An exceptional exhibitionfor the Newark PublicLibrary’s Black History

Month celebration is on view on the2nd- and 3rd-floor galleries fromFebruary 6 through April 1. EntitledSmall Towns, Black Lives, African-American Communities in SouthernNew Jersey, it is the work of photogra-pher Wendel A. White. Born inNewark, he is Professor of Art atRichard Stockton College of NewJersey. According to the artist, SmallTowns, Black Lives is not an historicalresource, it is a visual journal ofdiscovery, memory and recognition.The exhibit is on loan from the NoyesMuseum of Art, Oceanville, N.J.

“Professor Wendel White’s extraor-dinary photographic documentation ofthe small hamlets, settlements andtowns that enrich and complicate thesocial and cultural terrain of southernNew Jersey will inspire all good citizens

of the Garden State,” said Dr. ClementAlexander Price, the Board of Gover-nors’ Distinguished Service Professorof History at Rutgers-Newark and asenior NPL Trustee.

White began this photographicproject in 1989 in Whitesboro, N.J.“The process established inWhitesboro has remained with me formore than a decade,” noted White.“The photographs are made incommunities that have no directconnection to my personal history, butthey are representations of a connec-tion and context.”

For more information on SmallTowns, Black Lives visit www.npl.org orcall (973) 424-1831.

A fine start for learning aboutthe African-American experi-ence is the African American

History and Culture database. Biogra-phies, charts, essays, maps, pictures,primary sources, and timelineselucidate the scientific, social, andartistic advances contributed byAfrican Americans.

Among the multitude of topicsexamined are court decisions thatimpeded or liberated African-Ameri-can aspirations, and genres of musicand other artistic contributions ofAfrican Americans. For example, toread Martin Luther King’s “Letter fromBirmingham Jail,” visit/select the“Primary Sources” category.

African American History andCulture is one of several databasescomprising the Facts on File suiteavailable at www.npl.org/Pages/InternetResources. (Scroll down left-hand column.)

African-American History& Culture database

For remote access—when not inan NPL facility—simply click on the“from home or work” link for Facts onFile and then, at the prompt, type yourNPL card number.

Portions of many respectedreference books, such as The Encyclo-pedia of the Harlem Renaissance, Encyclo-pedia of African-American Heritage, andBlack Women in America, are included.

To locate high-quality Internetsites about African-American civiliza-tion and contributions, please browsewww.npl.org/Pages/InternetResources/SubjectGuides/africanamerican.html.Assembled by the Newark PublicLibrary staff, this vast compilation isarranged by subject.

For more information/assistancecall Central Reference at (973) 733-7779 or 7820, or the James BrownAfrican-American Room at(973) 733-5411.

Black History Month exhibition

The NPL celebrated “Martin LutherKing Day 2006” with a number of

programs at the Branches and the MainLibrary. The Branch events includedstorytelling and arts & crafts. The MainLibrary remembrance featured theMayhem Poets, an amazing troupe offour wordsmiths, who introduced a largeaudience of students to the art of “slam”poetry with And Let Our Voices Sing.

Dr. Kingremembered

Black HistoryMonth Celebration 2006Black HistoryMonth Celebration 2006@ The Newark Public Library 5 Washington St., Newark, NJ

Sharpe James, MayorCity of Newark

Trish Morris-Yamba, PresidentBoard of Trustees

Wilma J. Grey, DirectorThe Newark Public Library

January

February

WednesdayViola Sanders holds adiscussion on “African-American Firsts.”

Weequahic Branch Library 355 Osborne Terrace; 3:30pm

15

FridayThe Blues Duo (JasperMcGruder on harmonicaand Henry Afro Bradley

on guitar) will perform music thatranges from field hollers to contem-porary rural and urban blues.

Vailsburg Branch Library 75 Alexander St.; 3:30pm

24

FridayWinceyco Companyperforms Lineage, wherejazz, gospel, rhythm and

blues, and hip-hop music and danceare combined in a lesson.

Centennial Hall; 10:30am

3

SaturdayAfrican-American hairstyles and hair care arethe topic of a program

presented by Mr. Shamboosie.

Clinton Branch Library 739 Bergen St.; 11:00am

18

ThursdayViola Sanders presents aninformative and enter-taining program, entitled

“African-American Inventors andInventions.”

North End Branch Library 722 Summer Ave.; 3:30pm

16

ThursdayViola Sanders presents adiscussion, on theAfrican-American Tea

Ceremony and Experiencing The Worldof Tea.

Centennial Hall; 10:00am

16

WednesdayEzrah Aharone, author ofPawned Sovereignty:Sharpened Black Perspec-

tives on Americanization, Africa, Warand Reparations, holds a book signing.

Auditorium; 6:00pm

22

TuesdayRoderick Shade, a prolificdesigner of furniture andfabric—both traditional

and contemporary—holds a discus-sion and book signing of Harlem Style.

Centennial Hall; 6:00pm

7

WednesdayToni Staton Harris, authorof Nothing Special . . . JustFriends?, holds a booksigning.

Centennial Hall; 6:00pm

15

SaturdayThe Blues Duo (JasperMcGruder on harmonicaand Henry Afro Bradley

on guitar) will perform music thatranges from field hollers to contempo-rary rural and urban blues.

Van Buren Branch Library 140 Van Buren St.; 11:00am

4

Toni Staton Harris

Wincey Terry,WinceycoCompany

All programs are free and open to thepublic. For more information, pleasecall (973) 424-1831 or (973) 733-5411,or visit www.npl.org.

Black HistoryMonth Celebration 2006Black HistoryMonth Celebration 2006

TuesdayOpening Reception forprogramming featureskeynote speaker Hugh Price.

Centennial Hall; 6:00pm

31

Hugh Price