June Jubilee: A Celebration of Black Excellence

June Jubilee Changing Tones graphic with four photos

June Jubilee: A Celebration of Black Excellence

June 8, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Central Library

Free shuttle buses will be available from select library locations.

Join us at the Second Annual June Jubilee: A Celebration of Black Excellence, a day of joy and inspiration with speakers, workshops, entertainment, and family activities.

From health & wellness to genealogy & technology to arts & crafts for all ages, there's something for everyone. The day starts with a water blessing and continues with performances by African drummers, choirs, and dancers.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to celebrate African American culture and contributions in a fun and welcoming atmosphere.

This event is free and open to all, so bring your friends and family along for a day of celebration and learning.



Schedule


Opening Ceremony: Celebrating the Past and the Future With a Steady Beat

Time: 9:45 a.m.
Location: Maguire Gardens
Leimert Park African Drummers and Dancers will kick off this year's Jubilee Juneteenth celebration with a procession and a libation ceremony to honor our revered ancestors. Then, enjoy an exhilarating West African drum and dance performance and workshop.


Pattern of Past: Afro-American Quilters of Los Angeles

Time: All Day
Location: First Floor Galleries
African American quilts are an expressive art form that gives voice to both the past and the present. The Afro-American Quilters of Los Angeles (AAQLA) will display their distinctive quilts, demonstrating the rich cultural heritage of quilting.


June Jubilee Crafts

Time: All Day
Location: Rotunda
Make a flower pencil, keychain, bracelet, bookmark, button, and June Jubilee trinket. There will be a grab-and-go puzzle and a twine letter craft to enjoy. Each colorful craft will keep the entire family busy, and a few crafts will keep families well-informed about impactful African American leaders. All supplies will be provided.


L.A. Zoo

Time: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Bradley wing Lobby
Learn how L.A. City residents can access free admission to the Los Angeles Zoo through the Discover & Go program and enjoy the bio-interactive display. Please note: there are no animals at today’s festival.


Job Fair

Time: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: LL1 Business & Economics Dept
Meet with employers who are looking to hire! Find out about State and City jobs. Bring your resume. Representatives from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, and PACE.


Faithful Central Choir

Time: 10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Location: Mark Taper Auditorium
Join us as we bless our June Jubilee celebration stage with the anointed sounds of the Faithful Central Mass Choir, who will share a couple of powerful musical selections with us that will feed the soul with an authentic atmosphere of praise and worship.


A Visit With Children's Book Author Andrea J. Loney

Time: 11 a.m. - 12 noon
Location: Children's Literature
Andrea J. Loney is the author of many children's books, including the Caldecott Honor-winning picture book Double Bass Blues and the Lee and Low New Voices Award-winning and NAACP Award-nominated picture book biography Take a Picture of Me, James Vanderzee! Join us to meet Andrea and enjoy some of her amazing books.


Home Buyer Workshop

Time: 11 a.m. - 12 noon
Location: Singleton Adult Literacy Center
Don't miss the opportunity to start making strides toward purchasing your very own home during the Library's June Jubilee Celebration. Experts have gathered to educate attendees about upfront costs, how to create a budget, and the type of impact a credit score can have on a loan. There will be a Q&A portion of the workshop, and of course, you can ask your pressing questions. Remember, homeownership can be for everyone, and that includes you.


Poetry Workshop With Lynne Thompson

Time: 11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Location: Literature & Fiction, Study Room 1
In this workshop, participants will read and discuss poets of the African diaspora and the ways those poets' craft of engagement and celebration can be applied in the participants' own work. Handouts for all participants will be available. Space is limited to 11 participants for each 75-minute session. Please email RSVP at fiction@lapl.org and specify the session.


One-on-one Genealogy Assistance

Time: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Carson Center for New Technologies
No need to RSVP: First come, first served. Members of the California African American Genealogical Society (CAAGS), the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS), and independent genealogists will be here to help patrons with one-on-one genealogical research, with an eye towards helping you identify your enslaved ancestors.


