Atlantic City Library celebrates Black History Month

Those who visit the Main Library – located at 1 North Tennessee Ave. – this month will see some new additions in celebration of Black History Month.
The exterior of the building features a new Black History Month banner, measuring 10 feet wide by 22.5 feet high. The banner highlights three prominent African Americans in Atlantic City history: Sara Spencer Washington, William K. Cheatham and Dr. Amaza Lockett.
Inside the library, there are 20 posters on display with photos and text of local African-American individuals or organizations that have impacted Atlantic City. Some of featured posters include: Club Harlem, JoAnna LaSane, John Henry “Pop” Lloyd and Mayor James L. Usry. For those who want to look for all 20 posters, stop by the Help Desk for a checklist.
The library also has posters at its Richmond Branch (4115 Ventnor Ave.) and, as of later this week, at City Hall. The poster photos and text are from the library’s Atlantic City Heritage Collections. In addition to viewing the posters at one of the library locations or City Hall, they will be available on the Heritage Collections’ Facebook and Instagram pages.
The library staff has also created special displays with books and movies related to Black History Month – and there many more resources available to the public online.
The library’s Atlantic City Heritage Collections Digital Repository includes a wide variety of materials documenting African-American history from the city’s inception in 1854 to present day. The collections feature dissertations, oral histories, photographs and biographies that capture the voices of African Americans who grew up, lived and worked here. The digital repository allows individuals seeking greater detail about the city’s history to access these materials 24/7 on the internet, improving accessibility for residents, students, teachers, authors, archivists and researchers throughout the world.
The library has scheduled a Black History Month program – Betcha Can’t East Just One – on Friday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. in the Main Library Youth Services Department. Children and teens ages 9-18 are invited to a special potato chip taste testing to honor the African-American inventor of the potato chip, George Crum. Participants will taste a variety of chips and vote for the best following a reading of “George Crum and the Saratoga Chip” by Gaylia Taylor.
The library will hold another of its Black Stories Matter: Virtual Book Club programs in February. The club will meet via Zoom on Feb. 27 at 4 p.m. Please call (609) 345-2269, ext. 3075, to register for the program and receive a free copy of that month’s featured book, while supplies last. Or, check the library's Programs page for an online registration link.