During Black History Month, which historian Carter G. Woodson initially called for in 1919, Americans most typically invoke the history of slavery, abolitionism, and the Civil Rights movement. The history of black authors, performers, and artists also provides a structure from which to view the struggle for an equal voice and equal opportunities for blacks in America, and demonstrates a profound silencing of blacks in early America distinct from the geography, history, and legislation of slavery.

The timeline of significant early or first publication, performance, and recording dates for black Americans below demonstrates that it wasn't until the 1920s that black Americans began to slowly and singularly find opportunities to publish, perform, and create in ways that brought them to the attention of mainstream, or white, American society. In 1926, Langston Hughes addressed the conditions surrounding this increase of opportunities in his essay, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," arguing that black artists needed to be free to create whatever work they chose, and asking for freedom for all artists from the need for approval from white benefactors or black political leaders, and from pressure to always show only the positive parts of black life.

This timeline ends in 1959, in the middle of the modern Civil Rights Era, 1955-1968, but in the year that Berry Gordy founded Motown Records. Gordy, a black entrepreneur, published popular music by black artists using primarily black backing musicians and went on to achieve huge international success. Black history month is an opportune time to stop and assess what growth of opportunities there has been for black Americans in the arts since 1959; how those opportunities have been won and/or defined, for good or for bad; and also to appreciate the undeniably greater idea of a culture in which free expression is not a goal but is an act.

The timeline below is linked to the Ocean State Libraries' online catalog. If you have your library card handy, clink on the links in the timeline to go directly to our online catalog and place a hold on any book, CD, or DVD by that black artist, writer or performer. Choose which library you would like your materials to be sent, and we'll notify you when you can pick them up.