Afrofuturist Ancestor Masks & Fan Making

Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Octavia Lab
Join LA Commons in creating Afrofuturist Ancestor Masks and fans to uplift the rich visionary heritage of Octavia Butler. Participants will draw from seeds, plants, traditional Adinkra symbols, and futuristic components to create unique masks and fans that bridge the past, present, and future. LA Commons, a project of Community Partners, has worked in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles since 2003, facilitating artistic processes open to all that result in highly visible public art projects that tell dynamic neighborhood stories.


Bookplate Craft

Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Rotunda
Patrons of all generations color and personalize bookplates with striking images of African-American visual culture from the Los Angeles Public Library's Special Collections, particularly the Brockman Gallery Archive.


Display: Artist Books by Black American Authors

Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Rotunda
View the display of Tia Blassingame and other artist books by Black American authors.


June Jubilee Notebooks

Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Atrium outside of Literature & Fiction
June Jubilee notebooks, ready to be decorated, will be available for patrons while supplies last.


Stay and Play

Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Thornton Courtyard
Stay and Play in the courtyards. Enjoy music, jumbo-sized games, cards, and other cultural activities outdoors.


Marcus Miller's Drums

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Location: Maguire Gardens
Take part in an interactive drum workshop focusing on the importance of drums in our society, past and present. Participants are given the opportunity to express themselves on a percussive instrument. The goal is to get total group interaction and stimulate (non-verbal) communication so that we learn more about each other and our cultures through the experience of drumming.


Doll Making Workshop

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room B
Join us to create a hand-made doll. Once finished, you can keep your doll or donate it to the Dolls of Hope Project. This organization shares dolls with non-profit agencies worldwide that gift them to children in need, including youth living with HIV/AIDS. Don’t miss this impactful opportunity to smile or make someone else smile.


Melanated Jump Squad

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Maguire Gardens
Founders, Courtney Tell & Sharalle Horn created Melanated Jump Squad, a South Central Los Angeles-based Double Dutch squad, as an outlet for communities to channel their inner youth with fun and family to be mentally, emotionally, and physically well. Learn to jump, turn the ropes, or refresh your Double Dutch skills.


Teens Yoga & Meditation For The Soul

Time: 12 noon
Location: Teen'Scape
For ages 12-19. Instructor Trinika Jones will lead participants through yoga and meditation. Starting with a breathing meditation and then moving into yoga postures to stretch, breathe, and release participants into the present moment. Audience members will learn breathing techniques they can use anytime and anywhere, setting gratitude intentions for each day, mental discipline through challenges, and how to meditate. Please bring your own yoga mat and water.


Discovering Your Neighborhood With Kelly Wallace

Time: 12 noon - 1 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room A
Learn how to use Library resources to explore the history of where you live.


Healthy Meals With Soul

Time: 12 noon - 1 p.m.
Location: International Languages
Nutritious meals nourish and heal our bodies. Dr. Desmonette Hazly will teach the audience how to prepare healthy recipes to celebrate Juneteenth while exploring how different foods heal and maintain the body and the mind.


Face Painting

Time: 12 noon - 3 p.m.
Location: Maguire Gardens
Sparking Imagination Through Art! Join artist Marquita Jordan for this two-hour-long face-painting program. Marquita is an excellent artist and knows that every child loves dressing up and playing pretend.


Sunshine Storyteller

Time: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Children's Literature
Tap into your imagination during the Library's June Jubilee Celebration with the Sunshine Storyteller, Ina Buckner-Barnette. Families will be encouraged to escape into an imaginary place where a story will come to life and have everyone glued to their seats. The audience will journey through the lives of vivid characters who face obstacles and learn valuable life lessons.


Urban Line Dancing

Time: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Art Department
Wilbert McZeal will instruct a soul/urban line dance class with insight into the dance’s history and culture. Featuring soul, funk, R&B, gospel and hip-hop music.


