Literature is a force that allows people to connect across generations, countries, cultures and languages. As Black History Month comes to a close, both the Brookline Booksmith and the Public Library of Brookline have worked to honor and celebrate the month through their literature and programs. The 2023 Black History Month theme is “Black Resistance,” as decided by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Here’s what the two establishments did for the theme, as well as what they do for the month of February and beyond.

The Public Library of Brookline

In the Public Library of Brookline, staff members set up bookshelves and held programs dedicated to Black History Month.

According to Robin Brenner, the librarian of the Teen Section, the library lined up books close to the walkway between the children, teen and tween sections so they were in view of anyone who goes to those sections.

“Each space does their own displays. There is an ongoing sort of list that we all have for readers advisory. If people ask or if we need to refill the displays, we’re always ready to put out new titles, especially to highlight new things that have come out,” Brenner said.

In terms of programming, the library hosted two adult programs, one of which featured guest speaker Dr. Rebecca Hall. Hall is the author of “Wake,” a graphic novel about revolts of enslaved people led by women throughout history.

For the children’s section, Youth Services supervisor Julie Kellndorfer and children’s librarian Macy Davis created an interactive activity where children could learn about Black illustrators and mimic their unique art styles. Kellndorfer said that she hoped that the program would help highlight the illustrators.

“By having a program like this, where we get to highlight and focus on some really cool people, we can show people that they have a place here in the library as well,” Kellndorfer said.

The Brookline Booksmith

The Brookline Booksmith put two collections on display specifically for Black History Month: “Anti-Racism 101” and the “Black History Collection.”

The “Anti-Racism 101” display featured books such as “Healing Justice Lineages” by Cara Page and Erica Woodland, an anthology to help readers with anti-racism work. Lauren James, a bookseller at the Booksmith, said this and “My Grandmother’s Hands” were important to help support the reader emotionally as they continued their anti-racism work.

“Anti-Racism 101” also featured books such as “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness” by Michelle Alexander, “How To Be An Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi, “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin and “Radical Empathy” by Terri E. Givens. James said these books demonstrated that change needs to be both internal and external.

“[These books] help us to see that it’s not just systems or laws that need to be changed, but we also have work to do internally on ourselves in order to be anti-racist,” James said.

The children’s section of the bookstore featured picture books that feature Black characters or were written by Black authors. According to James, having representation like this is incredibly important.

“When we have literature that fails to represent a diverse range of people, it’s hard for young people to see themselves in a positive light,” James said. “When our book sellers and our buyers buy books Black kids and Black people in a positive view, it helps the young person develop a positive racial identity, and that’s important for their self-esteem and their sense of self-worth.”

The Booksmiths’s Black History display featured books about comedians, doctors, paramedics, social activists, athletes, presidents, queer and disabled people. James said that highlighting some of the lesser known people of Black history is important to fighting harmful stereotypes.

“When we highlight people who are less well known, it tells us that the narrative that we see in the media, that perpetuates stereotypes and harmful stereotypes about black folks is not true. Those stereotypes cause bias and prejudice, and if we dig into our history and celebrate the folks who are actively omitted from history, it develops a sense of pride and dignity in the young person and in the black person in general,” James said.

The Booksmith also keeps several full-time sections devoted to literature themed around certain topics, including but not limited to “Black Studies,” “Latine Studies,” and “For The Culture”, a section created in part by James.

With collaboration from other booksellers, the books in “For the Culture” were divided into a wide range of subsections, such as education, mental health and resilience, empowering legacies in history, and books containing the theme of belonging and home through the African Diaspora. James said that “For the Culture” was a way to show a holistic view of the Black experience.

“I was hoping to add a bit to the conversation. That speaks to the thought of black people, the creativity, the freedom, the black joy, black excellence, and the resilience that people have used to overcome the oppression without focusing solely on that oppression.” James said.

James said that literature is a good way to educate people.

“[Books are] a message from the author to the reader. They both can have the power to inspire and uplift. They can challenge you to grapple with real issues and then also teach you things that you didn’t know before,” James said. “Those are some of the powerful contributions that literature can make to supporting Black folks.”