PRINCESS ANNE, MD– Students from Somerset County schools who visit the Frederick Douglass Library at University of Maryland Eastern Shore will be “Celebrating the Dream” during Black History Month as they explore the library and tour a special exhibit. The exhibit is open to the public February 5-15, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Moushumi Chakrborty, who heads the special collections section of the library, said that the staff has planned a series of lecture presentations and educational activities for student visitors. The student-centered events will also include presentations by local scholars from UMES and Salisbury University as well as an exhibit featuring interesting items in the library’s collection relating to black history. The event is supported in part by a grant from Delmarva Power.
“The exhibition highlights a patchwork of eminent African-Americans including some rare photographs of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Ella Fitzgerald visiting our own campus!” said Chakraborty.
From UMES, Jeurel Singleton, Ph.D., professor of natural science at UMES; Clara Small, Ph.D., professor of history at Salisbury University; and Kathryn Barrett-Gaines, Ph.D., director of UMES’ African and African-American Studies program, are the featured presenters for the student visitors.
Washington High School students will visit the exhibit on Monday, February 5 followed by seventh and eighthgrade students from Crisfield High on February 6 and Princess Anne Elementary School students on February 8.
Singleton will tell about 50 history students in the 11th grade “How NOT to Succeed in Life,” giving them the benefit of her own experience drawing on the examples set by famous black Americans featured in the exhibit as well some sound advice for the future. Small will present a lecture on “Slavery on the Eastern Shore” to eighth graders. Barrett-Gaines will tell fourth graders about “The Black Indians of New Orleans” whose colorful costumes are a highlight of the annual Mardi Gras celebrations.
After learning some new and interesting information about black heritage and history, students will engage in some hands-on learning activities and compete for prizes that have been donated by local merchants, including Barnes & Noble Bookstore and Ice Magic at Crowns Port Center, in support of the event.
UMES has commemorated the contributions of black Americans and raised awareness of the origins of African-American culture during the month of February for the past seven years by offering programs, which are open to the public, highlighting history, art, education and social issues relating to black Americans.
Other programs scheduled for Black History Month include a symposium on African-American history, an exhibit in Mosley Gallery of African cloth including demonstrations of the process used to create the colorful designs, and a colloquium on the social problems of young black men today, all of which are open to the public. For more information, go to www.umes.eduand click on the events calendar located under “UMES Today.”
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Contact: Ann Wilmer, assistant director, UMES Office of Public Relations, 410-651-7580, awilmer@umes.edu.