Jungle Drum Circles With Chazz Ross

Time: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Maguire Gardens
Travel through Chazz's whimsical safari with 26 African Djembe drums! You'll immediately create jungle sounds, play simple rhythms, and sing silly songs together! Upon his surprise ending – travelers call & answer – and discuss the amazing culture & benefits of drumming.


Home Buyer Workshop

Time: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Singleton Adult Literacy Center
Don't miss the opportunity to start making strides toward purchasing your very own home during the Library's June Jubilee Celebration. Experts have gathered to educate attendees about upfront costs, how to create a budget, and the type of impact a credit score can have on a loan. There will be a Q&A portion of the workshop, and of course, you can ask your pressing questions. Remember, homeownership can be for everyone, and that includes you.


Buffalo Soldiers Presentation

Time: 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room A
Join us for a presentation from Colonel Henderson about the legacy of the Buffalo soldiers.


We Tell Stories: Spirit of Black Folklore

Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Mark Taper Auditorium
This performance explores the pride of heritage and a willingness to laugh despite the odds using folktales and literature from African and African American cultures.


Mind, Body, and Soul Revival

Time: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: International Languages
Description: Dr. Desmonette Hazly will walk participants through exploring ways to nurture their whole selves and create a health and wellness plan that fits their unique needs. Learn to use exercise, stress management, sleep, and diet to improve and manage your mental and physical well-being and keep your spirit lifted.


Myth Making & Environment: Creation, Destruction, Futurity

Time: 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Meeting Room B
Join this workshop and use African and Caribbean mythology to analyze how different diasporic people have interpreted natural disasters and climate impacts for millennia and what we can learn from these myths. We will also look at the art of Eddy Kamaunga Illuga, whose imagery around colonization and the exploitation of African nations under capitalism and the climate crisis holds powerful insight for understanding how apocalyptic conditions have plagued the African diaspora in an anti-Black world. Students will leave the workshops with written drafts connecting ancestral knowledge to environmental futures.


Poetry Workshop With Lynne Thompson

Time: 2 p.m. - 3:15 p.m.
Location: Literature & Fiction, Study Room 1
In this workshop, participants will read and discuss poets of the African diaspora and the ways those poets' craft of engagement and celebration can be applied in their own work. Handouts for all participants will be available. Space is limited to 11 participants for each 75-minute session. Please email RSVP at fiction@lapl.org and specify the session.


Stepping Stones

Time: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Mark Taper Auditorium
King Drew Magnet High School's Steppin' Stones is a talented youth group that gained much traction by performing at local venues and events. You don't want to miss the opportunity to participate in this rhythmic step show from your seat by clapping, snapping, and stomping your feet to the beat.


Stepping to the Rhythm of History

Time: 3 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Location: Mark Taper Auditorium
Step into our June Jubilee Finale with Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Get a chance to learn about the performers’ legacy and see an unforgettable step show that cannot be missed.


Sign up to receive email updates about June Jubilee


June Jubilee: Featured Titles for Children

  • Ellington Was Not a Street

    Ellington Was Not a Street

    Shange, Ntozake
  • I Got the Rhythm

    I Got the Rhythm

    Schofield-Morrison, Connie
  • Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix

    Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix

    Golio, Gary
  • Nikki & Deja

    Nikki & Deja

    English, Karen
  • We March

    We March

    Evans, Shane
  • A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story

    A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story

    Langley, Sharon
  • A Song for the Unsung: Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the 1963 March on Washington

    A Song for the Unsung: Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the 1963 March on Washington

    Weatherford, Carole Boston
  • All Aboard the Schooltrain: A Little Story From the Great Migration

    All Aboard the Schooltrain: A Little Story From the Great Migration

    Armand, Glenda
  • All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom

    All Different Now: Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom

    Johnson, Angela
  • Amanda Gorman

    Amanda Gorman

    Sánchez Vegara, Ma Isabel
  • Basketball Dreams

    Basketball Dreams

    Paul, Chris
  • Because of You, John Lewis: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship

    Because of You, John Lewis: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship

    Pinkney, Andrea Davis
  • Becoming Muhammad Ali: A Novel

    Becoming Muhammad Ali: A Novel

    Patterson, James
  • Biddy Mason Speaks Up

    Biddy Mason Speaks Up

    White, Arisa
  • Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood

    Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood

  • Black Girls: A Celebration of You!

