February is Black History Month and reading is one of the finest ways to celebrate and honor the contributions of African Americans. This year the Milwaukee Public Library will host a “Read-In” along with schools, churches, libraries and bookstores across the country. This unique event, part of the Twenty-First National African American Read-In sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English, aims to make literacy an important component of Black History Month. Milwaukee’s jubilee will showcase librarians, volunteers and members of the Milwaukee Area Reading Council who will read from children’s books written by or about African Americans as a way to celebrate our diverse, multicultural society. Join others in honoring the achievements of African Americans on Monday, Feb. 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Milwaukee Public Library-Central, located at 814 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Milwaukee locals Martin Jack Rosenblum, Ph.D., and David Luhrssen will provide a cultural and musicological history of American popular music when they discuss their book Searching for Rock and Roll.This book offers readers a comprehensive look at musical eras from rockabilly and folk to alternative as viewed through the lens of history and popular culture. Rosenblum is a UW-Milwaukee professor of music history and literature who lives what he lectures. A true historiographer, Rosenblum is also a chief archivist for the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. and currently serves as historian for the Les Paul House of Sound at Discovery World. Co-author Luhrssen is the arts and entertainment editor of the Shepherd Express and the creative mind behind the founding of the Milwaukee International Film Festival. He has taught at MIAD, UWM and MATC and co-authored books spanning topics from music to politics. Rosenblum and Luhrssen will discuss Searching for Rock and Roll on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. at Boswell Book Co.