Black History Month

In recognition of Black History Month this February, we have curated a selection of resources below to help you discover, celebrate, and honor the Black linguists, orators, singers, authors, and poets whose voices and stories continue to shape the evolution and artistry of the English language.

Celebrate Black excellence during your visit to Planet Word by downloading our themed-experience guide.
Watch past program videos with leading contemporary authors, poets, and experts across a variety of fields like Clint Smith, Tony Keith, Jr., Nadine Brown, and more.
Head over to our blog to learn from celebrated authors and scholars like Kelly Wright, Adam Bradley, Jason Reynolds, and more.

Themed Experience

Black Voices and Stories

Celebrate Black History Month at Planet Word! Download the Black Voices and Stories Themed-Experience Guide for your next visit and enjoy the identified interactive galleries that highlight Black excellence in a variety of creative fields.

Download the guide

Featured Programs

Special Event

A Great Day in Poetry

February 01, 2024 | 6:30 p.m.

$0 | Friedman Family Auditorium

Join Planet Word and MahoganyBooks as we host A Great Day in Poetry, commemorating Langston Hughes’s birthday as well as the publication of This Is the Honey: An Anthology of…

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Featured Past Program

Between the Lines with Jason Reynolds and Tony Keith, Jr.

November 18, 2023 | 4:00 p.m.

Stories can entertain, instruct, inspire, and even change the world. But what makes a story, and what makes stories so uniquely powerful? Bestselling author Jason Reynolds explores these questions and…

Watch Online

Featured Past Program

How the Word is Passed with Clint Smith

February 01, 2022 | 8:00 p.m.

When poet and Atlantic staff writer Clint Smith set out to explore how the history of American slavery is interpreted and memorialized, he did so with an open mind and…

Watch Online

Black History Month Reading List

At Planet Word, we feature the words and works of numerous Black linguists, orators, singers, authors, and poets on our walls, in our galleries, and in our Present Perfect gift shop. Check out this list of books from celebrated Black authors on our Bookshop.org storefront.

Read the list

Watch the documentary

Language Matters

Talking Black in America

African American English is one of the most controversial language varieties in the United States. Its speakers are often criticized as speaking “bad English,” but its rappers, musicians, poets, and performers have driven countless musical innovations and pop culture trends in the United States. The documentary Talking Black in America tells the complicated story of African American English through interviews with linguists and conversations with native speakers.

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Stories Matter

Empathy, Art, and Telling Important Stories

Planet Word Advisor Jason Reynolds is the bestselling author of many award-winning books, including Long Way Down, which is featured in our magical Schwarzman Family Library. In this Q&A, we ask Reynolds some questions about the role of empathy in his work and the importance of telling stories like Long Way Down.