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News Release

For Immediate Release: January 30, 2007
Contact: Sherri Eng (415) 557-4282
seng@sfpl.org

San Francisco Public Library Celebrates Black History Month

African drummers, African American storytellers, authors, artists and others will participate in a number of programs at the San Francisco Public Library in celebration of Black History Month. Adult events will include a reading by California Poet Laureate Al Young, a spoken word festival and a discussion on jazz. Children’s events will feature stories, rhymes and rhythms presented by accomplished storytellers and musicians.

Calendar of Events

Exhibition:

Following the North Star: African American Quilts
Ten contemporary handmade quilts in the tradition of Underground Railroad quilts that show how certain designs and colors gave coded messages to slaves running north to freedom. A log cabin pattern, for example, signified a “safe house.” The quilts were made by City College Quilters, a multi-ethnic group of women enrolled in quilting class at City College of San Francisco. Through March 1 in the African American Center at the Main Library.
Related Program: Talk and demonstration on African American quilt-making history. 2–4 p.m., Feb. 3 in the Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room at the Main Library.

Adult Progam Schedule:

Kicking off Black History Month is the second annual Spoken Word Festival held from 1–5 p.m. on Feb. 3 in the Main Library’s Koret Auditorium. The festival will celebrate African American history through the verbal words of black poets and spoken word griots and feature local spoken word artists, including Marvin X, Shakeel Ali, Larry Ukali Johnson-Redd, Terry Moore, Tony Moses, Jacqueline Annette Sue, Loretta LaRue Duncan Fowler and others. Poet Eric Goines will emcee the event, which is sponsored by the Conversations on Africa Forum and the Library’s African American Center.

On Feb. 10, poet, novelist, professor and current California Poet Laureate Al Young will read from his large body of work and discuss his career at 1 p.m. in the Koret Auditorium at the Main Library. This will be Young’s first San Francisco appearance since being named California’s poet laureate on May 12, 2005.

Local jazz musician Wayne Wallace will discuss the history of jazz in the Americas on Feb. 21. His lecture is a precursor to this year’s fourth annual San Francisco International Arts Festival, which will be celebrating the African Diaspora. The event starts at 6 p.m. in the Koret Auditorium at the Main Library.

Children’s Program Schedule:

S. Kwaku Daddy drums the rhythms and shares folklore of West Africa
Feb. 1, Ocean View Branch, 3 p.m.

Carl Winters, the Kalimba King, plays the African thumb piano
Feb. 1, Potrero Branch, 10:30 a.m.

Destiny, Harpist from the Hood, plays music and tells stories
Feb. 2, Presidio Branch, 2:30 p.m.
Feb. 7, Parkside Branch, 7 p.m.

Storyteller Yolanda Rhodes performs Under the Nkula Tree
Feb. 3, Mission Branch, 12 p.m.
Feb. 3, Ocean View Branch, 3 p.m.
Feb. 8, Excelsior Branch, 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 21, Golden Gate Valley Branch, 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 21, Ingleside Branch, 6 p.m.

Anita Jones shares stories and songs
Feb. 6, Bayview Branch, 10:30 a.m.

Storyteller Tureeda Mikell shares African folktales, rhythm, rap and rhyme
Feb. 6, Glen Park Branch, 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 6, (Western Addition program) African American Historical & Cultural Society, Suite 200, 762 Fulton St. (at Webster), 4 p.m. Groups, reserve at (415) 440-0206.
Feb. 13, (Noe Valley program) Bethany United Methodist Church, 1268 Sanchez (at Clipper), 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 15, Main Library, Fisher Children’s Center, 10:30 a.m. Space limited; reserve at (415) 557-4554
Feb. 20, Eureka Valley Branch, 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 27, North Beach Branch, 11 a.m.

Storyteller Yolanda Rhodes presents Colored Yarns!
Feb. 8, Main Library, Fisher Children’s Center, 10:30 a.m. Space limited; reserve at (415) 557-4554.

Storyteller Awele Makeba presents Nuggets of Wisdom
Feb. 8, Ocean View Branch, 4 p.m.

Charles Dabo offers arts and crafts
Feb. 17, Bayview Branch, 11 a.m.

Yolanda Rhodes presents Mama Yo Tells Tales
Feb. 17, Mission Bay Branch, 2 p.m.
Feb. 20, Bayview Branch, 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 20, Chinatown Branch, 4 p.m. Space limited; reserve at (415) 355-2889.

The Delta Academy presents a Black History Month celebration
Feb. 17, Ocean View Branch, 1:30 p.m.
Samba Samba presents multicultural music with a Caribbean beat Feb. 21, Bernal Heights Branch, 4 p.m.

Dance Kaiso presents a “Spirit of the Caribbean” performance
Feb. 23, Visitacion Valley Branch, 1 p.m.
Feb. 23, Portola Branch, 4 p.m.

M. B. Haniff plays jazz music
Feb. 24, Parkside Branch, 4 p.m.
Storyteller J.P. Myrick introduces African American Heroines of the Past: Zora Neale Hurston and Harriet Tubman Feb. 27, (Western Addition Program.) African American Historical and Cultural Society, Suite 200, 762 Fulton St. (at Webster), 3:45 p.m. Groups, reserve at (415) 440-0206.

Participants from the Tenderloin After School Program present an African American musical and dance celebration
Feb. 28, Main Library, Fisher Children’s Center, 4:30–6:30 p.m.

Local African American cartoonist Morrie Turner, creator of the Wee Pals, offers drawing demonstrations
Feb. 28, Bayview, 5–6:30 p.m.

All programs at the Library are free and open to the public. For more information, call (415) 557-4277.

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