Black History

Celebrating Black history and culture

Toronto Public Library celebrates Black History with a collection of programs and special events that honour Black heritage, and consider the historical significance and contemporary contributions of Black activists and artists from around the world.

Upcoming Events

Tamara Payne: The Dead Are Arising - The Life of Malcolm X

Mon Mar 01, 2021 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 a.m.

For nearly 30 years, Pulitzer-prize winning investigative journalist Les Payne set forward to unearth a complete retelling of the extraordinary life of Malcolm X. Based on over a hundred hours of interviews, The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X is a glorious conjuring of one of the twentieth century's most politically relevant figures.

All Events

Live and On-Demand Events

Check out upcoming Live & Online events and watch replays of past events you may have missed on the TPL Culture channel on Crowdcast, including this featured conversation with author Sarah Broom about her best-selling memoir, The Yellow House.

Black Voices

Videos

This video features a discussion on the importance of representation in literature, with Glory Edim, the founder of the popular book club Well Read Black Girl, and writers Jamia Wilson and Renée Watson. Moderated by writer Zalika Reid-Benta.

Explore our entire Black Voices YouTube playlist.

Podcast

Listen to these featured episodes, and discover more captivating conversations and archived recordings on our Live Mic and Writers Off the Page podcast series.

Reading Lists

Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection

The Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection features over 16,000 books, DVDs, CDs, newspapers and magazines for adults, children, and teens. Materials focus on the Black and Caribbean historical and cultural experience, with a special emphasis on Canadian content.

Our Black History Image

You may have seen this image in our Black History materials. The artwork, titled Mama’s Quilt, is an original work by Ivey Hayes and is used by permission.

Support Heritage Collections

Help grow the Rita Cox Black and Caribbean Heritage Collection by donating to the Rita Cox Endowment Fund. Donate today at Toronto Public Library Foundation or at 416-393-7123.