    Black Girls: A Celebration of You!

    Furukawa, Dominique
  • Black Is a Rainbow Color

    Black Is a Rainbow Color

    Joy, Angela
  • Black Swans

    Black Swans

    Van der Linde, Laurel
  • Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese: A Story of Food, Family, and Freedom

    Black-Eyed Peas and Hoghead Cheese: A Story of Food, Family, and Freedom

    Armand, Glenda
  • Blast Off!

    Blast Off!

    Loney, Andrea J.
  • Bright Brown Baby: A Treasury

    Bright Brown Baby: A Treasury

    Pinkney, Andrea Davis
  • Brown Is Warm, Black Is Bright

    Brown Is Warm, Black Is Bright

    Thomson, Sarah L.
  • Build a House

    Build a House

    Giddens, Rhiannon
  • Carved in Ebony: Lessons From the Black Women Who Shape Us

    Carved in Ebony: Lessons From the Black Women Who Shape Us

    Holmes, Jasmine L.
  • Change Sings: A Children's Anthem

    Change Sings: A Children's Anthem

    Gorman, Amanda
  • Curve & Flow: The Elegant Vision of L.A. Architect Paul R. Williams

    Curve & Flow: The Elegant Vision of L.A. Architect Paul R. Williams

    Loney, Andrea J.
  • Daddy Speaks Love

    Daddy Speaks Love

    Henderson, Leah
  • Dark Was the Night

    Dark Was the Night

    Golio, Gary
  • Dear Black child

    Dear Black child

    Rodaah, Rahma
  • Double Bass Blues

    Double Bass Blues

    Loney, Andrea J.
  • Ellie Engle Saves Herself!

    Ellie Engle Saves Herself!

    Johnson, Leah
  • Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava

    Everywhere Beauty Is Harlem: The Vision of Photographer Roy DeCarava

    Golio, Gary
  • Extraordinary Magic: The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton

    Extraordinary Magic: The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton

    Crews, Nina
  • Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem

    Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem

    Kincaid-Rolle, Sojourner
  • Freewater

    Freewater

    Luqman-Dawson, Amina
  • Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller

    Go Forth and Tell: The Life of Augusta Baker, Librarian and Master Storyteller

    McDaniel, Breanna J.
  • Grace for President

    Grace for President

    DiPucchio, Kelly
  • Hair Love

    Hair Love

    Cherry, Matthew A.
  • Henry's Freedom Box

    Henry's Freedom Box

    Levine, Ellen
  • Homegrown

    Homegrown

    Wiley, DeAnn
  • I Am Every Good Thing

    I Am Every Good Thing

    Barnes, Derrick
  • I Like Myself!

    I Like Myself!

    Beaumont, Karen
  • I'm From

    I'm From

    Gray, Gary Jr.
  • Ice Breaker: How Mabel Fairbanks Changed Figure Skating

    Ice Breaker: How Mabel Fairbanks Changed Figure Skating

    Vina, Rose
  • Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better

    Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better

    Armand, Glenda
  • In Daddy's Arms I am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers

    In Daddy's Arms I am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers

  • It All Comes Down to This

    It All Comes Down to This

    English, Karen
  • Juneteenth for Mazie

    Juneteenth for Mazie

    Cooper, Floyd
  • Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life

    Just Jerry: How Drawing Shaped My Life

    Pinkney, Jerry
  • Just Right Stew

    Just Right Stew

    English, Karen
  • Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Celebration of the African American National Anthem

    Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Celebration of the African American National Anthem

