When the Lights Went Out: Resources for Learning About the 1977 NYC Blackout

By Amber Certain, School Outreach Specialist
August 30, 2021

"Do you remember what you did on this dark and humid night, eight million people in the city without a light in sight / Where were you when the lights went out In New York City.”

—The Trammps, "The Night the Lights Went Out"

July 13th, 1977—an electrical blackout hits New York City and within 25 hours total chaos descended upon the city. New York was already in a financial crisis with high unemployment rates creating even more poverty and devastating many communities. The Bronx was literally on fire. Not to mention, there was a serial killer on the loose.

If you're interested in New York City history, the titles and resources below will help paint a picture of the city's economic, social, and cultural landscape during this time. Educators can use these resources to interest students in the city around them by looking at this turbulent time—the blackout, fear of the Son of Sam killer, the birth of Hip-Hop, mayoral politics, the financial crisis, and more—through books (including a few YA fiction titles set during this time), articles, documentaries, and interviews. You might also invite students to ask their own families where they were during the blackout of 1977 (or the blackout of 2003!).

Digital Resources Available with an NYPL Library Card

External Resources

  • In addition to being available through NYPL, the American Experience documentary Blackout is currently available to stream on PBS.
     
  • The Son of Sam killings are the subject of an episode of The Lost Tapes series and can be viewed on the Smithsonian Channel website: The Lost Tapes: Son of Sam.
     
  • Episode 31 of the Brooklyn Historical Society’s podcast Flatbush + Main focuses on the blackout and its legacy. Listen here: The Blackout of 1977.
     
  • You can view photos of NYC during the blackout on the websites Rare Historical Photos and Getty Images.
     
  • The Netflix streaming series The Get Down is a musical drama set in 1977 in the South Bronx and centers on a group of teenagers coming of age amidst the beginnings of hip-hop and disco music.
     
  • For a first person perspective on the blackout, read an interview with Christopher "Doc" Vanager on PBS who was a 12-year-old in Brooklyn during the '77 blackout and draws connections between that event and the birth of hip-hop.