This is an alert bar. Due to COVID-19, face covering required in all MRCPL buildings. Thank you for your cooperation!
Saturday, February 3, 2024
9:15 AM-2 PM
Main Library
Please join us for this free, family-friendly event celebrating the African-American heritage found in our Richland County communities.
Four $25 gift cards will be awarded for completing the Activity Pass. You do not need to be present to win but must provide a valid phone number on your passport entry. Winners will be contacted Monday, Feb. 5.
Schedule of Events
9:15 Official Welcome, Lift Every Voice and Sing performed by Mansfield Singers, “Peace on My Block” endorsement (2nd floor lobby)
9:30 AM-12 PM-Community Resource Fair (2nd floor lobby)
9:30 AM-2 PM Library Resource Fair (2nd floor)
9:45-10 AM Jesus Jewels dance team, Shiloh Baptist Church (Community Room)
10:15-10:30 AM The River Church of Mansfield (Community Room
10:30 AM- Community Room closes for food and band set-up
12-1 PM Lunch; while supplies last (Community Room)
12-2 PM Jody Odom Jr. (Community Room)
Please note: Food is prohibited in all other areas of the Library.
3D Printing Demo
Teens and adults
Visit the Learning Lab in the Reference Department for a 3D printing demo. Check out these amazing machines and grab a 3D souvenir. Let our staff help you download the new MRCPL App to your mobile device.
Friendship Bracelets
Tweens and teens
Be a true fan in the Teen Department and make a bracelet to prove it!
Adinkra Shelf Sitter-Program in a Bag (Adults only)
Create a stunning shelf sitter for your home décor! All supplies included. One per person; while supplies last.
Find Some History, Even Your Own!
All ages
Visit the John Sherman Room for a glimpse of African American local history, find out about our history and genealogy resources, or find yourself or a friend in one of our many Richland County yearbooks. (Ask a staff member!)
Heroes!
Children of all ages
Stop by the Children’s Department to celebrate heroes throughout Black History! There will be a scavenger hunt, crafts, and, of course, lots of books to enjoy! Visit the story time room in our Children’s Department to play with some new and exciting imaginative toys!
North End Community Improvement Collaborative (NECIC)
Third Street Family Health Services
The Ohio State University-Mansfield
Mansfield Senior High Cosmetology
Mansfield Singers (MHS)
9:15 AM
2nd-Floor Lobby
This talented group from Mansfield Senior High will open our event with the singing of Lift Every Voice and Sing.
Jesus Jewels Dance Team
9:45-10 AM
Community Room
These exciting group from the Shiloh Baptist Church will perform live!
The River Church of Mansfield
10:15-10:30 AM
Community Room
Enjoy a live performance!
Get to Know our Things
9:30 AM-12 PM
2nd-Floor Conference Room
Interact with some of our favorite items from the Library of Things. These non-traditional items provide hours of fun and can be useful too. Visit someplace new with the Oculus, play a giant board game, strum on a guitar or play our drums. There’s something for everyone!
Jody Odom Jr. LIVE!
12:30 AM-2 PM
Community Room at Main Library
Enjoy the live sounds of the crowd-favorite local artist, Jody Odom Jr.
The answer lies with eminent American historian Carter G. Woodson, who pioneered the field of African American studies in the early 20th century. Inspired by having attended a three-week national celebration of the 50th anniversary of emancipation in 1915, Woodson joined four others in founding the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) to encourage scholars to engage in the intensive study of the Black past, a subject that had long been sorely neglected by academia and in U.S. schools. In 1916 Woodson began editing the association’s principal scholarly publication, The Journal of Negro History. In 1924, spurred on by Woodson, his college fraternity, Omega Psi Phi, introduced Negro History and Literature Week. Two years later, determined to bring greater attention to African American history, Woodson and the ASNLH launched Negro History Week in February 1926. From Britannica 1/11/22. Read more about Carter G. Woodson here.
Photo Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images
African American Experience
Developed with the guidance of African American Librarians and subject specialists, The African American Experience (AAE) is a wide ranging and easy-to-use database collection on African American history and culture.
A comprehensive mix of resources, records, and tools specifically pertaining to African American genealogy that can also connect users to a community of research experts, who offer mentoring and research assistance.
43 West Third Street
Mansfield, OH 44902
(419) 521-3100