    Johnson, James Weldon
  • Like So

    Like So

    Forman, Ruth
  • Little Black Lives Matter

    Little Black Lives Matter

    Dill, Khodi
  • Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution

    Lotus Bloom and the Afro Revolution

    Winston, Sherri
  • Love Twelve Miles Long

    Love Twelve Miles Long

    Armand, Glenda
  • Martin Rising: Requiem For a King

    Martin Rising: Requiem For a King

    Pinkney, Andrea Davis
  • Maya's Song

    Maya's Song

    Watson, Renée
  • Me and Muhammad Ali

    Me and Muhammad Ali

    Asim, Jabari
  • Music Is a Rainbow

    Music Is a Rainbow

    Collier, Bryan
  • My Red, White, and Blue

    My Red, White, and Blue

    Tyson, Alana
  • Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters

    Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters

    Obama, Barack
  • Opal Lee and What It Means To Be Free

    Opal Lee and What It Means To Be Free

    Duncan, Alice Faye
  • Red Shoes

    Red Shoes

    English, Karen
  • Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound

    Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound

    Pinkney, Andrea Davis
  • Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!: Presenting Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock

    Rock, Rosetta, Rock! Roll, Rosetta, Roll!: Presenting Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Godmother of Rock

    Bolden, Tonya

    This mid-twentieth-century music sensation has only recently been rediscovered.

  • Ruby's Reunion Day Dinner

    Ruby's Reunion Day Dinner

    Dalton, Angela; Southerland, Jestenia (ill.)
  • Saving the Day: Garrett Morgan's Life-Changing Invention of the Traffic Signal

    Saving the Day: Garrett Morgan's Life-Changing Invention of the Traffic Signal

    Parsons, Karyn
  • Skateboard Party

    Skateboard Party

    English, Karen.
  • Song for Jimi: The Story of Guitar Legend Jimi Hendrix

    Song for Jimi: The Story of Guitar Legend Jimi Hendrix

    Smith, Charles R., Jr.
  • Soul Food Sunday

    Soul Food Sunday

    Bingham, Winsome; Esperanza, C. G.
  • Speak to Me: (and I Will Listen Between the Lines)

    Speak to Me: (and I Will Listen Between the Lines)

    English, Karen
  • Stacey Abrams: Voting Visionary

    Stacey Abrams: Voting Visionary

    Loney, Andrea J.
  • Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual

    Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Modern Retelling of the Classic Spiritual

    Weatherford, Carole Boston
  • Sweet Dreams, Sarah

    Sweet Dreams, Sarah

    Kirkfield, Vivian
  • Swim Team

    Swim Team

    Christmas, Johnnie
  • Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee!

    Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee!

    Loney, Andrea J.
  • The Baby on the Way

    The Baby on the Way

    English, Karen
  • The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem's Greatest Bookstore

    The Book Itch: Freedom, Truth, and Harlem's Greatest Bookstore

    Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux
  • The New Kid

    The New Kid

    English, Karen
  • The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story

    The Night Before Freedom: A Juneteenth Story

    Armand, Glenda
  • The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver

    The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver

    Barretta, Gene
  • The Year We Learned To Fly

    The Year We Learned To Fly

    Woodson, Jacqueline
  • We Are Here

    We Are Here

    Charles, Tami
  • We Could Fly

    We Could Fly

    Giddens, Rhiannon
  • We Shall Overcome

    We Shall Overcome

    Collier, Bryan
  • What My Daddy Loves

    What My Daddy Loves

    Figueroa, Raissa
  • When I Wrap My Hair

    When I Wrap My Hair

    Grant, Shauntay
  • Who Was the Greatest?: Muhammad Ali

    Who Was the Greatest?: Muhammad Ali

    Soria, Gabriel

June Jubilee: Featured Titles for Teens

June Jubilee: Featured Titles for Adults

  • Between the World and Me

    Between the World and Me

    Coates, Ta-Nehisi
  • Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock

    Elizabeth and Hazel: Two Women of Little Rock

    Margolick, David
  • The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

    The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

    Wilkerson, Isabel.
  • Alabama v. King: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Criminal Trial That Launched the Civil Rights Movement

    Alabama v. King: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Criminal Trial That Launched the Civil Rights Movement

