With just a smidgeon of summer remaining, there is still plenty of fun to be had.  One event on the horizon is the 20th Annual National Black Arts Festival that begins today, July 29 through August 2. Among the notable performers, speakers and guests on the roster are actor/filmmaker/producer Robert Townsend (check out his independent film classic Hollywood Shuffle),author Nelson George and a tribute to one of my favorite singers Nina Simone by great vocalists such as Dianne Reeves and Lizz Wright. This promises to be a truly special event in celebration of African cultural heritage in through film, theatre, dance, literature, music and art. Check out the festival’s website for more information . Don’t you wanna go?

If you have lamented the lack of diversity in childrens and teen literature recently, you’re not alone.  There aren’t a lot of books available for this age group featuring African-American, Asian or Latino characters in genres other than historical fiction, which is well represented.  But where are the books set in the present about realistic issues, that just happen to have a minority as the main character?  And while we’re at it, where are the minorities in other genres, such as fantasy and science-fiction?  And mysteries and romance novels?

I came across an interesting statistic last week while researching another topic.  The Cooperative Children’s Book Center, a research library at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Education, published a report on the trends in children’s literature.  Of the almost 3000 books they reviewed that were published in 2007, only 150 featured “significant” African-American characters; 59 had Latino characters; and 68 had Asian/Pacific American characters.  Those are pretty disappointing numbers.  Especially considering that just because a book got published, it doesn’t mean it’s a good book.

While these books aren’t being published in overwhelming numbers, there are quite a few good books starring minority characters out there.  A good place to start might be with a list of award-winning books, such as those that have won the Pura Belpré Award for Latino literature, or the Coretta Scott King Award for African-American literature.  You can also go back to some of our previous posts on award books and recommended reading for children and teens.  But your best bet?  Ask your librarian for help.  He or she will be happy to recommend something.

As February 29 nears and the national celebration of Black History Month ends, I feel it only fitting to dedicate this blog post to the power of words from our ancestors, parents and world leaders.  After reading please share with us your favorite quote!

May the following quotes and the input from DeKalb Library users words live from generation to generation.

“Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story.”
-Ewe-mina

“The (word) of a friend makes you cry; the (word) of an enemy makes you laugh.”
-Tuareg

“Patience can cook a stone”
-Fulfulde

“If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family (nation).”
- Fanti

“If you understand the beginning well, the end will not trouble you.”
-Ashanti

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him.”
-Maya Angelou

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning.”
-Frederick Douglass

I stumbled upon blackpast.org the other day and found it to be a very useful resource.  In their own words:

“This site is dedicated to providing reference materials to the general
public on six centuries of African American history. It includes an
online encyclopedia of hundreds of famous and lesser known figures in
African America, full text primary documents and major speeches of
black activists and leaders from the 18th Century to the present. There
are also links to hundreds of websites that address the history of
African Americans including major black museums and archival research
centers in the United States and Canada.”

For many more African-American resources and websites, see this post.

I stumbled upon this webpage the other day and thought it was intriguing.  It’s about the first Negro Leagues in the early 20th century and the impact the first black baseball players had on the history of the sport.  Be sure to listen to the sound clips where different players talk about the subject.

For further research, here are a few books you may wish to check out:

The Kansas City Monarchs : champions of Black baseball by Janet Bruce

Negro league baseball : the rise and ruin of a Black institution by Neil Lanctot

Crossing the line : Black major leaguers, 1947-1959 by Larry Moffi and Jonathan Kronstadt

Blackball superstars : legendary players of the Negro baseball leagues by Ace Collins and John Hillman

Black diamond : the story of the Negro baseball leagues by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick McKissack, Jr.

The forgotten players : the story of black baseball in America by Robert Gardner and Dennis Shortelle

The Negro leagues : the story of Black baseball by Jacob Margolies

In
celebration of Black History Month I have listed nine websites dedicated to
the history and culture of African Americans.  They are just a few of my favorites.  History has always been
a collection of experiences and knowledge and I realize that the residents of
DeKalb County have a plethora of knowledge.

