February is African American History Month, but every month is a good month to celebrate African American history and culture, and what better place to do so than your local library! Your Los Angeles…
In order to showcase the technology available in the Octavia Lab, celebrate the diversity of Los Angeles, and demonstrate how library resources, such as Tessa, the library's online digital archive…
For many years it was hard to find and watch many classic and influential films by African-American directors: they were not widely distributed, they were not released on home video, or they were…
bell hooks (born Gloria Jean Watkins) stands out as one of the nation’s pillars of both feminism and African American studies. It’s no exaggeration to say that every media outlet of note has…
Rolland J. Curtis needs your help—well, ok. Maybe photographer Rolland J. Curtis does not need your help, but the library certainly does! Let me set the scene for you: Have you ever looked at a…
As African American Heritage Month ends and Women’s Heritage Month begins, I’d like to draw attention to Miriam Matthews, the trailblazing librarian whose lifetime of achievements are worthy of…
Charlotta Bass, a name well known in Los Angeles history circles, has surfaced recently on a national front thanks in part to the ascension of Senator Kamala Harris to the position of Vice President…
George Walker was one of America's most honored composers, having had his works performed by every major orchestra in the country, and was the first African-American composer to win a Pulitzer Prize…
Panteha Abareshi is an L.A. based artist whose work hones in on chronic illness and disability. Abareshi lives in a body that coexists with sickle cell zero beta thalassemia and their performance…
There are plenty of biographies about Martin Luther King Jr. written for children, and more are published every year. But sometimes parents, caregivers, and teachers might want to focus less on dates…
Celebrated nationwide every February, African American History Month looks to honor African American heritage, history, culture and identity. As we recognize the achievements and contributions of…
African American History Month begins today; on February 1 we also celebrate the birthday of Langston Hughes, one of the most powerful voices in American poetry.Both Langston Hughes and Kevin Young…
On this first day of African American History Month, we reflect on the African American community of early Los Angeles. Arriving in the region in search of the California Dream, African American…
“Today I sketched the preliminary plans for a large country house which will be erected in one of the most beautiful residential districts in the world... Sometimes I have dreamed of living there. I…
