Black History Month events offered this year in the Southland run the gamut from fun and entertaining to reflective and thought-provoking.
The Glenwood-Lynwood Public Library, 19901 Stoney Island Ave., Lynwood, is planning an array of activities that include a Poetry Night on Feb. 7 and the program Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History Feb. 12, said Joelle Wake, information services assistant.
Wake said the library will host its annual Soul Train Party for adults from 7 to 10 p.m. Feb. 23.
“The Soul Train Party started with our anniversary celebration three years ago,” she said. “We turned it into a Black History Month event because people really enjoyed it. We have a DJ that plays ’70s-themed music and we have refreshments. It’s just a good time.”
The library also is offering a month-long African American Read In that culminates in a discussion and chance to win prizes, she said, as well as an end-of-month art show featuring the work of Brookwood District 167 students.
Area residents also are welcome to sign up for a March 3 day trip to visit the National Underground Railroad Center in Cincinnati, Wake said. Cost is $55 and participants must register by Feb. 14.
Through collections, multimedia exhibits and personal stories, the center explores slavery, inequality and freedom, paying particular attention to the history of slavery in the United States and the role of the Underground Railroad, she said.
“We’ve been doing day trips a lot lately. This is another quick trip to see something outside the area. We’ll visit the museum and take a guided tour with a docent,” she said. Afterward, people can stay and get lunch there or head out onto the famed riverfront in search of a restaurant or shopping.
All events are open to the public, Wake said, but some require registration. More information is at 708-758-0090 or https://glpld.org/.
More Black History Month events
Flossmoor
Shanta the Storyteller Presents: Stories and Songs of the African People at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at The Flossmoor Public Library, 1000 Sterling Ave.; 708-798-3600; www.flossmoorlibrary.org/
Through stories, chants, poetry and sounds of unique instruments such as the mbira and the agogo, Shanta melds African folktales and contemporary African American perspectives.
Matteson
“I Am Not Your Negro” at 11 a.m. Feb. 15. Matteson Public Library, 801 School Ave.; 708-748-4431; www.mapld.org/
The documentary tells the story behind a letter that writer James Baldwin sent to his literary agent describing his next project. “Remember This House” was intended to be a personal account of the lives and assassinations of three of Baldwin’s close friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. But when Baldwin died in 1987, only 30 completed pages of this manuscript were found. Filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions what might have been.
Orland Park
Fighting Slavery in Chicago at 7 p.m. Feb. 6. Orland Park Public Library, 14921 Ravinia Ave.; 708-428-5100; www.orlandparklibrary.org/
Author Tom Campbell will talk about the role of Chicago abolitionists who fought the Fugitive Slave Law, how Chicagoans rallied to form the Chicago Chapter of the Anti-Slavery Society and the role the city played in electing President Abraham Lincoln.
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Kelly Cuci, head of outreach at the library, said the library also is planning a presentation on the life of Martin Luther King Jr. at 7 p.m. April 3. In the Belly of the Beast: King in Chicago will be presented in recognition of the 50th anniversary of King’s death.
Palos Heights
The Genius of Dubuque: Sol Butler’s Social and Athletic Experience in College, 1915-19 at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at Trinity Christian College, 6601 W. College Drive; 708-597-3000; www.trnty.edu
Trinity’s annual Black History Month Lecture will feature Dr. Brian Hallstoos, associate professor of history at the University of Dubuque. Light refreshments will be served.
Richton Park
The Chicago Freedom Movement of 1965-66 at 11 a.m. Feb. 10 at the Richton Park Community Center, 4445 Sauk Trail; 708-753-8800; www.richtonpark.org/312/Community-Center
The Village of Richton Park and the Richton Park library are sponsoring the 2018 Black History Celebration, featuring special guest Bernard Kleina, a renowned photographer and author who will present his photographic account of the civil rights movement.
In addition, Black History Month Art Contest participants from School Districts 159 and 162 will be recognized and the winners will receive prizes.
South Holland
Black History Month: Underground Railroad Hike, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 25; Sand Ridge Nature Center, 15891 S Paxton Ave.; 708-868-0606; fpdcc.com
Learn about Black History Month with an educational display and interactive history hike. This imaginary journey follows an Underground Railroad route used in Illinois in the mid-1800s. Event is free.
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