Published: January 28, 2025 by Matsuko Friedland

Please join the SJSU iSchool, California Librarians Black Caucus, and the SJSU Black Student Library Collective in celebrating Black History Month as we honor the achievements of our Black community members.

While Black History Month was first federally recognized in 1976, its precursor extends further back to the early 1920s when Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard-trained historian, created Negro History Week in 1925. After its celebration in February of 1926, an overwhelming number of Black educators, scholars, artists, and communities demanded for more materials. By the 1950s, Negro History Week became an integral part of Black communities, leading to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and the first celebration of Black History Month at Kent State University in 1970. (source: Black History Month)

Join us on  Tuesday, February 25, 2025 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time, for our free online symposium, “What’s a Black Job? The Evolution of Black Librarians” , featuring a presentation from Bamidele Agbasegbe Demerson, Chief Curator at the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO), and a panel discussion with Aaisha Haykal, Fobazi Ettarh, Wanda K. Brown, and Dr. Brian Kelly.

Register here for this free event:
https://sjsu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5bmHk8aKSxq43EF7lvMKCA