Posts in “african-american” (59)
Blog Articles
For over 50 years, Mae’s Millinery (definition: "the art of hat-making") was a fixture in Philadelphia, a destination for women from up and down the East Coast in search of the… continue reading A History Minute: Who was Mae Reeves and Why is She in the Smithsonian?
By written by Administrator December 26, 2019 5
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery, on June 19, 1865, when the Emancipation Proclamation was enforced by Union soldiers and the last remaining slaves were freed in Galveston Texas. To… continue reading Juneteenth is in the Air on 52nd Street and in the House at Blackwell Regional Library!
By written by Barbara B. June 6, 2019
Parkway Central Library Senior Services will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Awards for excellence in African American children’s literature with a five-part… continue reading Conversations in Color: The Coretta Scott King Awards Celebrate 50 Years of Excellence
By written by Lisa-Jane E. May 29, 2019 2
Through This Lens , an exhibit of library materials that illustrates and discusses the camera work of African American photographers can be viewed on the 2nd floor landing of Parkway Central… continue reading Through This Lens: African American Photographers
By written by Alina J. March 5, 2019 1
Update: The Free Library’s At These Crossroads exhibition was honored as an Adobe Government Creativity Awards finalist in the ‘Multichannel Campaign – Museum of Park… continue reading At These Crossroads: The Legacies of Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois Exhibition
By written by Administrator December 20, 2018 3
Yolanda Wisher is back! She left us in 2017 as the first Poet Laureate since the Free Library assumed responsibility for nurturing our city's chief word smith. On May 9, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.,… continue reading Embrace the Sacred and Interstellar Through the Art and Poetry of Stellar Masses
By written by Adam F. May 4, 2018
Take a deep dive into the Free Library’s resources on African American artists at The Libraries Are Appreciated , an exhibition from the Parkway Central’s Art Department . Borrowing… continue reading Black Artists from the Stacks: The Libraries Are Appreciated
By written by Jamie B. April 24, 2018
Gladys Jamison couldn’t know this, but she was a girl coming of age in an exodus. Thirteen years old when her father moved her and her siblings to Brooklyn, she’d lost her mother five… continue reading #OneBookWednesday: Brooklyn, Black Girlhood, and the Great Migration
By written by Administrator November 22, 2017 3
A few weeks ago The Ripped Bodice, a romance bookstore in Los Angeles, released the inaugural report on the State of Racial Diversity in Romance Publishing and it exposes some hard truths about… continue reading 5 African American Romance Authors to Keep Your Eye On
By written by Dena October 19, 2017 9
The Philadelphia Colored Directory , a handbook of religious, social, political, professional, business activities of the Negroes of Philadelphia, was compiled by R. (Richard) R. (Robert) Wright,… continue reading The Philadelphia Colored Directory of 1910 Recently Scanned and Available for Download in Our Digital Collections
By written by Renee G. October 6, 2017 5
It has been more than 150 years since Octavius Catto may have slipped on a sack overcoat that hung by his front door, pushed a well-worn felt pocket hat over his parted hair, stepped out into the… continue reading Following Octavius V. Catto’s Footsteps
By written by Administrator September 25, 2017 13
On Sept. 26, 2017, the fence will come down and a new statue will be unveiled: the first new City Hall statue since 1923 and the first of an African American on any city-owned public… continue reading A History Minute: Octavius V. Catto - Philadelphia's Forgotten Freedom Fighter
By written by Administrator September 22, 2017
The Art Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia maintains a collection of artist files going back to the 19th century. Our artist files are folders that include article clippings, gallery… continue reading Art Department Celebrates Black History Month with African American Artists from Philadelphia
By written by Alina J. February 23, 2017
Our libraries have a full lineup of programs and activities this February to celebrate the rich intellectual and cultural contributions made by the African American community. We have everything… continue reading How Will You Celebrate Black History Month?
By written by Jennifer W. January 24, 2017 3
I love a graphic novel—and even better I love a graphic novel memoir . There is something so much more intimate about reading the words AND pictures when someone shares her story. Or maybe… continue reading Graphic Novel Memoirs
By written by Rachel F. August 24, 2016
Jerry Pinkney is a rock star. His fans tend to be of the toddler-variety, but he has legions of older die-hard devotees of his work as well—mostly parents, nannies, and a lot of… continue reading Jerry Pinkney Day
By written by Chris B. July 19, 2016
Get ready to rock, roll, dance, and dream this summer as our Sundays on Stage FREE performance series returns this weekend! This series of free performances for children, families, and adults is… continue reading Sundays on Stage Winter/Spring Calendar of events!
By written by Rachel F. January 23, 2015 1
Input was a Philadelphia panel discussion program hosted by John S. Stokes, Jr. that aired Sunday mornings on WCAU-TV10 from 1968 through early 1971. The program is a window in to the people… continue reading Streaming Philadelphia History - Introducing Input with Marion Stokes & John S. Stokes, Jr
By written by Jamie W. May 5, 2014
"Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise." So reads the memorable inscription above the door of Shakespeare & Company , one of my favorite… continue reading Summer in the City
By written by Nani M. April 3, 2013