Process-Focused Videos 

Rochester's Agents of Change

     This guide is intended to assist in locating materials and information in the Rochester Public Library about African-American history in Rochester. There are too many individuals to list separately; however, this guide will help get you started.  

     The Rochester region is well-known for its ties to former enslaved, abolitionist, orator, and publisher Frederick Douglass, who made his home here from 1847 to 1872. Aside from its well-deserved place in abolitionist history, however, Rochester has a rich and varied past that is alive with stories of notable African-American citizens who helped contribute to a more progressive way of thinking not only in Rochester, but in Western New York and the state as a whole. There is Asa Dunbar, said to be the first African-American settler, who cleared land for his farm in Irondequoit (near present-day Winton Road North) in 1795.  Austin Steward, a runaway slave who came to Rochester in 1816 and opened his own meat market on what is now West Main Street. Or Frank Stewart, who started the first African-American baseball team in 1866, called the Unexpected. (Frederick Douglass’s son Charles is rumored to have been a member.) Activist Hester C. Jeffrey came to Rochester in 1891 and founded a number of local African-American women’s clubs, including the Susan B. Anthony Club for Colored Women. Isabella Dorsey incorporated the Dorsey Home for Dependent Colored Children in 1917. Dr. Charles T. Lunsford, Rochester’s first licensed African-American physician, opened his private practice at 574 Clarissa Street in 1921. The following year, Dr. Van Tuly Levy became the first licensed African American dentist in Rochester. The city’s first African-American architect, Thomas Boyde, Jr., joined the Siegmund Firestone Architectural Firm in 1930. Boyde was the chief architect for the Monroe Community Home and Infirmary and contributed to the design of the  Rundel Memorial Library, the Great Lake Press Building, and the Strathallan, to name a few. In 1931, Beatrice Amaza Howard earned the distinction of being the first African-American woman to graduate from the University of Rochester. Howard Coles, who founded the Frederick Douglass Voice newspaper in 1934, was a noted historian, journalist, activist, and expert on the writings of Frederick Douglass. In 1948, Charles Henry Price became the first African-American member of the Rochester Police Department. Price became the first African American captain in the department 30 years later. Kathryn Green Hawkins, the first African American woman in the Rochester Police Department in 1956, was promoted to lieutenant in 1964. Dr. Freddie Thomas, scientist, inventor, biologist, and scholar, moved to Rochester in 1952 and is known for his pioneering research in genetics and plastic surgery at the University of Rochester. Internationally renowned, Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan moved to Rochester in 1970. He still resides in Rochester, serving as Artistic Director and President of Garth Fagan Dance. These are only a few of the many unique individuals who helped contribute not only to Rochester’s growth as a city, but also to its reputation in the advancement of science, technology, scholarship, and the arts.                                                                                                                                                              -Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County

     Book Lists:       

  1000 Black Girl Books        Reading Rockets     Books for 3,4, & 5 Year Olds     Elementary Music

  50 Kid Books with Black Protagonists      Family Education    Happily Ever Elephants

RCSD Culturally Responsive Book Lists    Culturally Responsive Book Rubric

Social Justice Books: Black History    PBS Parents   Barnes & Noble   Tiny Beans   

Beyond the Bookends    Amazon      Chicago Parent

Google Slides/Lessons:

Seesaw Black History Month Bookshelf Grades: K-2 Black History Month Choice Board Grades: 3-6     Black Innovation Science, Math & Space Grades:6-12  

Learning About Black Leaders Bingo (PBS Kids) Grades: 1 & 2 (English and Spanish)

Make History by Celebrating History

The following materials were created by Verizon Wireless to celebrate Black History Month several years ago.  Each file has a theme and contains short biographies of five notable African Americans for students to learn about.  You can use these documents to highlight one person for every day in the month.  How would you change them in 2023? What would you take out? What would you add?

Black History Museums & Virtual Tours

• Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture Virtual Tour

• Rosa Parks: In Her Own Words Exhibit

• Black History in Upstate NY

AAAM’s global directory of African American Museums and affiliate institutions

• African American Museums and Landmarks in Manhattan

• African American Museums and Landmarks in Brooklyn

• African American Museums and Landmarks in Queens

• African American Museums and Landmarks on Long Island

• African American Museums and Landmarks in Westchester County

• African American Museums and Landmarks in Fairfield County, CT

Teaching Hard History A podcast series that covers a variety of topics about equity and inclusion. They provide tips on how to create a better classroom environment and how to have important conversations with students.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH RESOURCE GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS AND FAMILIES

-Center for Racial Justice in Education

"At Center for Racial Justice in Education, we believe that the histories, stories, and voices of Black people should be centered, honored, and uplifted in school curricula every day. Today, we still see the absence of Black history and experience in our textbooks, required readings, STEM, and overall curriculum of our educational system. As we enter February, Border Crossers is providing resources to be used beyond the scope of this one-month. Unless Black history is taught throughout the year, it perpetuates an “othering” of Black Lives and Black students, and is also a manifestation of anti-blackness.  Ensuring the ongoing integration of Black history and experiences throughout all curriculum is imperative as educators continue to uplift every student and reinforce that Black Lives Matter everyday."