February is Black History Month — a celebration and powerful reminder of the contributions made by Black Americans to the fabric of American society. Below, you’ll find a list of resources and materials — hand-picked by University Libraries employees — that uplift Black voices and share their stories.
Book Recommendations:
“African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song,” edited by Kevin Young
Recommended by Grace Jackson-Brown, professor
‘‘For more than 250 years,” writes poet and scholar Kevin Young in his introduction to this anthology, “African Americans have written and recited and published poetry about beauty and injustice, music and muses, Africa and America, freedoms and foodways, Harlem and history, funk and opera, boredom and longing, jazz and joy.” This volume captures the power and beauty of Black poetry while revealing its centrality — and its challenge — to American poetry and culture.
Request “African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song”
“Hood Feminism” by Mikki Kendall
Recommended by Holly Kouns, coordinator of public services
Through her collection of essays, Mikki Kendall takes aim at the legitimacy of the modern feminist movement, arguing that it has chronically failed to address the needs of all but a few women. An unforgettable debut, Kendall calls for all would-be feminists to live out the true mandate of the movement through their words and actions.
Request “Hood Feminism”
“Many Thousand Gone: Springfield’s Lost Black History,” by Katherine Lederer
Recommended by Tracie-Gieselman-France, archivist
In “Many Thousand Gone,” Dr. Katherine Lederer traces the history and growth of Springfield’s Black community. The power of this work is intensified by photographs and documents that testify to a prospering culture that was shattered by a tragic miscarriage of justice in the early 20th century.
View “Many Thousand Gone: Springfield’s Lost Black History”
“Maya Angelou: The Complete Poetry,” by Maya Angelou
Recommended by Grace Jackson-Brown, professor
Throughout her illustrious career in letters, Maya Angelou gifted, healed, and inspired the world with her words. Now the beauty and spirit of those words continue to inspire through this complete collection of poetry that reflects and honors her remarkable life.
Request “Maya Angelou: The Complete Poetry”
Digital Exhibit Recommendations:
“Dallas Bartley – Small Town Boy,” exhibit by MSU Libraries Special Collections and Archives
Recommended by Tracie Gieselman-France, archivist
Springfield-native Dallas Bartley was an accomplished jazz musician and composer whose career took him all over the country — from New York’s Apollo Theater to clubs up and down the West Coast. He performed with some of the most notable jazz musicians of his time including Earl Hines, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington. Bartley moved back to Springfield in his retirement, where he used his time and talents to help the local jazz scene thrive.
View the digital exhibit.
“The Ora “Cricket” Logan Collection” by MSU Libraries Special Collections and Archives
Recommended by Tracie Gieselman-France, archivist
The “Ora ‘Cricket’ Logan Collection” documents the life and accomplishments of former Springfield resident, Ora Logan, in addition to the life and accomplishments of her mother, Alberta Northcutt Ellis.
In the early 1950s, Ellis opened her three-story Victorian house hotel to provide African Americans with a safe place to stay along Route 66. The hotel quickly became a hotspot for families and entertainers, including Frankie Lymon and the Harlem Globe Trotters. Alberta’s daughter, Ora Logan, was an active member of the Springfield community and is remembered as the last PTA president of Lincoln School prior to desegregation.
The Ora “Cricket” Logan Collection is available to researchers, but it is not yet fully processed. The archive has a detailed list of the materials, so researchers can request specific items from the collection. For more information, contact MSU Libraries Special Collections and Archives.
Discover more Black history resources and exhibits:
Ozarks Afro-American History Museum