Library of Congress Opens New Web Archive Collection Documenting Protests Against Racism & Learn About LC’s Black History Month Programs

From the Library of Congress (Full Text of Announcement):

A new web archive collection from the Library of Congress documents the civil unrest sparked by the police murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. The Protests Against Racism Web Archive contains a selection of websites documenting protests against racism and police brutality against Black people, as well as grass roots movements and activism calling for police reform.

The release of the web archive is one of a series of programs and collections marking Black History Month at the Library of Congress.

The new web archive is a selective collection that partially documents websites between June 29 and Aug. 7, 2020. It includes more than 200 web archives.

The collection covers Black Lives Matter protests and others with the same cause but not organized by the Black Lives Matter organization. In addition to coverage of the protests, the collection contains responses, reactions and activism representing several sectors of society, including community organizations, local, state and national governments, professional associations, trade groups, the business community, educational and religious institutions, national sports organizations, civil rights organizations, and others.

The Protests Against Racism Web Archive will be a valued resource for many purposes, but does not reflect social media websites or content.

Direct to Protests Against Racism Web Archive

Black History Month Display

View the display “Black History Month 2023: Black Resistance” through the end of February. Explore how African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression from America’s earliest days into the 21^st century. Items featured are from the Rare Book and Special Collections, Manuscript and Prints and Photographs Divisions, including items from the collections of Rosa Parks and the NAACP. The exhibit is located on the Great Hall Mezzanine of the Thomas Jefferson Building.

Webinar: Researching African Americans in Business

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, at 1 p.m. ET, join an online workshop, Africans Americans in Business: Company Research. Explore historical company research through the 2023 Black History Month theme of “Resistance,” featuring historic Black barbers who resisted the status quo by supporting Black education and civil rights movements. Many went on to other businesses, including insurance, finance, real estate and more. In addition to sharing research around Black barbers, this workshop will also demonstrate strategies to locate information on historical figures and companies more broadly. While the webinar uses resources available at the Library of Congress, some may be available through local libraries or historical societies, both of which have resources to help with this type of research. The webinar is led by the Library’s business reference and research specialists. Register and watch online at this link.

Live at the Library: Special Concert with Jake Blount

On Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m., join LIVE at the Library for a concert in the Members Room of the Thomas Jefferson Building (Room 162). A powerfully gifted musician and a scholar of Black American music, Jake Blount performs on voice, banjo, and fiddle. Drawing some of his repertoire from the collections of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, he highlights the Black and Indigenous histories of popular American folk tunes.

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