NBWSAA Library
Read, listen and discover across generations. Explore The Pencils Book Club, book clubs for young people, teens and adults, featured stories, heritage, podcast documents and free reading resources.
The Pencils — New Five-Story Series
Explore the new stories with Marcus, Vivian and their family. All five stories in this second series are ready to watch with your free Griot reader account.
The Pencils — Original First Series
Building a Home for Black Joy. Revisit all five original stories, in order.
Episode 01
Welcome to Our Home
Episode 02
Introduce Yourself—and Speak Up
Episode 03
A Little Care Goes a Long Way
Episode 04
A Bicycle Plan—and a Safer Ride
Episode 05
Weights, Measures & Our Million-Dollar Goals
All five original stories are open to everyone. No account or sign-in is needed. The new second series and Activity Hub use your free Griot reader account.
Explore the new five-story series → · Open the Pencils Activity Hub →
Book Clubs & Reading Together
Choose your reading room for book lists, activity tools and conversation. The Pencils opens its existing Activity Hub. The other rooms use your free Griot reader account.
Featured Stories
Aboriginal Freedmen ChroniclesPodcast Documents & Stories
Podcast Versions
The Griot with Realist Renee. Choose the podcast conversation, or the separate video version where offered.
We Kept Fighting — Podcast VersionWatch Podcast Version →Watch Video Version →
What Is All This Noise? — Podcast VersionWatch Podcast Version →
If Black America Was a Nation — Podcast VersionWatch Podcast Version →
Rooted in Ownership: What Reaches the Next Generation? — Podcast VersionWatch Podcast Version →Watch Video Version →
Delineation — Podcast VersionWatch Podcast Version →Watch Video Version →Written by Renee Neal / Published by Renee Neal · NBWSAA.
Earlier Videos & Written Discussions
READ. LISTEN. RESEARCH. DISCOVER.
Free Online Libraries
Our stories. The world’s knowledge. Room to keep learning.
Find a book, listen to a story, follow a historical question or share a discovery with your family. These public collections offer starting points for curiosity, research and learning across generations.
Read a Book or Listen to a Story
Project Gutenberg
Read older literature and reference works online or choose an ebook format to download. Search an author, title or subject.
Explore collection →LibriVox
Listen to volunteer-read public-domain books or download audio for later. Browse by author, title, subject or language.
Explore collection →Research Our History
Digital Public Library of America
Find photographs, documents and cultural materials from libraries, archives and museums. Follow each item to its holding institution.
Explore collection →African American History Online
Use the Library of Congress guide to find digitized primary sources and research strategies documenting African American experience.
Explore collection →Explore Black Collections
Digital Schomburg
Explore curated digital materials on Black history and culture, including exhibitions, photographs, articles, audio and video.
Explore collection →African American Museum Collection
Browse objects and curated selections from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Explore collection →Learn as a Family
Read.gov Classic Books
Explore digitized classic books from the Library of Congress, with selections for children, teens and adults.
Explore collection →Minerva’s Kaleidoscope
Discover Library of Congress ideas for children, teens, parents and caregivers, connecting reading, activities and curiosity with its collections.
Explore collection →These links lead to public reading and research resources. Account or library-card requirements for borrowing, special services or other linked databases may differ. Preview older books and historical materials before sharing them with children; some contain outdated or harmful language. Check each item’s rights statement before copying or republishing it.
These independent resources are provided for learning and discovery. Inclusion does not establish an NBWSAA partnership or endorsement. Descriptions checked against official sources October 21, 2026. External collection links open in a new tab.
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