Black History Month

BPL and the Black Heritage Foundation of Yellowstone County are sponsoring a series of events exploring African-American history and culture. Please join us! 

Programs:

• 2/6    EMMETT TILL This program explores the story of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman in her family’s grocery store.
• 2/13    HUEY NEWTON This program explores the history of Huey Newton, a revolutionary African-American political activist who co-founded the Black Panther Party in 1966.
• 2/20    POETRY NIGHT This program celebrates poetry in all forms. It’s an open mic night, so bring a favorite poem to read - yours or someone else’s - or choose one of the great poems provided!
• 2/27    BARACK OBAMA This program explores the strong antipathy to Barack Obama’s presidency, and explores the reasons for it.

Films:

• 2/1     BLACK PANTHER is a superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. After the death of his father, T’Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king -- and as Black Panther -- gets tested. (2018 - PG-13)
• 2/8    GREEN BOOK is a biographical comedy-drama film. Dr Don Shirley is a world-class African-American pianist, who is about to embark on a concert tour in the Deep South in 1962. In need of a driver and protection, Shirley recruits Tony Lip, a tough-talking bouncer from an Italian-American neighborhood in the Bronx. (2018 - PG-13) 
• 2/15    HARRIET is a biographical film about Harriet Tubman from her escape from slavery through the dangerous missions she led to liberate hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad. (2019 - PG-13)
• 2/22    GOOD HAIR is a documentary film about the importance of hair in African-American culture. Prompted by a question from his young daughter, comic Chris Rock interviews celebrities such as Ice-T and Raven Symone, and visits hair salons, stylist competitions and even an Indian temple to learn about hair culture. (2009 - PG-13)
• 2/29    FENCES is a period drama film, based on August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Troy Maxson makes his living as a sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh, but once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. Bitter over his missed opportunity, Troy creates further tension in his family when he squashes his son’s chance to meet a college football recruiter. (2016 - PG-13)