Contributed by Maria HudsonMidwinter greetings everyone! As we near the end of Black History Month, I hope you have had a chance to reflect on the countless contributions made by African Americans to library science, education, politics, literature, the arts, and indeed all aspects of society.
African American scholar Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson created the first history week in 1926 devoted to African Americans. He did this in order to create awareness of black history, to dispel myths and to empower African Americans.
To learn more about contributions by African Americans to the library profession, visit the display on the 3rd floor of the SIS building created by the Minority Concerns Council.
You will find books by DLIS Professor Emeritus Dr. E. J. Josey including his landmark The Black Librarian in America, which was the first book published that dealt exclusively with issues related to Black librarians in the United States. For more information on Dr. Josey’s important contributions, take a look at Dr. Josey’s web page at http://www.sis.pitt.edu/%7Ejosey.
Web Sites Featuring African American History
There is a great deal of information about Black History Month available on the Internet. The following are just a few sample web sites to browse.
http://www.thenation.com/historic/bhm2000
http://www.blackhistory.eb.com
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/bhm1.html
http://www.philly.com/packages/history/ontheweb/sku128.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/magazine/20000202micheaux3.asp
http://www.post-gazette.com/blackhistorymonth/default.asp
Posted February 18, 2000