The Houston Public Library (HPL) has had a month-long lineup of Black History Month activities. As we go into the final week of this annual commemoration, the HPL seeks to keep the opportunities for enlightenment going.
Here is a listing of those remaining Black History Month activities.
Race & Social Justice Book Club
On Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 7-9p.m., the Race and Social Justice Book Club uses fiction and non-fiction to explore timely concepts such as the construction of race in our society and its legal, political, and social impacts. This month’s selection will be National Book Award Winner “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America” by Ibram X. Kendi. The event will be online. To register, click this link: Race & Social Justice Book Club – HPL LibCal – Houston Public Library.
Unbound Genius: Black Composers and Performers and the Great Migration
After the Civil War and World War I, many Black classical artists journeyed from Jim Crow America to the North to explore and expand their musical talent. The path of these great artists was fraught with obstacles that proved no match for their genius. Within the socio-political context of a rapidly changing America, author and musician, Rosalyn Story, will discuss how these artists endured setbacks of racism, poverty, and gender discrimination to navigate a complex cultural landscape, and change the face of American classical music. This event will take place on the first floor of Central Library in Downtown Houston on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 3-430p.m. Click this link to register: Unbound Genius: Black Composers and Performers and the Great Migration – HPL LibCal – Houston Public Library.
“The newly re-imagined Central Library, is Houston Public Library’s flagship location in Downtown Houston. With the beautifully transformed Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza, we are able to show movies outdoors on a jumbo screen. This month, we (paid) tribute to three brilliant African American mathematicians, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, with the acclaimed film, Hidden Figures (Thursday, Feb. 17), as part of HPL’s Story to Screen series which features movies based on books or adapted from true stories. HPL also recognizes the importance of looking to our community for programs such as a hybrid event on Black composers presented by the Houston Ebony Opera Guild. Attendees can join us in-person or virtually on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 3p.m.” — Garrette E. Smith, Chief of Central Library
Black History Month at the Gregory School:
“Negro History Week,” the brainchild of historian and scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson, was first observed February 7, 1926. The son of enslaved parents, Woodson would matriculate at Berea College, University of Chicago, become the second African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University (WEB DuBois was the first), and have a prolific career at Howard University. In February 1969, students and educators at Kent State University proposed the first Black History Month and celebrated it in February 1970. Join us each week as we continue this time-honored tradition and celebrate Dr. Woodson’s vision with an exploration of “Black Health and Wellness”, our theme for Black History Month 2022! The last installment of this online event will be held on Thursday, Feb. 24 from 6:30-7:30p.m. Call 832-393-1440 for more information.
“The African American Library at the Gregory School follows and programs according to the Association for the Study of African American Life and History ‘s Black History Month themes. With that in mind, our programs for 2022 are centered around the theme of Black Health and Wellness.” —Miguell Ceasar, Manager and Lead Archivist
