black history month

Celebrate Black History Month with Gale’s New African American Literature for Students

| By Sarah Robertson | Black History Month, observed every February, is an opportunity to celebrate African American literature. Through literature, African Americans have advanced a powerful message of agency and countered a dominant cultural discourse of oppression, coercion, and racism. For African American authors, literature has served as a means of validating and valorizing … Read more

Celebrating Black History Month With New GVRL Release

| By Tara Atterberry | In the foreword of Gale’s Who’s Who Among African Americans: 34th Edition, available April 1st, Advisor Jessie Carney Smith, Dean of the Library, Camille Cosby Distinguished Chair in the Humanities, Fisk University, cites Historian John Hope Franklin’s work, Stalking George Washington Williams, drawing a parallel between Franklin’s literary work and … Read more

Celebrate African American History Month with Gale’s For Students Series

| By Sarah Robertson | In 1960, a woman who had been a writer and scholar all her life died in relative obscurity in a welfare home. Her remains were buried in an unmarked grave, where they were forgotten for more than a decade. Today, that woman is considered a central figure in African American … Read more

Finding Hidden Figures with Gale’s Biography In Context

| By Laura Avery | February is Black History Month, which is dedicated to recognizing the contributions of Americans of African descent. While Gale’s Biography In Context offers extensive content on well-known African Americans of various occupations, such as civil rights activists Pauli Murray and Fannie Lou Hamer, artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Edmonia Lewis, and … Read more

Gale’s Twenty-Eight Days of Hidden Figures

| By Tanisha Howard-Hall | Every year about this time, we learn about influential African Americans that have made their mark on history. Since elementary school, I have learned about prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, and Marcus Garvey numerous of times. Although they’ve have made huge impacts … Read more

Gale’s New Black History Month eBook Collections on GVRL

In February, educators across the United States honor the central role African Americans have played in history. It is a time for reflection, humility, and honor. Many teachers use this time to educate and inspire students about the impact African Americans have made by showing famous films or documentaries, reading historical and inspiring pieces of … Read more

A Collection That Supports Black History Year-Round

| By Nicole Albrecht | When I started my third year of teaching I was in inner-city Detroit, Michigan. The students were predominantly African American from various parts of the city and their own experiences made teaching challenging and exciting at the same time. When I introduced them to their lesson during Black History Month, … Read more

Female Leaders of the Civil Rights Movement

During Black History Month, we celebrate African Americans who made impactful contributions to American history. One of the most important developments of the twentieth century was the civil rights movement. Many Americans, both black and white, fought for equality in access to voting, education, housing, and public spaces for African Americans. Most of the best-known civil rights leaders of this period were male, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, and John Lewis. However, many women also made significant contributions, including Fannie Lou Hamer, Pauli Murray, and Dorothy Height. Because of their efforts, black Americans, especially in the South, gained new legal rights and freedoms.

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The ACLU’s role in Brown v. Board of Education

During Black History Month, we remember monumental events that have profoundly changed the United States and impacted the lives of many Americans. One key event in American history is the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. In this Supreme Court case, public schools were ordered desegregated in a unanimous verdict. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) played an important role in Brown v. Board of Education, ensuring that “separate but equal” would no longer apply to educational facilities. Though public education was not fully desegregated by the decision, it began a series of legal victories for the burgeoning civil rights movement and defined constitutional support for racial equality.

Read moreThe ACLU’s role in Brown v. Board of Education

Robert Smalls: From Slave to Senator

During Black History Month, we honor African Americans who made significant contributions to American society and impacted the course of American history. One such figure is Robert Smalls, who was born a slave in South Carolina, made a dramatic escape from slavery, and was later elected to Congress. With primary sources, Smalls’ remarkable life, achievements, and impact can be considered and understood through contemporary accounts.

Read moreRobert Smalls: From Slave to Senator