I’d like your input!   So, I’m extending the offer to you, let me know
what your favorite African American links are.

Just
click on comment and give a brief description of your African American link and
share with our community!

The
African American Experience
The
African American Experience is an award-winning database featuring full-text
access to over 400 volumes of content that give voice to the Black experience
from its African origins to the present day.  This is a database the library subscribes to, you will need your card and PIN to access it from home.

African
American History
AfricanAmericans.com
has over 750 web pages on the African American community. They cover many topics:
black history, the civil rights movement, slavery, African American art, to
black gospel music. AfricanAmericans.com also includes profiles of famous
African American historical leaders like: Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali,
Frederick Douglass, and current black celebrities: Michael Jordan, Serena
Williams, and many more.

Smithsonian National Museum of African
American Culture and History

The African American History and Culture section of the Encyclopedia Smithsonian

Heritage
Quest Online
Heritage
Quest online represents the most comprehensive collection of genealogical and
local history information. In addition to the entire U.S. federal census,
Heritage Quest microform products provide vital statistics, military records,
special census schedules, ship passenger lists, and much more.  This is a database the library subscribes to, you will need your card and PIN to access it from home.

African
American History at About.Com
About.com
offers photographs, quotes, history, and a daily this day in African American
History section, inventor information and much, much more.

The
History Makers
Includes
biographical information and audio and visual clips about African Americans who
have influenced history.

The
Library of Congress
Displays
of items from the collections of the Library of Congress focusing on
outstanding African Americans who, through their personal contributions and
sacrifices, have helped enhance the origins of multiculturalism.

The
Black Inventor
Information
on black inventors and their inventions.

Myguail C.

Gwendolyn Brooks is one of my favorite poets.  Growing up in Chicago, Brooks took her inspiration from the local community and published her first collection of poems, A Street in Bronzeville, when she was only 28.  Her second collection of poetry, Annie Allen, won her the Pulitzer Prize, the very first one given to an African-American.  She was the Poet Laureate of Illinois and she used her position to promote poetry and help the younger generation.  She often visited hospitals, prisons and drug rehabilitation centers.

Here’s a poem of hers for you to enjoy this Valentine’s Day:

One Wants A Teller In A Time Like This

One wants a teller in a time like this

One’s not a man, one’s not a woman grown
To bear enormous business all alone.

One cannot walk this winding street with pride
Straight-shouldered, tranquil-eyed,
Knowing one knows for sure the way back home.
One wonders if one has a home.

One is not certain if or why or how.
One wants a Teller now:

Put on your rubbers and you won’t catch a cold
Here’s hell, there’s heaven.  Go to Sunday School
Be patient, time brings all good things–(and cool
Strong balm to calm the burning at the brain?)
Behold,
Love’s true, and triumphs; and God’s actual.

And here are some of her books that the library owns:

Bronzeville boys and girls / with pictures by Ronni Solbert.

To disembark

In Montgomery, and other poems

Conversations with Gwendolyn Brooks / edited by Gloria Wade Gayles

Report from part one (Biography)

It’s Black History Month, when students everywhere are suddenly needing to know details about the lives of scientists, inventors, politicians, civil rights leaders, other notables.  Lucky for you, the library is your first stop for biographies and between our books and our databases, we have about everything you would need for a book report or other project about people’s lives.

Okay, first let’s talk about books.  All of our branches have biography sections, both in the juvenile and adult sections of the library.  They’re arranged by the subject’s last name (as opposed to the author’s name or anything else), which means that if you’re looking for a book about the late civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, you would look under “Rustin.”

The biography section, though, as nice as it is that we separate those out for you, is not the only section to look for books about notable figures.  You can also look under the Dewey Decimal number that covers the subject related to your famous person (say, baseball – 796.357, science – 500s, or journalism – 070s, for example).  You can also check our biographical dictionaries or other reference books that cover biography, history, or other subjects.

