Honoring Black History Month
By Sudie Blanchard
Assistant Director
YORK VILLAGE - As part of Black History Month, the York Public Library will be cosponsoring events and displaying books on the contributions made by African American citizens.
This year's focus is on the leadership of African Americans in social and political issues and includes biographies of some who have made a difference in the fight for freedom and civil rights, for example, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Jesse Jackson, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks and Barak Obama.
Displays are planned for the Main Level and the Children's Room. Books on display are available for borrowing so you can read more about these courageous and committed people.
As part of the library's celebration of Black History Month, there will be two special events cosponsored by the York Diversity Forum, the Old York Historical Society and the library on Saturday, Feb. 24.
The day will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the library with a lecture on the Underground Railroad in Maine by Portland historian Wells Staley-Mays. After a break for lunch, participants will tour sites on the Underground Railroad in Kittery and York.
At 7 p.m. that evening, local singer Lillian Buckley will perform a program of gospel music.
In preparation for the lecture on Feb. 24, we offer a short list of recent books featuring the Underground Railroad:
"Passages to Freedom: The Underground Railroad in History and Memory." Published by Smithsonian Books, this readable book documents and illustrates the stories of the courageous individuals involved in the Underground Railroad.
"Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories From the Underground Railroad" by Betty Deramus. This is a collection of previously untold stories of men and women who risked their lives to stay together. They were gleaned from the descendents of runaway slaves, unpublished memoirs and Civil War records.
"Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad" by Jacqueline Tobin and Raymond Dobard. The authors offer a theory that some slaves were involved in a sophisticated plan that used symbols sewn into quilts to transmit messages.
"Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led her People to Freedom" is a beautifully illustrated and poetic picture book that was just named a Caldecott Honor book. Author Carole Weatherford depicts Harriet Tubman's initial escape from slavery and her mission to lead others to freedom as divinely inspired, and achieved by steadfast faith and prayer. Kadir Nelson's dark, dramatic illustrations reflect the terror and exhaustion felt by Tubman both during her own escape and when she rescued others.
