Black History Resources

The State Library has over 150 multimedia titles to celebrate Black History Month. Only a few of the titles are listed below. Be sure to check the KDLA Catalog for additional selections.

If you need assistance in searching the catalog for multimedia items, contact the State Library’s reference desk by phone at (502) 564-8300 or (800) 928-7000, ext. 342 or through the “Ask a Librarian” email reference service.

Living the Story: The Civil Rights Movement in Kentucky (video)
2001 59 min. J-A / Call number: VC 323.09769 Livi VC8004
An oral account of the civil rights movement in Kentucky.

Aida's Brothers & Sisters: Black Voices in Opera (video)
2000 90 min. H-A / Call number: VC 780.8996073 Aida VC7930
Presents the history and current situation of African-American opera singers in America. Combines rare and contemporary footage of some of the greatest performers of the century and includes interviews with many notable black singers, (including Marian Anderson, Paul Robeson, Leontyne Price, Kathleen Battle, Jessye Norman, Robert McFerrin, and members of Opera Ebony) as well as musicologists, directors, and historians.

The Color of Friendship (video)
2002 90 min. I-H / Call number: VC Colo VC8346
Mahree Bok lives on a farm in South Africa. Her father is a policeman who cannot hide his joy when activist Steve Biko is caught by the South African authorities. Piper Dellums is the daughter of a US congressman from California and who lives in a nice home in Washington, DC. When Mahree is chosen to spend a semester at the Dellums' house, she doesn't expect that her host family would be black. Nor do her hosts suspect that she is not a black South African.

Fatal Flood (video)
2001 60 min. H-A / Call number: VC 976.242 Fata VC8177
In Greenville, Mississippi, efforts to contain the flooding Mississippi River pitted the majority black population against an aristocratic plantation family, the Percys—and the Percys against themselves.

Freedom River (video)
2002 18 min. P-I / Call number: VC B Park VC8642
Based on the true story of ex-slave John Parker who risked his freedom and his life to help others escape slavery via the Underground Railroad. Based on the book Freedom River by Doreen Rappaport, pictures by Bryan Collier.

Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities (video)
2003 87 min. A / Call number: VC Fire VC9717
Based on Fires in the Mirror by Anna Deavere Smith. On Aug. 19, 1991 in Crown Heights (Brooklyn, N.Y.) a Hasidic man accidentally ran over a 7-year old Black boy (Gavin Cato). Three hours later a young Jewish scholar (Yankel Rosenbaum) was murdered by Black youths. Four days of fire-bombing and riots ensued. Utilizing verbatim excerpts from interviews she conducted, Anna Deavere Smith acts out the roles of 18 people involved in the racial conflict, trying to present the differing viewpoints. Includes actual film footage of the riots and violence.

Harriet Tubman (video)
2003 23 min. P-I / Call number: VC B Tubm VC8313
An up-close look at the life of this famed conductor on the Underground Railroad while providing information about the daily life of enslaved people and the dangers faced by those who fought to free them.

Jazz (series of 10 episodes; video or DVD)
2000 120 min ea. A
Ken Burns celebrates jazz, from its origins in blues and ragtime through swing, bebop, and fusion. This series uses interviews, more than 500 pieces of music, 2,400 still photographs, and over 2,000 rare and archival film clips to spotlight many of America's most original, creative--and tragic—figures.
Set includes:

Gumbo / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7762 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV126
The Gift / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7763 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV127
Our Language / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7764 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV128
The True Welcome / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7765 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV129
Swing: Pure Pleasure / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7766 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV130
Swing: The Velocity of Celebration / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7767 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV131
Dedicated to Chaos / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7768 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV132
Risk / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7769 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV133
The Adventure / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7770 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV134
A Masterpiece by Midnight / Call numbers: VC 781.65 Jazz VC7771 / DV 781.65 Jazz DV135

John Henry (video)
2003 13 min. P-I / Call number: VC 398.22 John VC9674
A tale about how innovations can change lives and an examination of the concept of tall tales and legends versus true stories.

Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory (video)
2000 56 min. H-A / Call number: VC 782.5253 Jubi VC8182
Portrays the history of the Jubilee Singers, who started as an ex-slave choir singing spirituals on fundraising tours to keep Fisk University from closing. Includes recreations of their historic performances and draws on letters, photographs, and diaries to portray their early years.

The Loretta Claiborne Story (video)
2000 90 min. I-A / Call number: VC B Clai VC7842
Tells about the life of Special Olympics athlete Loretta Claiborne.

Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind (video or DVD)
2001 90 min. H-A / Call number: DV B Garv DV99 / Call number: VC B Garv VC8183
Uses a wealth of archival film, photographs and documents to uncover the story of this Jamaican immigrant who between 1916 and 1921 built the largest black mass movement in world history. DVD bonus features include: interviews with director Stanley Nelson and editor Lewis Erskine; exclusive footage not included in the program; News articles from the Negro World; audio recordings of Marcus Garvey speeches; video glossary of key terms from a panel of Garvey experts.

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (video)
2002 8 min. P-I / Call number: VC B King VC8074
Profound and important biography about beliefs and dreams and following one's heart using quotes from some of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s beloved speeches. Includes stunning collage art and vibrant watercolor paintings. From the book by Doreen Rappaport ; illustrated by Bryan Collier.

Partners of the Heart (DVD)
2003 60 min. H-A / Call number: DV 617.0922 Part DV105
A compelling, often overlooked American story of personal triumph of a Black carpenter's apprentice with a genius for surgery and a white surgeon who dared to defy
medical gospel forged a partnership that changed the course of medical history. Bonus DVD features include eight mini-documentaries that explore the themes and legacy of Partners of the Heart.

Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (video)
2001 90 min. H-A / Call number: VC 345.730253 Scot VC8188
An account of one of the most significant legal fights of the twentieth century. The trials of the nine young men accused of raping two white women would draw North and South into their sharpest conflict since the Civil War, yield two momentous Supreme Court decisions and give birth to the civil rights movement. Originally produced for television broadcast as a segment of The American Experience.

Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The 90-year Journey of the NAACP (video)
2000 48 min. J-P / Call number: VC 323.1196073 Walk VC8745
Documents the history and social impact of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Yo! Yes? (video)
2000 5 min. P / Call number: VC E Yo VC7450
Two lonely characters, one black and one white, meet on the street and become friend.
From the book by Chris Raschka.

Zora Is My Name! (video)
2003 88 min. H-A / Call number: VC B Hurs VC9718
Offers a dramatization of the life of Zora Neale Hurston, who wrote of the folklore of the rural South.