Books
Young Adult
- We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
- Say Her Name by Zetta Elliott
- We Are Not Broken by George M. Johnson
- The Beautiful Struggle by Ta-Nehisi Coats
Adult Fiction
- Kindred by Octavia Butler
- The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
- The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
- How Long ’til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin
- Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
Adult Nonfiction
- Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism by bell hooks
- On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
- Unprotected: A Memoir by Billy Porter
- The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism by Edward E. Baptist
Manhattan Area Resources
- Manhattan Juneteenth: The mission on Juneteenth is to provide local festivities in celebration of a day in American history when the emancipation of enslaved people was ultimately announced.
- African American History Trail Driving Tour: The self-guided driving tour was developed by the staff of the Riley County Historical Museum to showcase some of the interesting and important African American History in our community.
- Ancestry.com and Heritage Quest: For many African Americans, records from the Freedman’s Bank may be the first time they’re able to find an ancestor’s name outside of inventory lists included in wills and probate records of enslavers. Ancestry.com is provided for your use onsite at Manhattan Public Library. Heritage Quest can be accessed anywhere in Kansas through the MPL website.
State and National Resources
- The Kansas African American History Trail: The History Trail tells the story of the African American contributions to Kansas at it’s various historical sites, chronicling the people, places, and events that created this rich history.
- The National Museum of African American History and Culture: Branch of the Smithsonian, and the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture.
- The National Archives: The Archives holds a wealth of material documenting the Black experience. This page highlights these resources online, in programs, and through traditional and social media.
