Tour the Museum through the Lens of Black Writers
Black History Resources
Black WRITERS & history
Celebrate the impact of Black writers and their work!
Our recent exhibit, Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice, examined the history of racial injustice in America through the work of Black American writers from the end of the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement. This exhibit is now available online!
Visit the AWM in person to learn about more Black writers and their legacies.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice
Immerse yourself in our exhibit Dark Testament: A Century of Black Writers on Justice and honor the significant contributions of Black writers to American literature and history. Explore and better understand racial injustice in America by examining the work of Black American writers from the end of the Civil War through the Civil Rights Movement. Featuring original artwork, augmented reality and other interactive elements that enliven and enrich the experience, Dark Testament brings the work of writers past and present to life in new and exciting ways. This exhibit is now available virtually.
EXPLORE ONLINE
We have a number of resources available to help you discover, celebrate, and honor the vast contributions of Black writers, both past and present.
- Watch past program videos with leading contemporary Black writers like Natasha Trethewey, Jacqueline Woodson, Walter Mosely and more.
- Listen to informative podcasts about influential writers of the past like Maya Angelou, Prince, James Baldwin, and more.
- Explore virtual exhibits like Pauli Murray: Survival with Dignity, which honors the work and legacy of the influential yet often overlooked poet, lawyer, professor, priest and activist.
Join us during the month of February for the “And Still We Rise” tour celebrating the resilience and achievement of Black writers throughout American history.
This 15-minute tour introduces you to all areas of the American Writers Museum. After the tour, you can explore the museum at your own pace. The tour is offered daily at 3:00 pm when the AWM is open and is included with museum admission, no advanced registration required.
Explore Online Exhibits
Plus, you can take a virtual guided tour focused on Frederick Douglass with a group or classroom! Learn more and book a tour.
Frederick Douglass: Agitator
Author and orator Frederick Douglass was a “self-made man” (the title of one of his most popular speeches). To Douglass, a self-made man was an activist who sought to eradicate the sins of society. He escaped from slavery to become one of the most eloquent voices of abolitionism. The official end of slavery in 1865 marked the second phase of Douglass’ career. His words – passionate, brilliant, and powerful – denounced violent racism in the South while demanding true equality for all Americans.
Pauli Murray: Survival With Dignity
Pauli Murray (1910-1985) was a poet, a lawyer, a priest, a freight hopper, Eleanor Roosevelt’s friend, arrested for refusing to comply with bus segregation laws, a closeted member of the LBGTQ+ community, a professor, and so much more. Their work has influenced Supreme Court decisions, the Civil Rights movement, and countless individual people. Get to know the life and work of Pauli Murray and see how they used writing to fight for justice for all oppressed communities.
American Voices
In the online adaptation of our physical exhibit American Voices, you can delve into more than 400 years of American writing. Learn more about barrier-breakers like Phillis Wheatley, who at the age of 20 became the first published African-American author in 1773. Or learn about Modernism-era writers like Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, and more. Explore themes like “Identity” and “Promise” and see how Black writers have helped shaped these throughout American history.
Watch today’s leading writers, scholars, and activists read Frederick Douglass’s iconic 1845 memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in its entirety.
WATCH
Over on our YouTube channel we’ve put together a Black History Month playlist for your viewing pleasure. Revisit many of our past programs with leading Black writers writers like:
- Hanif Abdurraqib and Ashley Evans discuss the legacy of Aretha Franklin and their illustrated biography Sing, Aretha, Sing!
- Photographer Carell Augustus chats about his photo book Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments.
- Historian Michelle Duster discusses the legacy of her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells.
LISTEN
Check out the AWM Podcast Network if you are interested in learning about writers of the past or hearing from leading writers of the present.
- Listen to Nation of Writers to learn about the work and legacy of influential writers like Toni Morrison or Octavia Butler.
- Tune into AWM Author Talks to hear current writers like Imani Perry and Ross Gay discuss their craft, process, and more.
- On Dead Writer Drama, dive into the less talked about parts of writers’ lives, like the feud between Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes.
READ
Hit the American Writers Museum blog for even more Black History Month content.
- Read, as well as watch and listen to, some of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s iconic quotes and speeches.
- Learn about the unparalleled James Baldwin and his legacy. Explore our virtual exhibit American Voices for even more writer bios.
- Check out a Q & A with Layla Saad, bestselling author of Me and White Supremacy.
- The Dark Testament Reading List has book recommendations for Black History Month.
Black History Reading Recommendations:
BLACK WRITERS, THEIR STORIES, AND WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Black Activism in Young Adult Novels
The following two book recommendations for young readers were featured at the inaugural American Writers Festival on May 15, 2022. The Festival highlighted a number of Black writers from a wide range of genres. Check out the American Writers Festival playlist on YouTube and be sure to subscribe as we release more programs throughout Black History Month.
Stranger Things meets Jordan Peele in Burn Down, Rise Up, the utterly original debut from incredible new voice Vincent Tirado. For over a year, the Bronx has been plagued by sudden disappearances that no one can explain. Sixteen-year-old Raquel does her best to ignore it. After all, the police only look for the white kids. But when her crush Charlize’s cousin goes missing, Raquel starts to pay attention―especially when her own mom comes down with a mysterious illness that seems linked to the disappearances.
In Survive the Dome by young adult novelist Kosoko Jackson, Jamal Lawson just wanted to be a part of something. As an aspiring journalist, he packs up his camera and heads to Baltimore to document a rally protesting police brutality after another Black man is murdered. But before it even really begins, the city implements a new safety protocol…the Dome. The Dome surrounds the city, forcing those within to subscribe to a total militarized shutdown. No one can get in, and no one can get out….how will Jamal survive?