Celebrating Black History Month
Langston Hughes was a poet, novelist, playwright and short story writer. He was a major contributor to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, and continued to be an influential writer into the 1960s. He was a passionate traveler, describing his experiences in The Big Sea and I Wonder As I Wander.
The Library has many works by and about Hughes, including children's books, poetry, novels and short stories. To find works by Hughes in the Library's catalog, search by author under Hughes, Langston. To find books about Hughes, search by subject under Hughes, Langston.
These Web sites about Langston Hughes include study guides, biography, selections of his works and audio and video clips:
- The Poet's Voice: Langston Hughes and You from the National Endowment for the Humanities
- Spotlight on Voice and Visions - Langston Hughes from Annenberg Media's Learner.org
Black History Month Programs
The National African American Read-In Chain will be held in Springfield February 21 and 22. Read about this program on page two of the December 2009 - February 2010 issue of Bookends. The Library District events planned for this program are noted throughout the issue.
The Library Center Book Discussion Group will discuss Langston Hughes's The Big Sea at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 10.
Black History Month Resources
These Web sites include biography, history, images, poetry, multimedia, teacher resources and more:
- The Library of Congress African American History Month
- National Endowment for the Humanities - Black History Month
- National Park Service African American History
- Smithsonian Education - Black History Month
- Celebrate Black History - Biography.com
In the Library's Catalog:
To find African American biographies, history and literature in the Library's catalog, search under the subject African American.
In the Library's Databases:
For more information about African American history and biography, explore the Library's databases. You will find biography, history, images, multimedia, timelines, Web sites, primary resources and more:
- Biography in Context* includes biographical information, magazine and news articles and Web sites about Dr. King and other civil rights leaders.
- Research in Context* contains primary sources, multimedia resources and biographical information about Dr. King as well as the history of civil rights in the United States.
- Literature Resource Center*
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