Santa Barbara Public Library Invites the Community to Celebrate Black History Month

Source: Santa Barbara Public Library

February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of the diverse and rich history of African Americans. In honor of Black History Month, the Santa Barbara Public Library invites the community to celebrate by participating in a series of programs and resources that includes music education, storytelling, book discussions, and more.

Black History Celebration at Alameda Park

Saturday, February 26 at 10:30am, Chazz Ross offers an African Drum and International Drum experience featuring the djembe drum. Audience members will have the opportunity to play djembe drums as part of the drum circle that Chazz will instruct and lead. Chazz will discuss the history and benefits of drumming. This participatory program has drummers realizing that the “heartbeat” is the universal unifying rhythm that is always present with them – they only have to look inside. Read more about Chazz. 

Saturday, February 26 at 11:15am, internationally acclaimed storyteller, Michael D. McCarty, will present African-American and International folktales, historical tales, stories of science, spiritual stories as well as stories of the brilliant and absolutely absurd things he has done in his life. Michael’s tales from Africa, and of African-Americans, depict the challenges and triumphs of black people throughout the history of the Americas to inform, educate, inspire, and amuse his audiences. Read more about Michael.

Storywalk®

Storywalk® is an activity in which a bilingual picture book is set up on signs along an outdoor path. Reading a story this way is a safe, consistent, and welcome approach to promoting early literacy with children and caregivers. The library will be featuring Cedella Marley’s One Love.

See the upcoming dates and locations:

·         2/4, 10 am at Oak Park

·         2/9, 2 pm at Lower Manning Park

·         2/11, 10 am at Bohnett Park

·         2/16, 10:15 am at Alameda Park

·         2/18, 10 am at McKenzie Park

·         2/22, 1:30 pm at Sunflower Park

·         2/23, 2 pm at Carpinteria Children’s Project

·         2/26, 10:30 am at Alameda Park

Virtual Crime Book Club

This month’s selection is Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby.

Wednesday, February 2, 5 pm

Virtual Fiction Book Club

This month’s selection is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

Tuesday, February 8, 5:30 pm

Virtual Indy Book Club

This month’s selection is Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay

Wednesday, February 23, 6 pm 

The Library has also been collaborating with Black Culture House to offer adult programming, which will be rescheduled at a later date when public health conditions have improved. 

Santa Barbara Public Library is a department of the City of Santa Barbara. Visit the Santa Barbara Public Library online at SBPLibrary.org for information about programs and services. All library programs are free and open to the public.