Black Music Month

Turn up the volume this Black Music Month with DC Public Library! Throughout June, join us in honoring the rich history and enduring influence of Black music. From iconic artists of the past to the vibrant sounds shaping the present, attend exciting free concerts, author talks and screenings; check out recommended reads for all ages; stream unlimited music with your library card and more. We're proud to amplify the voices and stories that have shaped Black music. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn, engage, and celebrate!

Upcoming Events

Prince and Purple Rain: 40 Years

Saturday, June 1, Noon | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Black Music Month and DC Public Library’s Discover Summer kicks off with an author talk and day party in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Purple Rain, the Grammy and Oscar-winning album by Prince and the Revolution. Minneapolis-based music journalist Andrea Swennson debuts her new work Prince and Purple Rain: 40 Years, a definitive look at Prince the artist, the creation of The Revolution, and the legendary film and multi-platinum soundtrack.

My Black Country with Alice Randall

Wednesday, June 5, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Grab your cowboy hat and head on down to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library to celebrate Black Music Month with Alice Randall, on her new title My Black Country. We are thrilled to partner with Mocha Media on this enlightening discussion with Alice Randall, acclaimed songwriter, novelist, and professor from Vanderbilt, to discuss her latest book, "My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music’s Black Past, Present, and Future." The talk will dive into the history of Black Country music and the impact of Black musicians on American culture.

Go-Go on the Rooftop Returns

Sundays in June, 1 - 5 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

The beat is back on this summer at the Go-Go on the Rooftop Concert Series at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library! This June, in honor of Black Music Month, the Go-Go Archives are inviting you to a FREE concert each Sunday in June with beats by DJ Big John and a line-up that features both current and future legends of D.C.'s official music. Meet some of D.C.’s incredible small business owners at the Pop-Up Vendor Mall in front of MLK Library.

Sunday, June 9 | MAB 2.0, Still Familiar with Headliner E.U.
Sunday, June 16 | Headliner Black Alley
Sunday, June 23 | Relentless Band with Headliner Backyard Band
Sunday, June 30 | R&S Project with Headliner Junkyard Band

Black Punk Now: James Spooner and Chris Terry

Thursday, June 13, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

Join the Library for a rich conversation with James Spooner and Chris Terry, editors of the anthology Black Punk Now. Spooner and Terry will discuss this collection of essays, stories and comics that explore the lives and experiences of the Black punk community.

The South Got Something to Say

Thursday, June 20, 7 p.m. | Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library

The DC Public Library is excited to host The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for a special screening and panel discussion of the riveting, Emmy-nominated documentary, "The South Got Something to Say." "The South Got Something to Say" compellingly narrates the story of a city and culture evolving in tandem, as told by the artists at the heart of this evolution. This event marks the inaugural venture of AJC Films into the realm of original content, drawing from the paper's 155-year-old archive.

Books for Kids

Nina: A Story of Nina Simone

Traci N. Todd

Trombone Shorty

Troy Andrews

When the Beat was Born

Laban Carrick Hill

Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar

Charnelle Pinkney Barlow

The Roots of Rap

Carole Boston Weatherford

Books for Teens

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A Hip-Hop History

Jeff Chang with Dave "Davey D" Cook

The Beat! Go-Go Music from Washington, D.C.

Kip Lornell and Charles C. Stephenson, Jr.

Hendrix: Electric Requiem

Mattia Colombara & Gianluca Maconi

Legends of the Blues

William Stout

Sing and Shout: The Mighty Voice of Paul Robeson

Susan Goldman Rubin

Books for Adults

Black Punk Now

Chris L. Terry

The Come-Up The Oral History of the Rise of Hip-Hop

The Come-Up: An Oral History of the Rise of Hip-Hop

Jonathan Abrams

Supreme Sirens

Marcellas Reynolds

Soul Train: The Music, Dance and Style of a Generation

Questlove

The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America

Larry Tye

Research and Learn

Go-Go Archive

The Go-Go Archive captures both well-documented and lesser-known stories about D.C.'s official music, including record labels, houses, venues, festivals, record shops, radio stations and artists.

U Street Oral History Project - D.C.'s Cultural Corridor

The U Street Oral History Project gathers first-hand accounts of the historic U Street Corridor neighborhood from its heyday as “Black Broadway” in the 1920s and 1930s through the riots that devastated the area following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., to the present renewal.

Black Music Month Event Playlist

Stream panels featuring iconic artists like Yo-Yo, author talks about musical changemakers like Henry Threadgill and oral histories with local legends from the Go-Go scene on DC Public Library's Youtube Channel.

Jazz Music Library

The Jazz Music Library is the largest and most comprehensive collection of streaming jazz available online — with thousands of jazz artists, ensembles, albums, and genres.

African American Music Reference

Essays and images on blues, jazz, spirituals, gospel, ragtime, civil rights songs, rhythm and blues, hip hop and rap and other forms of African American musical expression.

Freegal Music+

Create your Black Music Month soundtrack with Freegal Music+! Download up to three songs a week and stream commercial-free music all day from popular labels including Sony Music.

Exhibitions

Up from the People

Explore Up from the People: Protest and Change in D.C., the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library’s permanent exhibit. It is located outside The