We Shall Overcome, a traditional gospel song, made popular during the Civil Rights Movement, still has a powerful message to encourage us today. This song, actually sung in many cultures and languages, unifies everyone with its anthem of encouragement. Personally when studying Black History, the lessons I have learned as a white American inspire me in so ways. Celebrating the positive achievements, especially from a race that has overcome enormous obstacles, motivates me to do my best and be the best I can each day.
Start your celebration this month at Wilkes Heritage Museum’s Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame auditorium for a gospel music concert featuring Damascus Baptist Church Choir, of North Wilkesboro, NC. Billy Rowe leads the choir with assistance from his daughter, Tara Walker. The show is free and begins at 2:00 p.m. on February 4.
On February 16, join us in the library at 6:30 p.m. for a virtual zoom with award winning journalist and civil rights activist, Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Charlayne Hunter-Gault is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, author, and school desegregation pioneer. For more than five decades, this dedicated reporter has charted a course through some of the world’s most respected journalistic institutions, including The New Yorker and The New York Times, where she was often the only Black woman in the newsroom. Throughout her storied career, Charlayne has chronicled the lives of Black people in America—shining a light on their experiences and giving a glimpse into their community as never before.
Her latest book, My People: Five Decades of Writing about Black Lives, is a collection of ground-breaking reportage from across five decades. Hunter-Gault’s urgent writing showcases her lifelong commitment to reporting on Black people in their totality, “in ways that are recognizable to themselves.” Spanning from the Civil Rights Movement through the election and inauguration of America’s first Black president and beyond, this invaluable collection shows the breadth and nuance of the Black experience through trials, tragedies, and triumphs of everyday lives.
Another special virtual book event will kick off a series of author talks for North Carolina’s statewide book club NC READS 2023. The theme of this year’s book talks explore issues of racial, social, and gender equality related to the history and culture of North Carolina. The first in the NC READS series introduces a story based on the life and legacy of Josephine N. Leary, an African-American entrepreneur and business woman who lived in North Carolina during the Reconstruction Era. Meet author Kianna Alexander and hear about her book, Carolina Built, on February 22, at 6:30 p.m., in the library’s community room.
The library’s hands-on cooking classes begin on February 21 with A Taste of African Heritage (ATOAH). This series of classes required pre-registration and has already filled. If you are interested in attending future cooking sessions, please call to 336-838-2818 to get on the waiting list for upcoming Saturday classes. ATOAH is a six-lesson nutrition and cooking program, covering a specific food group from the African Heritage Diet Pyramid each week.
Following February’s highlights, Bright Star Theater will be visiting for a presentation on Black History’s Groundbreaking Geniuses. Save-the-date for 5:30 p.m. on March 2, in the library, and learn about amazing artists, thinkers and inventors who changed the world. Meet characters like Daniel Hale Williams, Dorothy Vaughan, Ralph Ellison, and many more. Don’t miss this all ages show!