black history

Joseph E. Lee is a prominent figure in Jacksonville history. He holds the distinction of having been the City's first Black lawyer as well as having left a legacy of commitment to public service and community. Jacksonville Public Library was recently able to digitize an extensive collection of Joseph E. Lee's professional and personal correspondence, dating from 1877 – 1882. These papers help paint a clearer picture of the man and his accomplishments.

Black History Month (or African American History Month) is celebrated annually in February. It was first created by historian Carter G. Woodson as a week-long event in 1926. Encompassing the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, it highlighted the many achievements that had been made by Black Americans since emancipation. Whether you’re looking for fictional characters or real-life heroes who look like you or you want to learn more about history, the Library has some great options!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a Baptist minister and social activist who led the Civil Rights Movement from the mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. His skillful rhetoric, iconic speeches, grassroots organizing and nonviolent approach to resistance were fundamental to that movement’s success in ending legal segregation in the United States. To learn more about the man and the federal holiday that honors his achievements, check out these biographies, speeches and documentaries.

Zora Neale Hurston was born on January 7, 1891. After her mother’s death in 1904, Hurston relocated from Central Florida to Jacksonville where she grew, lived, worked, played and loved in Florida’s largest city. A central figure in the Harlem Renaissance, her work celebrated African American culture in the rural South.