Celebrate Black History Month with the Des Moines Public Library! We have a selection of books and events below, with recommendations and activities for all ages.
For a full list of book recommendations, check out our Community Page (featuring Book Rec Bookmarks) and take a look at the Black Voices page on Libby.
Take My Hand, by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Inspired by true events that rocked the nation, a searing and compassionate new novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible injustice done to her patients, from the New York Times bestselling author of Wench.
Murder in Westminster, by Vanessa Riley
When she stumbles upon the body of her neighbor Stapleton Hendersons wife, Lady Abigail Worthing, expecting to be under suspicion due to her skin color and her mother's notorious past, teams up with Henderson and together they dive into the treacherous waters of London's high society to find the truth.
Harry Sylvester Bird, by Chinelo Okparanta
Harry leaves his racist, xenophobic, and financially incompetent parents in Pennsylvania and moves to Manhattan where he falls in love with a young Nigerian woman who forces him to confront his identity.
This Boy We Made, by Taylor Harris
A Black mother bumps up against the limits of everything she thought she believed--about science and medicine, about motherhood, and about her faith--in search of the truth about her son.
Under the Skin, by Linda Villarosa
From an award-winning writer at the New York Times Magazine and a contributor to the 1619 Project comes a landmark book that tells the full story of racial health disparities in America, revealing the toll racism takes on individuals and the health of our nation.
A Little Devil in America, by Hanif Abdurraqib
Touching on Michael Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Billy Dee Williams, the Wu-Tan Clan, Dave Chappelle, and more, Abdurraqib writes prose brimming with jubilation and pain. With care and generosity, he explains the poignancy of performances big and small, each one feeling intensely familiar and vital, both timeless and desperately urgent. Filled with sharp insight, humor, and heart, A Little Devil in America exalts the Black performance that unfolds in specific moments in time and space--from midcentury Paris to the moon, and back down again to a cramped living room in Columbus, Ohio.
Love Radio, by Ebeony LaDelle
Prince Jones, a self-professed teen love doctor known for his radio segment on the local hip-hop station, believes he can get the bookish, anti-romance Dani Ford to fall in love with him in three dates.
Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman, by Kristen R. Lee
Upon arriving at the prestigious Wooddale University, seventeen-year-old Savannah Howard comes face-to-face with microaggressions and outright racism--but if she stands up for justice, will she endanger her future?
Not So Pure and Simple, by Lamar Giles
Two-time Edgar Award finalist Lamar Giles spotlights the consequences of societal pressure, confronts toxic masculinity, and explores the complexity of what it means to be a "real man."
For Beautiful Black Boys Who Believe in a Better World, by Michael W. Waters
Growing up, Jeremiah is puzzled by racially-motivated gun violence in and beyond his community but when he is ready to talk about it, he learns hopeful forms of activism and advocacy.
Stacey Abrams, by Melissa Mwai
Follow the life of Stacey Abrams, from her childhood spent growing up in Gulfport, Mississippi, to her work with civic engagement and mass voter registrations in Georgia, to her groundbreaking work as the first woman to lead in the Georgia General Assembly and first African American to lead in the House of Representatives. Find out about Stacey Abram's life, achievements, and the challenges she faced along the way.
We Are Here, by Tami Charles
An empowering follow-up to New York Times bestselling picture book All Because You Matter that celebrates the rich history of Black and brown men and women throughout history with soaring language and stunning illustration.
Explore Visual Black History
January 31-February 25 | Forest Avenue Library
Drop by the Forest Avenue Library to look at photo books, graphic novels, and other visual records of Black history. These books are available to check out year-round! For now, we're pulling them out with tables, chairs, and supplies to reflect on.
Black History Month Scavenger Hunt
- Forest Avenue Library | February 7-12
- Franklin Avenue Library | February 14-28
- South Side Library | February 21-28
Celebrate Black History Month with a scavenger hunt through the library. Find all the items and win a prize.
Iowa History 101: Iowa's Black Migration: Into, Around, Out Of, and Back Again
Tuesday, February 21, 6:30 PM | Forest Avenue Library
Join the Forest Avenue Library for a film presentation from the State Historical Society of Iowa. Genealogist Ricki King, owner of Roots to Branches Genealogy, presents a journey of Iowa's Black history, starting with Iowa’s statehood, that illustrates some of the reasons why families and individuals moved to Iowa, moved around Iowa, left Iowa, returned to Iowa and then left again.