    Abrams, Dan
  • American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky

    American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky

    Smith, Sherri L.
  • Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo”

    Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo”

    Hurston, Zora Neale
  • Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women

    Becoming Ms. Burton: From Prison to Recovery to Leading the Fight for Incarcerated Women

    Burton, Susan
  • Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and It’s Urgent Lessons for Our Own

    Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and It’s Urgent Lessons for Our Own

    Glaude, Eddie S., Jr.
  • Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party

    Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party

    Bloom, Joshua

    Bloom and Martin present their extensively researched history of the Black Panther Party, including fifty illustrations and photos, and o

  • Black Chameleon: Memory, Womanhood, and Myth

    Black Chameleon: Memory, Womanhood, and Myth

    Mouton, Deborah D. E. E. P.
  • Black Futures

    Black Futures

  • Black Women Directors

    Black Women Directors

    Baker, Christina N.
  • Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism

    Black Women Taught Us: An Intimate History of Black Feminism

    Jackson, Jenn M.
  • Breathe: A Letter to My Sons

    Breathe: A Letter to My Sons

    Perry, Imani
  • Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality

    Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality

    Brown-Nagin, Tomiko

    Among the many “firsts” in the life of Constance Baker Motley, she was the first Black woman appointed as a federal judge and the first B

  • Cooking for the Culture: Recipes and Stories From the Streets of New Orleans to the Table

    Cooking for the Culture: Recipes and Stories From the Streets of New Orleans to the Table

    Boudy, Toya
  • Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem: A Memoir

    Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem: A Memoir

    Day, Daniel R.
  • Dear Black Girls: How to be True to You

    Dear Black Girls: How to be True to You

    Wilson, A'ja
  • Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

    Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

    Obama, Barack

    Before then-Illinois State Senator Obama introduced himself to America at the 2004 Democratic National Convention where he had the high p

  • Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619–2019

    Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619–2019

  • HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience

    HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience

  • Heavy: An American Memoir

    Heavy: An American Memoir

    Laymon, Kiese

    Laymon explores his early life as an overprotected and overachieving son of an accomplished university professor mother: his own academic

  • Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race

    Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race

    Lee Shetterly, Margot
  • Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers

    Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers

    Bogle, Donald
  • Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

    Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

    Stevenson, Bryan
  • Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement

    Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement

    Bell, Janet Dewart

    Learn more about nine women who made significant contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, and their experiences with discrimination by

  • Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites During the Jim Crow Era

    Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites During the Jim Crow Era

    Jefferson, Alison R.

    Jefferson brings to life the stories of the Southern California leisure destinations that African Americans created and patronized during

  • My America Recipes From a Young Black Chef

    My America Recipes From a Young Black Chef

    Onwuachi, Kwame
  • Negroland: A Memoir

    Negroland: A Memoir

    Jefferson, Margo
  • Nine Days: The Race To Save Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life and Win the 1960 Election

    Nine Days: The Race To Save Martin Luther King Jr.’s Life and Win the 1960 Election

    Kendrick, Stephen
  • Ordinary Light: A Memoir

    Ordinary Light: A Memoir

    Smith, Tracy K.
  • Parks x Ali

    Parks x Ali

    Parks, Gordon, 1912-2006.
  • Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes From Five Generations of Black Country Cooks

    Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes From Five Generations of Black Country Cooks

    Wilkinson, Crystal
  • Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971

    Regeneration: Black Cinema 1898-1971

  • Saying It Loud: 1966–The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement

    Saying It Loud: 1966–The Year Black Power Challenged the Civil Rights Movement

    Whitaker, Mark
  • Sister Outsider

    Sister Outsider

    Lorde, Audre
  • Southern Cooking, Global Flavors

    Southern Cooking, Global Flavors

    Gilbert, Kenny
  • The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story

    The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story

  • The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt

    The Black Cabinet: The Untold Story of African Americans and Politics During the Age of Roosevelt

    Watts, Jill

    Watts, a California history professor, provides a well-researched and dramatic history of the African American advisors, known as the Bla

