African American History Month began in 1925 as Negro History Week. According to the Library of Congress, this year’s theme, African Americans and the Civil War, “…honors the efforts of people of African descent to destroy slavery and inaugurate universal freedom in the United States.”
Richmonders have a rare opportunity to study the issues with the year 2011 being the 150th anniversary, or sesquicentennial, of the Civil War. Here are a few links to get you started!
Virginia Civil War.org The General Assembly of Virginia created the Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission in 2006 to commemorate this event.
War for Freedom: African Americans in the Era of the Civil War from the National Park Service.
Civil War Sesquicentennial Events in Richmond from the Richmond Times Dispatch.
African Americans in Richmond from the Valentine Richmond History Center.
Civil War 150 Legacy Project Under “Resources”, click on “Library of Virginia Legacy Project” for a search box to the online collection.
Resources on Slavery in Richmond, Virginia from VCU Libraries Special Collections.
At JSRCC Library:
Be sure to check out the new book display at Parham Campus Library on African American history!
Also learn about more library resources- books, articles, web sites- in the new research guide on African American History for HIS 141 & 142.
