BOSTON, MA - January 30, 2026 - To honor Black History Month, the Boston Public Library (BPL) is releasing Black Is..., a booklist of recently published titles commemorating the achievements, complexities, struggles, and culture of the Black experience. Celebrated annually in February, Black History Month honors and explores the influence and legacy of Black Americans. The BPL will also observe Black History Month by hosting special events for all ages across branches.
The Black Is... booklist, featuring selected books written either by Black authors or about Black history and culture, is compiled by staff librarians from the Codman Square, Fields Corner, Grove Hall, Lower Mills, and South End branches, along with staff from the Central Library in Copley Square. The 75 titles comprising Black Is... highlight selections for adults, teenagers, and children by authors such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jordan Chiles, Danielle Legros Georges, Ibram X. Kendi, Jayne Kennedy, and Liz Walker. Genres from this collection include fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, expressions, and poetry.
Each book on the list contains a synopsis and is accompanied by an image of the book cover as well as classification information. In addition to print books, select titles are available as eBooks or audiobooks.
Along with the booklist, the BPL will celebrate Black History Month with author talks and lectures, performing arts events, film screenings, book group discussions, arts and crafts workshops, and more. The full list of programs can be found at bpl.org/black-history-month/. Highlights include:
- Afro-Indigenous Food with Kayla Tabb | February 2, 14, and 23, Shaw-Roxbury | BPL's Chef-in-Residence Kayla Tabb leads a 3-class series on cooking Afro-Indigenous food focusing on meats, plant-based ingredients, and sweet treats.
- Reparations Untold: A Documentary Film Screening and Panel Discussion | February 3, Central | A film screening and panel discussion of Reparations Untold: An American Story, a groundbreaking documentary with powerful storytelling and impactful interviews that shed light on the topic of reparations by some of the most recognizable and respected figures in Boston.
- Author Talk: Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum | February 5, Online | Psychologist Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum and best-selling author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and Other Conversations About Race speaks with Citywide Friends of the BPL’s Fred Golder about her works including her latest book, Peril and Promise: College Leadership in Turbulent Times.
- Never Cried: Boston’s Busing Legacy (Documentary Film Screening & Discussion with Filmmaker Emily Judem and Leola Hampton & Linda Starks-Walker) | February 7, Shaw-Roxbury | A film screening of the acclaimed documentary Never Cried: Boston’s Busing Legacy. Following the screening, Leola Hampton and Linda Starks-Walker (students during the "busing crisis" and the film's focus) and the filmmaker Emily Judem will be in conversation with Stephanie Leydon, Senior Editor, Digital and Multimedia, GBH News.
- Take Back the Kitchen: A Black History Month Celebration with Haley House | February 7 and 21, Shaw-Roxbury | Special cooking classes designed for the 55+ community. Together, we’ll explore the rich flavors, stories, and traditions of Black and African American cuisine, preparing delicious, healthy, and budget-friendly meals inspired by ancestral foodways, family recipes, and cultural resilience.
- A Conversation with Ilyasah Shabazz (Daughter of Malcolm X, Professor & Author) | February 9, Shaw-Roxbury | Ilyasah Shabazz — professor, author, and daughter of Malcolm X — will speak about her works and the legacy of her father.
- Create with Adinkra Symbols | February 10, Grove Hall | Use hand carved Adinkra symbols from Ghana, West Africa, celebrate community, share stories of resistance and resilience, and find your meaning within the depths of Adinkra symbols. Explore the history of these symbols and imprint your story on your own personalized tote or t-shirt.
- Author Talk: Jonathan D.S. Schroeder and Tiya Miles - The United States Governed by Six Hundred Thousand Despots | February 12, Central | Professor and editor Jonathan D.S. Schroeder discusses his nonfiction book, The United States Governed by Six Hundred Thousand Despots: A True Story of Slavery, as well as his research and writing process with historian and best-selling author Professor Tiya Miles.
- Afrobeats 101: Beginner Dance Workshop Series | February 14 and 21, Mattapan | Find out more about Afrobeats—various Afro-pop and fusion music that has modernized and transformed within Africa and has caught the hearts of the diaspora—and learn technical skills and fundamental movement of Afrobeats dance as we celebrate the spirit of Africa, and the joy that comes from it.
- A Brief History of Jazz Piano | February 14, Jamaica Plain | Jazz musician, journalist, and historian Allen Morrison discusses the importance and influence of the piano in Jazz music, illustrating with film clips and audio recordings of the great players, including Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole.
- Boston Black History Wikidata Edit-a-thon | February 23, Parker Hill | Learn to create and edit Wikipedia articles about important Black activists, events, and community members who deserve to be highlighted on the world wide web.
- Boston Black Women Lead: Wikipedia Edit-A-thon | February 28, Central | The Boston Research Center is putting on a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon celebrating Black women leaders who’ve shaped Boston’s history. Join us for a joint celebration of Black History Month and Women's History month and contribute your own knowledge to the Boston Black Women Lead Project by creating and editing Wikipedia articles about Black women who have shaped Boston histories from the colonial era to present times.
Physical copies of the Black Is... booklist will be available at all BPL locations starting February 1, 2026; it can also be accessed digitally. In addition, the booklist and information about Black History Month programs will also appear on the BPL website at bpl.org and on the BPL social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram).
Patrons can view many years' worth of prior affinity booklists, such as those from Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, Disability Pride Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Native American Heritage Month in an online archive.
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Established in 1848, the Boston Public Library is a pioneer of public library service in America. It was the first large, free municipal library in the United States; the first public library to lend books; the first to have a branch library; and the first to have a children’s room.
The Boston Public Library of today is a robust system that includes the Central Library in Copley Square, 25 neighborhood branches, the Norman B. Leventhal Map and Education Center, the Kirstein Business Library and Innovation Center, and an archival center, offering public access to world-class special collections of rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and prints, along with rich digital content and online services.
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