  • The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song

    The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song

    Gates, Henry Louis, Jr.
  • The Dead are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X

    The Dead are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X

    Payne, Les

    Winner: 2020 National Book Award for Non-Fiction

  • The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir

    The House of Hidden Meanings: A Memoir

    RuPaul
  • The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations

    The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations

    Morrison, Toni
  • The Third Reconstruction: America’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century

    The Third Reconstruction: America’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century

    Joseph, Peniel E.
  • Three Seconds of Hell

    Three Seconds of Hell

    Lowder, Penelope
  • Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary

    Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary

    Williams, Juan
  • Vigilance: The Life of William Still, Father of the Underground Railroad

    Vigilance: The Life of William Still, Father of the Underground Railroad

    Diemer, Andrew K.
  • Wake Up America: Black Women on the Future of Democracy

    Wake Up America: Black Women on the Future of Democracy

  • We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

    We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy

    Coates, Ta-Nehisi
  • What Have We Here: Portraits of a Life

    What Have We Here: Portraits of a Life

    Williams, Billy Dee
  • White Lies: The Double Life of Walter White and Americas Darkest Secret

    White Lies: The Double Life of Walter White and Americas Darkest Secret

    Baime, A. J.
  • With Her Fist Raised: Dorothy Pitman Hughes and the Transformative Power of Black Community Activism

    With Her Fist Raised: Dorothy Pitman Hughes and the Transformative Power of Black Community Activism

    Lovett, Laura L.

June Jubilee: Featured Poetry Titles

  • ... After ... : A Collection of Stories

    ... After ... : A Collection of Stories

    Rivera Escamilla, Carolina
  • 365.2013: A Poem a Day Series

    365.2013: A Poem a Day Series

    Zainabu, Jaha
  • 365.2015: A Poem a Day Series

    365.2015: A Poem a Day Series

    Underwood, Wyatt
  • Ashay Speaks: A Collection of Poems

    Ashay Speaks: A Collection of Poems

    Mathieu, Ashay
  • Bless Your Sweet Bones: A Collection of Poetry

    Bless Your Sweet Bones: A Collection of Poetry

    Williams, Melaina
  • Born to Waltz: A Collection of Poetry

    Born to Waltz: A Collection of Poetry

    Piquette, Mo
  • Calabama

    Calabama

    Faraji, Yaa Asantewaa
  • Call Us What We Carry: Poems

    Call Us What We Carry: Poems

    Gorman, Amanda
  • Can’t No Woman, Woman Like Me: Poems

    Can’t No Woman, Woman Like Me: Poems

    Gallion, Jessica D.
  • C’est LA Vida: The Art of Blossoming

    C’est LA Vida: The Art of Blossoming

    Montez, Vida
  • Death by Comb: A Collection of Poetry

    Death by Comb: A Collection of Poetry

    Carter, Camari
  • Endeavor: A Poetry Collection

    Endeavor: A Poetry Collection

    Guardado, Cynthia
  • ForeverEVOlve: Poems

    ForeverEVOlve: Poems

    Rhea-Turner, Rykiell
  • Friends My Poems Gave Me: A Collection of Poems and Drawings

