SAN FRANCISCO, January 14— San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) celebrates the richness of Black culture with an exciting lineup of programs during its Black History Month programming series, More Than a Month. Throughout January and February and beyond, SFPL champions Black history, culture and heritage with author talks, exhibits, music, arts and crafts, book clubs and films.  

The vast set of offerings at the Library aligns with the 2025 national Black History Month theme, “African Americans and Labor,” recognizing the work African Americans have contributed to shape the lives and history of Black people and the societies in which they live. The Library is taking a broad perspective to recognize the work African Americans have contributed to shape history and society: honoring agricultural labor, capturing the richness of Black culture through the arts, memorializing the fight for social justice and helping to heal Black communities and teach its children. 

Featured Exhibit 

The artwork for this year’s More Than a Month celebration is a painting by local artist Malik Seneferu, whose work is featured in the exhibition Malik Seneferu: A Retrospective, on view in the African American Center on the 3rd Floor at the Main Library from January 16 – April 20, 2025. Seneferu, a self-taught Hunters Point Shipyard Artist, has spent the last 35 years honing his skills in painting, sculpting, illustration, and assemblage, as well as serving as a mentor for at-risk youth. During this time, Seneferu has developed a multidisciplinary body of work stemming from his early, firsthand experiences dealing with prejudice and injustice, witnessed in and around his community in Bayview-Hunters Point  

Malik Seneferu: A Retrospective is a tightly curated exhibition featuring key artworks from Seneferu’s long career. Come see a selection of original, colorful mixed-media assemblage, sculpted mobile shrines, magnet designs, drawings, paintings and miniature carved masks. A set of print reproductions leading visitors to the African American Center rounds out the exhibition. 

Opening Reception: Jan. 16, 2025, 5:30 p.m., African American Center, Main Library, 3rd Floor 

The public is invited to an opening reception and artist walkthrough of Malik Seneferu: A Retrospective. Light refreshments will be served. 

Visit sfpl.org/more-than-a-month for a full listing of More Than a Month events. 

Event Highlights 

Malik Seneferu: A Retrospective, Jan 16 – April 20 

Opening Reception, Jan. 16, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, Main Library, African American Center, 3rd Floor 
Celebrate the opening with a talk with the artist, curator and AfroSolo, the sponsor of the exhibition.  

The Photography of Moneta Sleet, Jr. from Ebony Magazine, Jan. 17, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., Virtual Library 
Delight in the life and photographic works of Moneta Sleet, Jr., staff photographer at Ebony Magazine for over forty years. 

Shadows and Light: Exploring Black Horror and Black Healing, Jan. 18, 12:30 - 5:30 p.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium, Latino Hispanic Room, Lower Level  
A transformative in-person event blending the power of Black horror with cultural exploration and collective healing. Featuring a keynote by acclaimed author Tananarive Due and panels with renowned writers and scholars like Jewelle Gomez, John Jennings and Dr. Kinitra Brooks, this gathering delves into Black horror’s historical contexts and its potential as a tool for healing. In partnership with Sistah Scifi. 

MLK Day Story Hour with Tempest Cooper, Jan. 18, 3–4 p.m., Main Children’s Center, 2nd Floor 
Learn about Dr. Martin Luther King's legacy through storytelling using American Sign Language and dance with Tempest Cooper. 

Omo Moses in Conversation with Belvie Rooks, Feb. 2, 2 p.m., Main Library, African American Center, 3rd Floor  
From the son of legendary civil rights organizer Robert P. Moses: a coming-of-age story about becoming Black in America that interweaves voices from three generations of the Moses family. Moses will be in conversation with longtime activist Belvie Rooks.  

Drumbeats, Heartbeats: Communities as One, Feb. 11, 4:45 p.m., Main Library, Larkin St. Entrance and Koret Auditorium  
A partnership between SFPL, HRC, the APA Heritage Foundation and Booker T. Washington Community Service Center. A festive evening of unity celebrating Chinese New Year and Black History Month featuring, African dancers and lion dancers in a procession from the Larkin St. entrance to the Koret Auditorium, and a poetry and music performance by SF Poet Laureate Genny Lim and former SF Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin. Community meal follows. 

Micro Art Gallery Miniature Craft with Tammie Knight, Feb. 15, 2- 3:30 p.m., Bayview Branch  
Explore architectural and design thinking by building your own 1:12 scale micro art gallery with artist and professional miniaturist Tammie Knight. Hang out and share miniature art tips after.   

Rize Up Bakery and Dragonspunk - Breaking Bread and Building Bridges, Feb. 19, 6-7:30 p.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium  

Azikiwee “Z” Anderson from Rize Up Bakery discusses his inspiring journey of turning a pandemic hobby into a thriving bakery, and his commitment to uplifting the community through inclusivity. Anderson will be in conversation with Isaiah Powell from Dragonspunk. 

Workshop: Hands-on Black San Francisco History, Feb. 19, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Main Library, San Francisco History Center, 6th Floor 

Dive deep into the rich history of Black culture in San Francisco, as our knowledgeable archivists guide you through this unique and interactive experience. See highlights from the newly accessioned Bernice Rodgers Papers & Photographs (the woman behind Bernice Rodgers Way in Golden Gate Park). Learn more about Mary Ellen Pleasant, GLIDE, and SF's first Black History Week in the 1960s (SF Unified School District records). Explore the Black Panther presence in SF, the SF Arts Commission Neighborhood Arts Program and more. Photography is welcomed and encouraged during the program. 

