The Somerset County Library System (SCLSNJ) of New Jersey’s 10 Library branches will link history and culture for Black History Month through a series of innovative programs and influential media thru February.
“SCLSNJ has put together a fabulous lineup of programs for all ages to celebrate the important contributions and achievements of African-Americans throughout U.S. history,” stated Marcela Dunham, SCLSNJ system programming coordinator.
The Art of E.B. Lewis Display (all ages)
February 1-28
SCLSNJ’s Watchung Library branch, located at 12 Stirling Road in Watchung
Explore art and books from illustrator, E.B. Lewis.
African Mask Making (grades K-5)
Learn about West African culture and make your own African clay mask with Ivy Omere.
February 7, 4:15-5:30 p.m.
at SCLSNJ’s Warren Twp. Library branch, located at 42 Mountain Boulevard in Warren Twp.
February 8, 3:30-4:45 p.m.
at SCLSNJ’s North Plainfield Memorial Library branch, located at 6 Rockview Avenue in North Plainfield
What a Wonderful World: The Magic of Louis Armstrong’s Later Years (adults)
February 15, 7-8 p.m.
SCLSNJ’s Warren Township Library branch, located at 42 Mountain Boulevard in Warren Township
Armed with precious rare footage, Ricky Riccardi from the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens, New York, will bring Armstrong to life.
The Roots of Resistance: The Artistic Voice of W.E.B. Du Bois (adults)
February 20, 7-8 p.m.
SCLSNJ’s North Plainfield Memorial Library branch, located at 6 Rockview Avenue in North Plainfield.
A conversation about W.E.B. Du Bois, led by Dr. Randall Westbrook, professor from the School of Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Westbrook’s work on Du Bois has appeared in numerous academic journals and college textbooks.
Vegan Cooking: Lil’ Tofu Po’ Boys (adults)
February 22, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
SCLSNJ’s North Plainfield Memorial Library branch, located at 6 Rockview Avenue in North Plainfield
Learn to create a vegan version of this classic New Orleans recipe.
Registration for programs is required. For more information or to register, visit SCLSNJ.org or contact your local Library branch.
Explore SCLSNJ’s diverse collections:
Books for Children:
- “How Jelly Roll Morton Invented Jazz” by Jonah Winter and Keith Mallet
- “Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix” by Gary Golio and Javaka Steptoe
- “Just a Lucky So and So: The Story of Louis Armstrong” by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome
- “The Legendary Miss Lena Horne” by Carole Boston Weatherford and Elizabeth Zunon
- “Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound” by Andrea Davis Pinkney
- “Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald” by Roxane Orgill and Sean Qualls
- “When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop” by Laban Carrick Hill and Theodore Taylor III
Books for Teens and Adults:
- “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation” by Jeff Chang and DJ Kool Herc
- “The Chitlin’ Circuit: And the Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Preston Lauterbach
- “Chuck D Presents This Day in Rap and Hip-Hop History” by Chuck D. and Shepard Fairey
- “The History of Jazz” by Ted Gioia
- “Jazz: A History of America’s Music” by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns
- “Kill ‘Em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul” by James McBride
- “Queen of Bebop: The Musical Lives of Sarah Vaughan” by Elaine M. Hayes
- “Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion” by Robert Gordon
Explore Music:
- “The Chess Box” by Chuck Berry
- “Hitsville USA: The Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971” by various artists
- “Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings” by Gil Evans and Miles Davis
- “Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Original Soul Sister” by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
- “Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration” by various artists
- “Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane at Carnegie Hall” by Thelonious Monk Quartet
- “The Very Best of the Song Books” by Ella Fitzgerald
- “Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone” by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler
- “Freestyle: The Art of the Rhyme” by Kevin Fitzgerald and various artists
Explore these titles and more by visiting your local Library branch or by logging onto our new checkout and catalog system: catalog.SCLSNJ.org.
