Black Heroines
Gilroy library’s tribute to Black History Month
Gilroy Library observes Black History Month throughout February 2017.
Now observed during the entire month of February, South Valley spoke with Lani Yoshimura, head librarian at Gilroy Public Library about its plans to commemorate the month-long event.
The exhibit, created by resident and local artist Louise Shields, will be displayed on the first floor at the beginning of the children’s area.
The exhibit features prominent women of African ancestry and Yoshimura says it will be on display throughout the month of February with some changes made to the display in March, which is Women’s History Month.
“What she [Shields] did this time was she decided to focus on black women,” says Yoshimura. “It’s going to be kind of cool because it’s a natural progression into Women’s History Month.”
Yoshimura says they encourage patrons to check out the collection of materials put together by their children’s librarian Sharon Kelly showcasing the library’s rich African-American history collection.
Yoshimura says that Kelly is also planning a Black History Month craft program.
“The beauty of America is its diversity,” says Yoshimura. “Contributions by individuals of these different groups should be a source of pride for all Americans.”
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