From learning about the past to celebrating current leaders and trying to create new historical moments, the Benton Harbor Public Library has Black History Month covered.
This Saturday at 1 p.m., the library is hosting a screening of The Woman King, starring Viola Davis, in the first of two film showings celebrating black filmmakers and stories.
The Woman King is based on actual historical events, and follows all-female military group called the Agojie as they defend their Kingdom of Dahomey on the West coast of Africa in the 1820’s. The Dahomey Kingdom is attacked by the Oyo Empire, who abduct Dahomey people and sell them into slavery.
“I’m a real big fan of tasteful representation – movies that can either tell some type of historical perspective without seeming too pandering or without telling the same tired story over and over,” said BHPL Programming and Outreach Coordinator Ernest Taylor. “A lot of stories like to tell the story of a slave. I’d much rather hear the story of how people fought not to become them.”
On Feb. 25, the library will screen Jordan Peele’s Nope.
“Nope is just literally a sci-fi horror thriller that just so happens to feature predominantly melanated people,” Taylor said. “So, we’ve got one movie not dealing with the ugly past at all, and another one deadline with the advancements that we’ve made and people just being people.”
‘Be a part of black history’
Taylor said the library also will be hosting a Black History Month open mic night in their upstairs auditorium Wednesday, Feb. 15.
“With that one we are hoping to allow people to come and use their voice actively and be a part of black history instead of reading about things exclusively from the past,” Taylor said. “You need to remember your history, but come be a part of the present black history. … Come be a part of something.”
The library is also focusing its Wednesday “Grown As Heck” book club sessions at The Livery on black history and black stories.
“It can be anything that has someone of any kind of melanated skin color that is the main protagonist,” Taylor said. “If you have that as something you’ve read, something you’re interested in, bring it to the table. Let’s discuss it and discuss the themes of that at the book club.”
Library’s Director Kat Boyer said she has adjusted the weekly story time this month to include black history themes and games. The sessions take place every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.
“We will have two weeks with the Black History Month theme with stories from black history and then crafts or activities that represent that,” Boyer said. “I’m working on making like a memory game that the kids can color and then cut out. It would have black History Month people in their picture and then who they are and what they’re famous for, and they would be matching those up so that they can not just learn about the history, but also develop those memory and cognitive skills.”
On Feb. 28, the Black History Month programming will conclude with a Black History of Benton Harbor trivia event in collaboration with Great Start Berrien.
“We’ll have trivia questions and people can come and win prizes,” Boyer said. “And it’s just good to know the black history of the entire country, but also to really know this city. Sometimes people don’t people don’t take the time to really learn about it and it’s great to test and see how much you know.”
Taylor added it can also helps give a new perspective to people both inside and outside Benton Harbor.
“It helps people appreciate, because there’s a really big negative connotation with this area I feel,” he said. “But when you understand everything that’s gone into it, everything that’s come out of it, everything people are trying to put into it. It changes your perspective a little bit and maybe helps people approach it in a different fashion.”
For more information visit the BHPL website or Facebook page.
