Exploring Wakanda
Captain American: Civil War was my formal introduction to T’Challa and his role as king of the African nation Wakanda, along with his role as the Black Panther. I certainly knew of the character but my knowledge of his backstory was slim. Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal was intriguing (as were the awesome ladies serving as his guards) and I wanted to know more. Luckily, Marvel was smart enough to figure that there would be plenty of curious readers like me. They were also smart enough to hire some amazing writers, like Ta-Nehisi Coates, Roxane Gay, and Yona Harvey, for a new run in the series.
Phenomenal Woman: Maya Angelou’s Incredible Life
Most people recognize Maya Angelou’s name. She may be the most popular and well-known author/poet of our time. What many people might not know is how fully she lived her life, how many adventures she had, how phenomenal she really was.
Get familiar with Jazmine Sullivan
When it comes to the current state of rhythm & blues, the two names most people mention are Beyoncé and Rihanna. Both of whom I love, but there are a lot of other Black women out there making great music. One in particular is Jazmine Sullivan. I first heard Sullivan’s music when I saw the music video for her debut single “Need U Bad” on BET (back when they actually played music videos). She immediately captivated me with her voice.
NAACP Image Award Winner
The 2017 winner from the 48th NAACP Image Awards on February 11, 2017 in the category of Outstanding Literary Work, Fiction is…The Book of Harlan! DB84940 Bernice L. McFadden The … Continued
Works for Me: Life After High School
Helping your teen navigate the next stage of their lives after high school can be stressful and overwhelming. Should they go to college? What other options are there? What career path are they interested in? How do they pick a school or program? What’s a gap year? These are important questions to ask, and the Job and Career Education Center at CLP – Main has extensive resources that can help you answer them and feel confident while helping your teen with these big moves forward.
Life on the Other Side of the Fence
Pittsburgher August Wilson wrote his award-winning play, Fences, in 1983. Fences was the sixth of ten plays in his “Pittsburgh Cycle” focusing on the changing nature of race relations and the African American experience. Recently, Denzel Washington directed and starred in a movie version shot in Pittsburgh.
All Hands on Tech: Explore Hidden Figures with Super Science at Your Library!
How did NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson calculate the trajectories for missions to space? With genius level STEM skills!
Punitive Measures, Pushout and Pittsburgh
At the same time that Black women are outpacing others in the post-graduate arena, many young Black women are being left behind in public schools, marginalized by punitive and surveillance systems embedded into our education programs and into society at large. Black girls make up 16 percent of the public school population, but represent more than one-third of all girls with a school-related arrest.
Natural Hair Magic
I never knew the true texture of my hair until I was in my mid-twenties. The time I spent at my aunt’s shop meant slapping a relaxer on my hair and smoothing it out until she was convinced my hair would be straight enough for the gods. I never went too long without a relaxer for fear of the new growth or “naps” underneath, a severely flawed fear passed down from generation to generation.
The Pittsburgh Courier
The Pittsburgh Courier used to be a national newspaper with 14 different city editions including New York, Chicago, Detriot, St. Louis and Los Angeles, to name a few. I urge you to check out the documentary Newspaper of Record the Pittsburgh Courier, available on DVD in our collection. It conveys the weight and influence of the paper, as well as its glamour.