Black History Month is as good a time as any to read books that explore and honor the stories, struggles and triumphs of Black people through history. Many books tackle themes of institutionalized racism and colorism and challenge societal understandings of these themes.

Ruby Smith Díaz didn’t set out to write a book about Joe Fortes . The Ladysmith -based author of the new history/biography book Searching for Serafim: The Life Legacy of Serafim “Joe” Fortes, says her journey through the history of the famous English Bay lifeguard began with another project.

The late artist Nelson Stevens once said that the murals he painted in Springfield in the 1970s were like “creating stained-glass windows for our community.” Beauty and excellence are among the themes for the Boston Globe’s fifth annual Black History Month Film Festival,

Black History Month this year falls on the 60th anniversary of many crucial moments of the Civil Rights Movement that would transform the nation and spark new fights still being played out today. Through the lens: From the last days of Malcolm X to the climatic marches in Selma,