MANSFIELD ─ The Mansfield-Richland County Public Library will highlight African-American history with multiple events on Feb. 6 during its 30th Black History Celebration.
Jessica Ney, community engagement coordinator for the library, said current and past Richland County residents are encouraged to share photos and stories of their heritage on the event’s website during Black History Month in February.
All the celebration events will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The marketplace was canceled. Ney said the library is instead compiling a list of African American-owned businesses in the area, providing the community another option to interact with those business owners. Companies can submit their information on the library’s webpage. The content will be available on the website through the end of February.
The celebration on Feb. 6 will start at 11 a.m. with a Facebook live welcome from MRCPL director Chris May, followed by Mansfield vocalist James Davis’ performance of the Black National Anthem. Jesus Jewels Praise Dancers of Shiloh Baptist Church will perform live at noon. The events will be live-streamed on the library’s Facebook page.
A Zoom discussion about mental health in the current culture with Carla James is scheduled at 2 pm. James is a certified Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant.
Ney said it is a dynamic and turbulent time for diversity and racial discussions. The library wants to connect people with experts and resource to help them go through the process. Registration can be done at mrcpl.org/calendar.
A live Facebook storytime for children is also scheduled at 2 pm. Ney said a community member will read the book The Last Stop on Market Street, a story about what an African-American child learned on a bus ride with his grandmother.
Along with the celebration, Ney said free take-home meals prepared by The Food Lab will be given out at three locations at 11 am:
— Kingdom Grace Fellowship Church at 105 Reba Ave.
— MRCPL public parking lot at Mulberry Street
— Providence Baptist Church at 112 West 6th St.
Black-history-themed craft kits for adults, teenagers and children will also be available at the above locations or the nine MRCPL branches.
In addition to the virtual live events, Ney said a photo gallery and some video presentations will be put on the library’s website in February. Braxton Daniel, an Ohio State University Mansfield student artist, will contribute his photography slide show.
The community will also have the opportunity to check the Mansfield Senior High School step dance team’s performance video and an introduction film of Leonard Dillon, the new president for the Mansfield Chapter of the NAACP.
