“Unless man is committed to the belief that all mankind are his brothers, then he labors in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of equality.”
– Adam Clayton Powell Jr., ‘Black Power: A Form of Godly Power’ 1967
Dear Oak Bluffs community, both near and far,
We are grief-stricken and outraged by the baseless killing of George Floyd and the continued excessive force being used against those exercising their First Amendment right to protest his murder.
The Oak Bluffs Public Library is the bastion of local culture and the historic record for our town, and we bear witness to the events of the last few days both across the nation and right here in Oak Bluffs.
Our library has begun a years-long project to collect the oral histories of those who are connected to Oak Bluffs, particularly the African American stories of our town. The George Floyd killing and the new civil rights movement makes this project even more necessary. We will reach out to you for your story, and we intend to preserve it for the ages. We invite you to reach out to us as well. Please get in touch with me at amalik@clamsnet.org or call 508-693-9433 for how to get involved.
Your job has been to make your voices are heard. Our job will be to make your voices heard for generations.
Our physical and digital collection has been curated to include the stories and voices of others who speak for inclusion, against racism, and in defence of radical ideas like equality, social justice, and freedom. We invite you to look through these stories as you continue to craft your own. If you intend to stand up for yourself and others, we intend to stand with you.
Allyson Malik, Library Director, Oak Bluffs Public Library
Civil Rights, Social Justice & Black Voices
Adult Reading List
Young Adult & Middle Grade Reading List
Children’s Reading List
How to access digital titles
The above titles are available in our digital catalog through Hoopla, Overdrive / Libby. Films are also available through Hoopla and Kanopy.
Don’t have an Oak Buffs Library account? Call 508-693-9433 or email oakb_mail@clamsnet.org.
African American Collection
When our contactless hold pickup begins mid-June, consider placing a hold on any of the hundreds of books in our African American collection, professionally curated across a spectrum of topics.