Each February, our nation celebrates Black History Month. This month helps us remember our tremendous struggle, yet tremendous growth as a nation. We remember times of hurt; things that included deep forms of hate and racism, times of segregation, and times of injustice. We also remember times of resiliency, reconciliation, healing in our own community over the past 3 years. All of this has helped reshape and define who we are as a community, and a nation.
This month, while we remember the past and and how it has molded the present, let’s also use this moment of reflection as a time to look forward into the future. Even today, we continue to be in the midst of a massive cultural moment when it comes to race and identity in the United States. All of the events around us may lead us to question what side we are to take as Christians, but above any personal or political affiliation, we are called to be children of light. and love to those around us. In a world that preaches division, and cancel culture, we are called to look and act differently. Let us be a community that brings unity and light, even when culture says it’s impossible.
Throughout this month, there are different ways you can be involved in the Minneapolis community to celebrate black history. For a full list of events, visit Minneapolis.org for things such as music festivals, museum exhibits, and food festivals, among many other activities. On top of that, we’ve put together a list of different resources celebrating black culture and its impact on the identity of our nation, as well as the resiliency and strength of the black community.
Nonfiction
Textures: The History and Art of Black Hair: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1142523105
I Take My Coffee Black: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1250429710
Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African American Freedom Struggle: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1253353700
Freedom Libraries: The Untold Story of Libraries for African Americans in the South: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1091363892
Reading Black Books: How African American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1285574700
The NBA in Black and White: The Memoir of a Trailblazing NBA Player and Coach: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1268205838
I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/18745605
A Black Women’s History of the United States: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1096284843
The come up : an oral history of the rise of hip-hop: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1313794859
Black Oscars: https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1129783813
Film
Harriet (2020): https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1129566710
Hidden Figures (2017): https://northcentral.on.worldcat.org/oclc/1129566710