Celebrating Black History Month at the New Rochelle library

The New Rochelle Public Library is celebrating Black History Month with a variety of free programs throughout the month.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, 7:30 p.m., Ted Reinstein, author of “Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball’s Color Barrier” presents a virtual program telling the stories of the little-known heroes who fought segregation in baseball - rom communist newspaper reporters to the Pullman car porters who saw to it that black newspapers espousing integration in professional sports reached the homes of blacks throughout the country.

Reinstein also reminds us that the first black player in professional baseball was not Jackie Robinson but Moses Fleetwood Walker in 1884, and that for a time integrated teams were not that unusual. And then, as segregation throughout the country hardened, the exclusion of blacks in baseball quietly became the norm, and the battle for integration began anew. Registration required at bit.ly/BreakingBarriers_02_2023.

From Sunday, Feb. 5-Saturday, March 4, “Tracing Our Roots: New Rochelle’s Black History”, an original exhibit presented by New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA), will be on display in the Lumen Winter Gallery of the Library, during library hours.

In this exhibit the NRCA continues its on-going exploration of the city’s heritage by focusing on the places, people, events and movements that shaped the lives of its African American residents. Through compelling graphic design, photographs, primary documents, maps, early newspaper articles and an illuminating narrative, this exhibit reveals the extraordinary heritage of New Rochelle’s Black community.

A free public exhibit reception will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m., in the Library’s lobby.

On Sunday, Feb. 5, 2 p.m., enjoy a delightful chamber music concert by accomplished pianist Mikael Darmanie and violinist Robyn Quinnett in the intimate Ossie Davis Theater. The program will feature works for violin and piano by Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Ellington, Montgomery and Schubert. Registration requested at bit.ly/Darmanie_Quinnett_02_2023

On Friday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m., Harlem Blues and Jazz Band, coined as “The best that America has to offer “, returns to the New Rochelle Public Library by popular demand. The Band, founded in 1973 by jazz aficionado Dr. Albert Vollmer, brings together the best sidemen of the times who played with such bands as Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Lionel Hampton, Benny Carter and others. They began to tour internationally in 1976 and continue to be one of the most authentic Swing Bands playing today. Registration requested at bit.ly/ HarlemBlues_02_2023.

On Thursday, Feb. 16, 6:30 p.m., New Rochelle Public Library Archivist David Rose will give a virtual presentation, “The History of the George Washington Carver Garden Club of Westchester.” The George Washington Carver Garden Club of Westchester was founded in 1933 at the height of George Carver’s renown as an agricultural scientist and leading conservationist. The club was active in New Rochelle for 50 years, and it promoted the pleasures of suburban gardening, flower shows, horticulture, and landscaping. In this presentation, Rose will describe the club’s activities and its relation to the work and discoveries of George Carver based on records in the Library’s archive. Registration required at bit.ly/GWCarverGarden_02_2023

On Saturday, Feb. 25, 3:30 p.m., Bokandeye African Dance Troupe and participants in the Bokandey African Dance workshops taking place this January/February will perform a collage of traditional rhythms and dances from the Senegambia Region of West Africa. Registration requested at bit.ly/BkndyPerf_02_2023

Black History Month programs and performances made possible with support from the

Friends of the New Rochelle Public Library and the New Rochelle Downtown Business Improvement District.

All programs take place at the New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Plaza, New Rochelle. All programs are free and open to the public. The New Rochelle Public Library (NRPL) is a community resource that seeks to improve the life of every citizen in our city. The Library offers a comprehensive print and digital collection that includes retrospective and current materials, up-to-date technology for public use, and a wide range of community services and programs tailored to a diverse audience. Chartered in 1894, NRPL is a school-district library with its own operating budget and a Board of Trustees composed of seven elected members. It has served the 79,000 residents of New Rochelle from its Main Library building in the downtown business district since 1979. A smaller branch, located in the park in front of the New Rochelle High School, was restored through a grassroots effort and currently operates as the Huguenot Children’s Library. Learn more at nrpl.org.