Author: Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Feb. 25, 6-7 p.m., Virtual Library  
Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs is a Queer Black Feminist Love Evangelist and an aspirational cousin to all life. She is/they are the author of several books, most recently Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde and the award-winning Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals. She is/they are the co-founder of the Mobile Homecoming Trust, an intergenerational experiential living library of Black LBGTQ brilliance. 

African American Center Programs  

Gerald Horne in Conversation with Justin Desmangles, Jan. 30, 6 p.m. Virtual 
In his exhaustively researched book, Gerald Horne sketches the apparent paradox of some African Americans turning to armed struggle at a time when it appeared that Jim Crow was retreating. He draws critical distinctions between armed propaganda, armed self-defense—and armed struggle— all of which he places in a global context of anti-war activism, the Cold War and African liberation. 

The Muses & Melanin Fellowship Reading, Feb 8, 12:30 p.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium 
A reading and celebration with graduates of The Muses & Melanin Fellowship for California Black Women Creative Writers. Featuring readings from Ariel Ward, Stephanie Teasley, Sasha Simon, Isabel N. Rendon, Amissa Miller, Sabina Letang, Linda A. Jackson, Nicole Cech and Christina Amazan. 

Celebration: Fun, Courageous, Inspiring, Feb. 9, 2-3:30 p.m., Main Library, African American Center  
A reading featuring members of the AfroSolo Theatre Company's Black Women's Writing Workshop and the Writing and Theatre Workshop at the Dr. George W. Davis Senior Center's "Intergenerational Program." 

Ronald B. Neal in Conversation with Justin Desmangles, Feb. 12, 6-7:30 p.m, Virtual Library 

Beyond Death and Jail: Anti-Blackness, Black Masculinity, and the Demonic Imagination calls for a complete reassessment and overhaul of ethical, political, and religious thinking with respect to anti-Blackness and Black masculinity in the United States. 

Diagnosing Whiteness & Anti-Blackness with Dante D. King, Feb. 23, 1- 3 p.m., Main Library, Koret Auditorium  
Diagnosing Whiteness & Anti-Blackness: White Psychopathology, Collective Psychosis, and Trauma in America is a 10-episode docuseries written by King with the goal of creating awareness, fostering dialogue and inspiring action on the deeply rooted issues of race, identity and systemic injustice. The series aims to empower individuals to confront and dismantle the structures that uphold racism and privilege. 

Additional SFPL Programs 

On the Same Page – Dances by Nicole Cuffy 

Author Talk, Feb. 4, 6 p.m., Virtual Library 
Book Club, Feb. 22, 10 a.m., Virtual Library  

Dances by Nicole Cuffy is a striking debut novel that follows Cece Cordell, a 22-year-old Black ballerina who reaches the pinnacle of her career when she becomes the first Black principal dancer at the New York City Ballet. Her achievement makes her a trailblazer in the predominantly white ballet world, but the spotlight fails to provide the fulfillment she expected. As she celebrates her success, Cece is haunted by a series of personal struggles—her fraught relationships with family, a broken romantic connection and the disappearance of her older brother, Paul. 

Journal Making for Healing, Facilitated by SFPL Community Ambassador, Toni Hines, Jan. 26, 2-4 p.m., Portola Branch 
Care for yourselves by expressing your creativity in this journal making exercise. SFPL Community Ambassador Toni Hines will supportively guide participants through the process of crafting personalized journals, offering meaningful space for reflection, healing and personal growth in a supportive community atmosphere. 

Steelpan with Fauna Solomon, Feb. 1, 10:30- 11 a.m., Parkside Branch; Feb. 25, 3- 3:30 p.m., Western Addition Branch  
Take a trip with musician Fauna Solomon to the tropical West Indies and learn the unique history of the steelpan, often called the steel drum. Steelpan’s origins in the Caribbean is a tool of resistance and cultural pride. For children and their families. 

Celebration: Holy Stitch! Factory Fellowship, Feb. 6, 6 – 9 p.m., Holy Stitch, 1059 Market St.  

Learn about Holy Stitch! Factory Fellowship, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth and displaced workers through sewing, technology, and community. Celebrate local art, culture and the power of creative expression. Founder and social entrepreneur Julian Prince Dash will tell us the story of his business. A hub for creativity and skill development, explore the vibrant and diverse works created by Holy Stitch! Factory Fellowship's talented community members. This program is part of the First Thursday Art Walk. 

Activity: Planting the Seeds of Possibility with Dr. Mishi Booker, Feb. 8, 3- 4 p.m., Merced Branch; Feb. 22, 3- 4 p.m., Potrero Branch 
Cultivate a positive inner voice through affirmations and self-empowering dialogue with Dr. Mishi Booker of Hey Carter! Books. Each participant will decorate and take home their personal planter and give life to their words. 

Music is First! Band with Bryan Dyer and Zareen Poonen Levien, Feb. 19, 3-3:45 p.m., Chinatown Branch 
Listen to the musical talents of Bryan Dyer and Zareen Poonen Levien from Music Is First! Band, as they share their love of music. Join the community to sing and learn together. For ages 4–12 and their families. Music is First! Band creates equity and access to music education for all children and communities. They provide resources to gain the confidence and skills they need to integrate music into every day.