The Troy University Library will host an open mic read-in of African American literature on Feb. 16 as part of a series of events for Black History Month.

Partnering with the Black Caucus, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) sponsors activities each February to celebrate African American artists with performances and readings, according to Dr. Patricia Waters, the affiliate director of the NCTE and professor of English at TROY.

In 1989, the Black Caucus of the NCTE accepted a recommendation to sponsor a national Read-In on the first Sunday in February. The vision was for the read-ins to become a traditional activity during Black History Month celebrations.

“The African American Read-In (AARI)… is built on an ambitious yet confident premise: that a school and community reading event can be an effective way to promote diversity in children’s literature, encourage young people to read and shine a spotlight on African American authors,” as noted in the November 2014 issue of the Council Chronicle.

The reading time is a maximum of three minutes, and the work has to be written by an African American author. The event begins at 11:30 a.m., and attendees are welcome to bring a light, brown-bag lunch.

The NCTE will also partner with the Troy Public Library from Feb. 21-23 and Feb. 27-28 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to read with the children at the library’s after-school program.

The events are open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Patricia Waters at 334-670-3301 or Lisa Vardaman at 334-670-3262.