Black Futures Month at St George’s Library

This post was written by Felicia Thomas, Content and Discovery Assistant (Library Services).

At City St George’s Tooting campus, we proudly present our book display inspired by the powerful theme of “Standing Firm in Power and Pride.” This initiative celebrates Black stories, voices, and experiences – amplified through literature that speaks to resilience, identity, and transformation. 

Our display was designed to visually and emotionally connect readers with the richness of Black storytelling. Each book captures an inspiring quote from the author, offering a direct glimpse into their thoughts and experiences. This interactive element invites readers to engage more deeply with the narratives and reflect on the enduring impact of Black voices across range of sectors such as literature, education, and politics. 

Featured Titles and Voices include:  

Just Sayin by Malorie Blackman (Stand-out feature of the display) 

 

Malorie Blackman’s work has long been a cornerstone in the representation of Black children in literature. Her stories place Black protagonists at the heart of their own adventures, challenging stereotypes and reshaping narratives. 

“I wanted to write stories that featured Black children front and centre, not as sidekicks or background characters, but as heroes of their own adventures.” 

 

Taking Up Space: The Black Girl’s Manifesto for Change by Chelsea Kwakye & Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi 

 

This powerful manifesto explores the intersection of race and education, offering a candid look at the challenges and triumphs of Black girls navigating academic spaces. 

“For me, education was a form of armour which later would become a strategy of resistance. It was a space I could critique frameworks of knowledge and begin my own process of self-actualisation.” 

 

A Woman Like Me: A Memoir by Diane Abbott 

Diane Abbott’s memoir reflects on her groundbreaking journey in British politics, highlighting the empowering nature of public service and advocacy. 

“For me, politics has never been just about having a career. By far the most important reason I chose this path is because it is empowering – it has given me the power to help people and change lives for the better.” 

All City St Georges students are welcome to view our physical book collections and Tooting Campus students can also browse our online collection, which showcases inspiring authors who have made meaningful contributions to the visibility and empowerment of Black culture and identity within society. 

 

Help us to improve the diversity of our collections

If you have a suggestion for a book by an author that you’d like to see added to our collection you can always recommend a book to our librarians, but we especially welcome book suggestions written by Black authors, and authors from the Global Majority. Our Diversify Your Library initiative looks to increase the range of authors from the Global Majority, books by LGBTQI+ people and titles which recognise overlapping identities and experiences such as gender, class, sexuality and disability.

Diversify Your Research

We encourage all students to expand their research and diversify their databases. We’ve curated a list of databases and resources that all Tooting Campus based students can access but some of the databases linked below are free to access to all.