Quote of the month: “If each person in this world will simply take a small piece of this huge thing, this amazing quilt, and work it regardless of the yarn, we will have harmony on this planet” — Cicely Tyson (1925 – 2021).
HARAMBEE!: Black History Month
Harambee is a Swahili word meaning “working together in unity,” which exemplifies the goal we strive to achieve here at CUNY Law! The entire month of February marks the annual observance of Black History Month—a cultural event created by African American historian and scholar Carter G. Woodson in 1926.
In celebration of Black History Month, the CUNY Law Library has compiled a short list of virtual and in-person events held within New York City, including media resources that will hopefully help give you a deeper appreciation of the past achievements and recent contributions of people of the African Diaspora.
Virtual and In-Person Programs:
CUNY City College Celebrates Black History Month 2021
CCCNY is celebrating BHM with film showings, fun games, and panel discussions on racial disparities in education. Virtual. Registration required.
Museum of the City of New York
Your Hometown (podcast) Virtual Conversation with Darryl McDaniels of RUN-DMC hosted by Kevin Burke – Virtual. Registration required.
NYPL Schomburg Center
A varied schedule of digital programs for all ages. Virtual. Registration required.
Walking and Virtual Tours:
Harlem Heritage Tour
Harlem Civil Rights Multimedia Virtual Tour
This tour traces the movement of the civil rights movement by including historic New York City landmarks associated with prominent figures, who are most identified with the struggle for Black human rights. Registration required + fee.
Big Onion Tour
This walking tour covers the African American experience from New York City’s early establishment in lower Manhattan to the evolution of Harlem that became known as the Black cultural mecca of America. Registration required + fee.
NYC Parks Department
The NYC Parks Department has arranged to hold walk-in tours and virtual online lectures about specific parks and public lands that played a significant role in African American life in New York City, ranging from pre-civil war to present times. Registration required.
Media Resources:
Black History Month (History Channel)
Black History Month (U.S. Government & Cultural Institutions)
Official U.S.-sponsored events by major government and cultural institutions, e.g., the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Gallery of Art, etc.
Black Lives Matter – Libguide
Cornell University has created an electronic resources guide on all past and current issues that relate to the creation of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Murder of Emmett Till (full documentary) (2017).
Watch the full documentary here
Dr. Henry Lois Gates, Jr: African American lives Genealogy, Genetics, and Black History Lecture held at University of Kansas (2017).
Black Leaders: Discussion on PBS’ Black Journal featuring CUNY Law Dean Haywood Burns, Angela Davis, Kwame Ture, Fannie Lou Hamer, Louis Stokes, and Percy Sutton (1973).
Watch the full discussion here
Novelist/civil rights activist James Baldwin’s Debate with conservative and editor of the National Review columnist James Buckley at Cambridge (1965).
Malcolm X: Cambridge Union Student Hall Debate (1964): Deemed controversial, Malcolm delivers a speech articulating the evils of racism in America, the evolution of new Black political thought, and the appropriate responses towards ending racism, as expressed through the teachings of Elijah Mohammad.