February 5th 2024.
To commemorate Black History Month, Visit Philadelphia has teamed up with Little Free Library to introduce the Little Free Library project. According to Penn America, books written by Black authors have been banned in more than 30 states. To combat this injustice, the Little Free Library is making these books accessible to readers in the area. The initiative will be giving away 1,500 banned books at 13 different locations across the city.
Angela Val, president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, expressed the city's commitment to being a welcoming destination where everyone can feel a sense of belonging. She also emphasized the importance of acknowledging and celebrating the complexities of American history. "In Philadelphia, Black history is American history and Black stories are worth telling and sharing," Val stated in a press release.
The Little Free Library project will include a video series featuring Joyce Abbott, who was Quinta Bruson's sixth-grade teacher and the inspiration behind her Emmy Award-winning show, Abbott Elementary. Abbott, who has over 30 years of experience as an educator in the Philadelphia public school system, shared her passion for ensuring that students have access to Black history and stories. She hopes that individuals who discover these books will find inspiration and deepen their understanding of the contributions of Black people in this country.
The video series will also feature Philly natives Marc Lamont Hill and Dr. Christina Afia Harris, who will read excerpts from one of the library's banned books. These books include Nikole Hannah-Jones's The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, George M Johnson's All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto, and James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time. All of these books were purchased from Black-owned bookstores in the greater Philadelphia area, such as Hakim's Bookstore, Harriet's Book Shop, Uncle Bobby's Coffee & Books, and The Black Reserve Bookstore.
For more information about the project and to find library locations, visit The Little Free Library's website. In related news, a Black artist will be creating a Harriet Tubman statue at Philadelphia's City Hall following a recent controversy. This only adds to the city's efforts to celebrate and honor Black history during the month of February.
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