Our online databases, though, are where you procrastinators can thrive!  With your library card and PIN number (and a computer with an internet connection), you have access to these 24/7.  Try out the African American Experience, which covers an incredible amount of information, and the Biography Resource Center, which gives you enough information to get you through your paper.  Oh, and here’s the best news for students whose teachers ban internet sources:  these databases count as books.  Most of them are the actual text from many of the print resources we have on the shelves.

As always, knowing what your library has and how to get to it is the key to having the best resources around.  During this month of celebration, remembrance, study, find a way to make your local library a part of the experience.

This month offers some great movies to celebrate African-American History Month.  Catching a movie at the Library provides a great way to get to know your neighbors, promote a sense of community, and a chance to discuss the movie with others.

Lunch and a Movie at the Redan-Trotti Library

Bring your lunch and enjoy a great movie!

Pride: Based on the true story of inner-city Philadelphia swim coach, Jim Ellis, Pride tells the story of how Ellis, from his roots in North Carolina, goes on to build a swim team in one of Philadelphia’s toughest neighborhoods. Rated PG. Saturday, February 16 at 12 noon.

Dreamgirls: Three young women with dreams of stardom discover exactly what it means to make it in the music business and the sacrifices they must make to realize their dream. Based on the book by Tom Eyen. Rated PG-13. Saturday, February 23 at 12 noon.

Movies at the Flat Shoals Library

Popcorn provided!

Talk to Me: This film tells the true story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph “Petey” Greene (Don Cheadle), an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.  Adult program: please note this film is rated R for pervasive language.  Tuesday, February 12, 6:00 PM.

Boycott: On December 1, 1955, one black woman refused to give up her seat on a “whites only” section of a public bus. The bus stopped.  Montgomery, Alabama stopped. Rated PG. Tuesday, February 26 at 6:00 PM.

A Raisin in the Sun: Based on the award winning play by Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of the Great Migration of blacks from the South to the Northern U.S. during the first half of the 20th century. Starring Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee. Not Rated.  Tuesday, February 26 at 6:00 PM.

Movies at the Covington Library

Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson is known as the “Father of Black
History”.  Dr. Woodson was an author, editor, publisher, historian and promoter
of cultural diversity and democracy.  In 1915, Dr. Woodson founded the
Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASALH), “to archive
sociological and historical data, publish books, promote the study of
Afro-American life and history and encourage racial harmony through the
organization and works of clubs and schools. ”

By the early 1920’s he coordinated with Omega Psi Phi
fraternity to promote the achievements of African Americans.  In 1924, Omega Psi
Phi created Negro History and Literature Week which later became Negro Achievement
Week.  With this accomplishment the seeds were planted to promote discovering
and popularizing the truth of African American achievement amongst blacks as
well as whites.  In 1926, through Dr. Woodson’s efforts, Negro History Week was
born with the support of teachers, civic clubs, progressive white scholars and
philanthropists.  With such enthusiastic endorsement, Dr. Woodson chose the month of
February to celebrate the birthdays and accomplishments of Frederick Douglass
and Abraham Lincoln. Selecting Abraham Lincoln, the issuer of the Emancipation
Proclamation, and Frederick Douglass, a black abolitionist and leader, intertwined
the notion that African American History is American History.  This movement
spread even after Dr. Woodson’s death in 1950 to cities across the country embracing
the Black Awakening and Civil Rights movements of the 1960s that demanded
African American culture be taught in colleges and universities.  In 1976,
through the early efforts of Carter G. Woodson, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma
Theta, and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), Black History Month was born.
Every President from 1976-2008 has issued a proclamation declaring February
National African American History Month.

DeKalb County Public Library welcomes all citizens to share
in this celebration through programs being offered throughout the system.

Myguail C.