    Friends My Poems Gave Me: A Collection of Poems and Drawings

    Becker, Charlie
  • Grandmothers With Voices: A Collection of Poems

    Grandmothers With Voices: A Collection of Poems

    Adeeba, Sabreen
  • Hidden Moments

    Hidden Moments

    Ex, Queen
  • Holla If You Feel Me: A Collection of Poetry

    Holla If You Feel Me: A Collection of Poetry

    Allen, Ereene
  • How To Bear Your Teeth at Strangers

    How To Bear Your Teeth at Strangers

    Elise, Amon
  • Hymn: Poems

    Hymn: Poems

    Kali, V.
  • In Love and Grace: Poems

    In Love and Grace: Poems

    Parent Harris, Lida
  • Journeys of a Wombman: Poems

    Journeys of a Wombman: Poems

    Youngblood, K'Lynn
  • Loving a Lioness: Poetry in Life, Love & Eros

    Loving a Lioness: Poetry in Life, Love & Eros

    Parker, Heather
  • Orange Lady: Poems

    Orange Lady: Poems

    Ayón, Erika
  • P.R.Y.D.E. in print

    P.R.Y.D.E. in print

    Lloyd, Marquitta, poetess
  • Peace in the Pocket: Poems & Builds

    Peace in the Pocket: Poems & Builds

    Kuahmel
  • Photopõetry: Poetry and Photography from South Central LA

    Photopõetry: Poetry and Photography from South Central LA

    Sims, Hiram
  • Runaway: A Memoir in Verse

    Runaway: A Memoir in Verse

    Tolliver, Imani
  • Small Wars, Little Revolutions

    Small Wars, Little Revolutions

    Matuchniak, Alyssa
  • Southern Spiced: A Brown Girl’s Tale: Poems

    Southern Spiced: A Brown Girl’s Tale: Poems

    Taylor E., Felicia
  • Spaces : A Devotional

    Spaces : A Devotional

    Davis, Christiana
  • Spectral Evidence: Poems

    Spectral Evidence: Poems

    Pardlo, Gregory
  • Supple Verse: & Mind Candy for the Sunken Place

    Supple Verse: & Mind Candy for the Sunken Place

    Billingslea, Niki
  • Switches, Hot Wheel Tracks and Extension Cords: Spoken Blues

    Switches, Hot Wheel Tracks and Extension Cords: Spoken Blues

    Domino, Tommy
  • Tell Us, Marcellus: A Collection of Poetry

    Tell Us, Marcellus: A Collection of Poetry

    Davis Jr., Marcellus
  • Tending My Wild: Poems

    Tending My Wild: Poems

    Petunia, Alex
  • The Book Called: The Album: Selected Poems

    The Book Called: The Album: Selected Poems

    T'Challa, N'Jedi
  • The Distance of Observation: Poems

    The Distance of Observation: Poems

    Williams, Conney D.
  • The Funky Tube to Nubia: Poems, Non-Poems, and Portals

    The Funky Tube to Nubia: Poems, Non-Poems, and Portals

    James, J. Malaika
  • The Letting of a Little Water: [poems and polaroids]

    The Letting of a Little Water: [poems and polaroids]

    Peterson, Shakirah
  • The Orisha Talks: Tales of Lust, Love & Herstorical Memory: A Book of Poetry and Prose

    The Orisha Talks: Tales of Lust, Love & Herstorical Memory: A Book of Poetry and Prose

    Cochée, Tricia Alkmia
  • The Restoration of Orange: Poetic Transformation

    The Restoration of Orange: Poetic Transformation

    Bey, Nadia Hunter
  • The Weather Report

    The Weather Report

    Clayton, Charles
  • This Little Boy

    This Little Boy

    Allen, Brandon
  • Through the Soil in My Skin

    Through the Soil in My Skin

    Astrid
  • Truth Shots & Ida’s Brew: Cocktails and Elixirs

    Truth Shots & Ida’s Brew: Cocktails and Elixirs

    Louise, Stella
  • Womxn

    Womxn

    Valizadeh, Nooshin

Shuttle Bus Information

Free shuttle buses will be available from the following locations.

Angeles Mesa Branch Library
2700 W. 52nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90043

Alma Reaves Woods - Watts Branch Library
10205 Compton Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90002

Junipero Serra Branch Library
4607 S. Main Street
Los Angeles, CA 90037

Shuttle Schedule

  • 9:30 a.m. - Buses will leave all locations heading to the Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St.90071
  • 5 p.m. - Buses will leave the Central Library for their original designated branch libraries.

Changing Tones is a Los Angeles Public Library advisory committee created in 2019. The group was tasked with a mission to support representation, racial equity and inclusion of Blacks in the library's workforce, programming, collections and services. Furthermore, Changing Tones works to create an environment filled with diverse perspectives, opportunities and resources.

Top