Mighty Rivers. Mighty Words.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

The Congo. The Euphrates. The Nile. The Mississippi. Using these mighty rivers as metaphors, writer Langston Hughes portrays the experiences of African Americans throughout history. Artist E.B. Lewis, who won an award for his illustrations in this book, conveys life on a river and the history of African Americans with his watercolor paintings.

To learn more about Langston Hughes, check out Montage of a Dream: The Art and Life of Langston Hughes. 

Both of these titles are available at the Sullivan Lexington Library, and you can check either or both of them out today.

The Negro Speaks of Rivers; call #: JF H
Montage of a Dream: The Art and Life of Langston Hughes; call #: 818.52 H893m

Healthy Soul Food? Yes, really.

Vegan Soul Kitchen

Vegan and soul food. We've got to be kidding, right? Nope. In his book Vegan Soul Kitchen Chef Bryant Terry creates vegan dishes that celebrate African American heritage and culture. As an added bonus, he includes a suggested song to listen to while preparing each dish. Check out this book, put on your favorite tunes, and enjoy some delicious vegan soul food.

Today's featured title is available at the Sullivan Lexington Library, and it can be found with this call #: 641.5636 T329v. 

Supreme Justices

Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas

Two Washington Post journalists tell about the life of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in this biography.   

This book is now available at the Sullivan Lexington Library with the call #: 347.73 M561s

Want more? Check out this DVD about Justice Thurgood Marshall, who was a civil rights attorney and the first African American appointed to the Supreme Court. 

Thurgood Marshall ; DVD 347.73 M369bio. 

Black Is Beautiful

Black America, Body Beautiful: How the African American Image Is Changing Fashion, Fitness, and Other Industries

Even though the title kind of says it all, check out today's featured book to learn how African-Americans and their acceptance of their body image has changed the fashion and retail industries.

This book is available in the Sullivan Lexington Library with the call #: 115.8 B154b

A Splash of Color

African American Art and Artists

Beautiful art and information about African American artists make up this reference guide to African American art.

As a reference book, this title has to stay in the library, but it is available to look at anytime the library is open. Its call number is: R 704.0396 L676a.   

Country Cooking a la Edna

The Taste of Country Cooking


A Southern chef from Virginia creates a feast for the eyes and the stomach with her recipes that cover each
season of the year. Check out this book to satisfy your cravings. 

The book is now available in the Sullivan Lexington Library. The call number is: 641.5975 L673t.

They Didn't Stand in the Shadows

The Shadows of Youth: The Remarkable Journey of the Civil Rights Generation


Some of the members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, including Diane Nash, Stokely Carmichael, Bob Moses, Bob Zellner, John Lewis, and Marion Barry, are profiled in today's featured book.

The book is now available in the Sullivan Lexington Library with the call number 323.1196 L673s. 

Singing the Blues Today

Blues Journey


Author Walter Dean Myers chronicles the style of music known as the blues in this poetic tribute. This book is now available in the Sullivan Lexington Library, and it has the call number JF M. 

Come to the library today to borrow this book or the many other titles featured on the blog. 

"Down in a Hole"*: a Journey with Stephen Bishop

Journey to the Bottomless Pit: The Story of Stephen Bishop & Mammoth Cave

A slave named Stephen Bishop explored much of Mammoth Cave and gave tours of it for several years. This is his story.

This title is now available in the Sullivan Lexington Library, 796.252 M681j. Come check it out.

*The line "down in a hole" comes from the refrain of the song, "Miner's Refrain" by Gillian Welch.

Soul Food-Harlem Style

Today's featured title is a book that showcases soul food and the New York neighborhood of Harlem.

Harlem Really Cooks: The Nouvelle Soul Food of Harlem

The rich history of Harlem comes through in this cookbook that takes soul food to another level. This book is now available at the Sullivan Lexington Library, and its call number is 641.5929 L423h. 

Thank you!

The Library would like to thank everyone that participated in Paperback Donation Day.  54 books were donated to the paperback exchange from a variety of authors and genres, increasing your reading choices.  A few facts about what was donated:

Favorite author – James Patterson, 4 titles donated

Shortest book – Religion of the Samurai at 126 pages

Longest book – Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at 644 pages

Oldest book – Viking Book of Poetry, published in 1941

Non-fiction – 11 books, or 22% of the donations

The Paperback Exchange was started in 2007 to give the Sullivan community fiction and light reading selections.  Stop by the Library anytime and swap a book you have finished with a new one!  

And if you had something to donate and missed class due to the weather, we are happy to take donations anytime!  

Market Women

Market Women: Black Women Entrepreneurs--Past, Present, and Future

In the words of the author, “The main purpose of the book is to tell the stories of those uncounted heroines, both past and present, whose work contributed to the health and well-being of this nation.” Check out this book to learn about some amazing African American women entrepreneurs.

This book is now available at the Sullivan Lexington Library, 338.0408 S644m. 

We Troubled the Waters

We Troubled the Waters by Ntozake Shange; illustrated by Rod Brown.

Haunting poetry and powerful images fill the pages of this striking book that documents the struggle African Americans had to gain their civil rights.

This book is now available at the Sullivan Lexington Library; call number: JF S.

Something Delicious

An African American Cookbook: Traditional and Other Favorites by Phoebe Bailey; 641.5929 B155a

Read this book on an empty stomach, and you’ll be rushing to the kitchen to prepare the dishes described in it. There are bonus stories about African American history sprinkled alongside the recipes too.

This title is now available at the Sullivan University Library.  

African American Writers and Black History Month

Each day the library staff will highlight either a book or a DVD from the library's collection that focuses on African Americans. To learn more about today's title, which is pictured above, click on the link below to be taken to the library's online catalog. If you want to borrow or check out one of the featured items, simply stop by the library and one of the librarians will assist you.

African American Literature Beyond Race:An Alternative Reader; 813.008 A258

Short stories by thirteen African American writers make up this collection that is available at the Sullivan University Library-Lexington campus. 

A Celebration of Black History Month

As the Winter Olympic Games begin on February 7, in Sochi, Russia, they overlap with a remembrance and celebration of African Americans in the United States known as Black History Month. The Sullivan University Library in Lexington has a Black History Month display up in the library that briefly chronicles the history of African Americans, from early U.S. history through the present.

In addition to the display, the library will host a trivia completion, Jeopardy-style, on our Facebook page, with the theme being black Olympians. For even more Black History Month information, please visit our blog, our Pinterest page, our Twitter feed, and our Tumblr page, where we will feature books about African Americans and African American history.

Take the opportunity this Black History Month to discover more about the history of the United States and the Olympics.