The Louisville Free Public Library will offer more than 50 free programs honoring African American history in February, including book discussions, history talks, craft projects, lectures, film screenings, trivia, and more. Programs that feature a local perspective on African American history include The Soulful Sounds of Derbytown (Jeffersontown, February 17, 6:30 p.m.), The Figures of Louisville’s Eastern Cemetery (Western, February 25, 6 p.m.), the Women, Confinement & Race in the Gilded Age Fast Class (Main Library, February 20, 6:30 p.m.), and more. The Friends of the Shawnee Library will also host a special Black History Celebration, featuring speaker Aukram Burton (Shawnee, February 15, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) discussing his more than four decades of photography documenting his journey through the African diaspora.
Book discussions will cover African American memoirs and novels from Ta-Nehisi Coates, Toni Morrison, Colson Whitehead, John Lewis, Maya Angelou, Esi Edugyan, Tayari Jones, and more. Library branches will also host a number of screenings of documentaries and feature films this month, including the return of the African American Film Series every Sunday afternoon at the Main Library. Presented in partnership with the University of Louisville’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the series features thought-provoking and award-winning films followed by discussions with experts from UofL and the community.
The month-long celebration continues for children, teens, and families too with a variety of educational and creative programs, including special storytimes, drum circles, and dance parties. All-ages programs include a How Well Do You Know Black History trivia event (Newburg, February 6, 6 p.m.) Family Art Night (Iroquois, February 6, 6:30 p.m.) and the 6th Annual African American Read-In (Main, February 24, 6:30 p.m.), featuring dramatic readings and performances presented by members of Louisville’s creative community.
The Library’s African American History Month programming is just one piece of LFPL’s commitment to lifelong learning. To learn more, or to find the complete list of free programs, visit LFPL.org/AAHMonth.
