The Black Heritage Public Library in Findlay, Ohio was begun by Nina Parker in 1981 to fill the gaps of black representation in American history and literature. The mission of one woman to counter the biased representation in local schools and present African-American history as a crucial piece of American history previously denied to all Americans, black and white, has developed into a successful, community-supported, grass roots project. This paper examines the social environment that created a need for such a library and presents the resulting philosophy upon which the library was founded. Utilizing a combination of the historical research method and case study, this paper chronicles the library's history from its inception until 1996, describing its collections, programs, and policies. The library has been instrumental in encouraging an interest in African-American history and appreciation for African-American culture in the local population and shows signs of influencing future generations. The library's accomplishments include: increased collection size and scope of African-American and Caribbean materials; increased number of patrons and patrons from across the state; educators invited library staff to speak in their classes and assigned reports to be researched at the library; the public library sent referrals to the library; and, more generally, the Black Heritage Public Library positively influenced attitudes and promoted understanding. (Contains 37 references.) (Author/SWC)