10 Resources for Black History Month in Utah
The story of America is the story of black people. Every year, we set aside February to reflect on the past, consider the present, and look towards the future during Black History Month. Here at The Leonardo, we want to highlight the innovative and creative people who have contributed to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics from the beginning, as well as support those who continue that tradition of curiosity. Here we’ve assembled resources to help you learn more about the black innovators who have changed our lives, and how you can follow in their footsteps to do the same.
African Americans in Utah
Black people have had a long presence in Utah, preceding the Mormon settlers. In this piece from the Utah History Encyclopedia, learn about the challenges and triumphs of the earliest black Utahns.
Utah Voter Registration
Black History Month 2020 is themed “Our Right to Vote!”, celebrating the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment granting women’s suffrage and the 150th anniversary of the Fifteenth Amendment that gave black men the right to vote. You can exercise your right to vote by registering through Utah.gov.
Black History Month at the Eccles Library
Working with the Black Cultural Center, the Eccles Health Sciences Library is hosting an interactive exhibit highlighting six figures from African American history throughout the month of February. A new profile is added each week, so be sure to keep checking back!
Black Cultural Center
An important fixture of the University of Utah, the Black Cultural Center offers critical resources and programs for the black community. With an emphasis on community activism, the Black Cultural Center offers essential events and resources.
NAACP Salt Lake Branch Scholarships
Salt Lake City’s own NAACP branch offers scholarship opportunities for students in need. Whether you’re applying or wish to donate to the scholarship fund, this program helps students of color attend colleges throughout our state.
The African American Chamber of Commerce
It’s the African-American Chamber of Commerce’s mission to assist small businesses owned by African Americans and other minority groups in Utah. In addition to a business directory, the AACC offers networking events and other programs to assist black Utahns.
Black Lives Matter Utah
Black Lives Matter is one of the most important social movements of the 21st century. They offer resources on everything from the local chapter to Utah’s black-owned businesses and a Black Lives Matter Summer Camp.
Selections from the SLCPL
The Salt Lake City Public Library is brimming with books about black experiences and perspectives. This list is a good starting point of books available now at our public library.
Utah Education Network African American History Month Resources
If one resource list isn’t enough, the Utah Education Network has assembled another that serves as a primer for black history and the civil rights movement. For teachers, the list also includes K-12 lesson plans.
Henrietta Lacks Foundation
In 1951, Henrietta Lacks’ cancer cells were taken without her knowledge. These cells went on to be critical for medical innovations, but without credit or remuneration going to Lacks or her family. Until now. Learn more about her story through the foundation that now honors her.