The month of February has been designated as Black History Month. This celebration and recognition of the achievements and contributions by African-Americans to our country was initiated by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Reflecting the times, it has undergone several name changes including Negro History, Black History, Afro-American History, and African-American History.
African-Americans have been noteworthy composers, creators, performers, and producers of music in American history. Eileen Southern was one of the first scholars to investigate and research the lives of Black musicians from a historical perspective in The Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians. Samuel A. Floyd Jr. covers all Black composers in the two volume set International Dictionary of Black Composers. Ray Bonds' The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Black Music gives an overview of the evolution and stories of Black music. Kevin Phinney's Souled America: How Black Music Transformed White Culture describes the psychological and sociological impact and influence of this music on White Americans. La Shanda Katrice Barnett's I Got Thunder is an exploration of songwriting techniques of Black women. Bernice Johnson Reagon's We'll Understand It Better By and By: Pioneering African-American Gospel Composers delves into the gospel tradition. Thomas J. Hennessey's From Jazz to Swing: African-American Jazz Musicians and Their Music 1890-1935 concentrates on that specific period of jazz.
The Library's compact disc collection ranges from classical composers Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and William Grant Still to jazz greats like John Coltrane and Miles Davis to popular stars like Stevie Wonder and Kanye West. If you would like to suggest an African-American artist to enhance the collection, please contact me.