February is a month of many holidays. This first column in February could have been about a variety of topics. However, following Coretta Scott King’s death, it seems appropriate to write about Black History month.

For anyone old enough to remember the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, the recent death of Mrs. King brings back indelible memories.

• memories of the "I Have a Dream" speech
• memories of fire hoses and dogs
• memories of Freedom Summer
• memories the Montgomery Bus Boycott
• memories the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The library has a number of newly acquired books about Black history. Although it has not arrived yet, I am looking forward to reading is the final volume of Taylor Branch’s magnificent trilogy "At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68". The other two books in this set are "Parting the Waters" (1954-63) and "Pillar of Fire" (1963-65). ("Parting the Waters" won the Pulitzer Prize.) As with the other two biographies, the reviews of "At Canaan’s Edge" have been outstanding. Reviewers are using words such as engrossing, masterful and magisterial to describe it. This book takes King’s life from the Selma, Alabama protest through his assassination. It looks not just at the man but at the culture and politics of the era. In the last years of his life, Martin Luther King faced challenges to his nonviolent philosophy, and he faced the splintering of the Civil Rights movement. His concerns evolved beyond just the civil rights movement to Vietnam and poverty in America. You do not have to read the other biographies in this set to appreciate "At Canaan’s Edge"; however, I would encourage you to do so because you will miss the historical sweep of the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr. ("At Canaan’s Edge" should arrive at the library in early February.)

Other new books about Black history include the following:

"Uncommon Valor: A Story of Race, Patriotism & Glory in the Final Battles of the Civil War" by Melvin Claxton and Park Pols. Focusing on the assault on New Market Heights outside of Richmond, VA, this book highlights the bravery and sacrifice of African American troops during the Civil War.

"Forever Free: The Story of Emancipation and Reconstruction" by Eric Foner. Foner is a nationally renowned historian of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era. His book emphasizes the role of African Americans in overthrowing slavery, winning the Civil War and shaping Reconstruction.

"Fighting for America: Black Soldiers-The Unsung Heroes of World War II" by Christopher Paul Moore. Using letters, photographs, oral histories and rare documents, Moore traces the contribution of African American soldiers in World War II.

"Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice" by Raymond Arsenault. "Freedom Riders" is a gripping account of the non-violent challenge to segregation on interstate transportation. Young and old, black and white, men and women put their lives on the line to ride buses through the segregated South during the summer of 1961.

"Massachusetts 54^th Colored Infantry" is a DVD documentary on the Massachusetts 54^th which was celebrated in the movie "Glory".

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