive that honor was actually Ralph Bunche in 1950 for his work in the Middle East. Bunche, born in the slums of Detroit, became the first African American to earn a PhD in Political Science from Harvard University in 1934, and later rose to become the undersecretary general of the United Nations.

You can find more of these kinds of facts in a book entitled, Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events in Cabell's Reference section (Call Number: Ref E 185.B574 2003). While you're in this section, take a look at other books in the E 185 area. Here, you'll find African American encyclopedias, statistics, images, biographical resources, historical documents, and much more. For example, in the book African-American Political Leaders (Call Number: Ref E 185.96.C18 2004), you can discover how Norfolk, Virginia native Ella Baker came to help found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, or how former slave Blanche Kelso Bruce beat all odds to become the second African American to serve in the U.S. Senate, and the first be elected to and serve a full term.