April 15, 2026
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When you walk into the grocery store and buy a banana, you might not think about Tulane University, Lil Wayne, Honduran immigrants, or New Orleans’ cruise terminal. But you should.
Celebrate Black History Month With The Library
The New Orleans Public Library celebrates Black History Month with our annual art competition, recommended reads, events, and more.
Black History Month Art Contest
The theme of our 2026 Black History Month Art Contest is Building Tomorrow: Black Youth Shaping the Future.
Create an original art piece that highlights the influence of young Black trailblazers and activists on New Orleans and the nation, or connects past movements to future progress. Honor their legacy, amplify their voices, and imagine the future they and you are building.
Black youth have always been at the forefront of change, from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s, to the Black Power Movements of the 1960s, to today’s Black Lives Matter movement. Now it’s your turn to participate.
Students in grades K – 12 can enter the contest either online or by downloading the paper form and turning it in, along with their art, at any Library location.
Congratulations to the winners of our 2025 Black History Month Art Contest: Hazel Carmen, Al’kira Fountain, McKenzie Wilkerson, Kamden Peterson, Jaz’cir Loftis, Lila Kramer, Millie Olsen, Jesuan Cerrato Herrera, Ava Wilkerson, Jacobo Cureton, Akemi Walker, and Carlynn Stancel.
Events
Recommended Reads for Black History Month
Picture Books and Juvenile Nonfiction
Young Adult Nonfiction
Adult Autobiography & Memoir
Picture Books and Juvenile Nonfiction
Young Adult Nonfiction
Adult Autobiography & Memoir
Black History Month Blog Posts
Discover stories about the New Orleans Public Library and the City of New Orleans through the lens of Black History Month. Click on the photos below to read along. Do you have a story to tell? Email us at impact@nolalibrary.org!
Black History Month Resources
Featured Database:
- HistoryMakers – A digital archive of African American oral histories that enlightens, entertains, and educates the public, helping to refashion a more inclusive record of American history.
Culture Pass Partners
- TEP Center – The Tate, Etienne, and Prevost Center is named after three of the six-year-old girls who integrated the New Orleans school system. Learn more about this history with our NOLA Readers 2.0 book selection, or reserve a Culture Pass to visit for free.
- Historic New Orleans Collection – The Historic New Orleans Collection (HNOC) is a free history museum and research center devoted to the people, places, and traditions of New Orleans and the Gulf South. Reserve a Culture Pass for a free guided tour.
Local Organizations & Library Partners:
- Ashé Cultural Arts Center uses art and culture to support human, community, and economic development.
- Community Book Center focuses on African-centered books, art, fabric, gifts, community events, and more. The shop is located on Bayou Road, a historic hub for Black businesses and commerce.
- Hidden History Tours is a publishing, research, and touring company that works to uncover New Orleans’ untold stories, with a focus on Black struggle, oppression, and revolution.
- Know NOLA Tours offers an intimate experience with the “real New Orleans” and specialize in Black Heritage tours and subjects centered around New Orleans African Diasporic culture. Immerse yourself in the rich culture and heritage of New Orleans outside of Bourbon St. because “To Know NOLA is to Love NOLA.”
- Sista Midwife Productions is New Orleans-based birth advocacy organization that provides education, training and consultations for communities, birth workers and organizations that work with childbearing families. Their Midwife Directory helps connect patience with Black midwives, doulas, lactation specialists, or wellness practitioners.
- Our Mammy’s shares the stories of Louisiana’s African Americans through the lens of the founder’s ancestors—what they contributed, how they survived, why it’s important—so that future generations can understand what was sacrificed and be inspired by all the ancestors have accomplished in the face of adversity.
Black History Under the Kanopy
Watch Black History Under the Kanopy for movie recommendations from the Access & Opportunities Librarian and the head of the REACH Center. All movies are free to stream on Kanopy.
REACH Center
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More Movie Recommendations
April 14, 2026
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During Black History Month, REACH Center librarian Kim Coleman and associate Tiara Clover collected family portraits and stories.
April 10, 2026
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Ado Soul & The Tribe’s 2024 album “Taste of the Tribe,” is featured on Crescent City Sounds, a Library-built music streaming platform highlighting local music.
2 thoughts on “Celebrate Black History Month With The Library”
What types of contributions are participants encouraged to highlight in their artwork?
For the 2026 contest, students are welcome to highlight any of the countless contributions young Black trailblazers and activists have made to New Orleans and the United States. For inspiration, check out the children’s and young adult book recommendations in this blog post, or our featured database, HistoryMakers.
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