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Celebrate Black History Month with Great Music!

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A patron recently asked one of our librarians which Black woman had won the most Grammy Awards. No surprise, it's BeyoncĂ© with her 28 Grammys! But we were curious about other Grammy winners. Here's a list of some, but not all, of these wonderful artists. (Thanks to grammy.com for the info!)  18 Grammys: Aretha Franklin 15 Grammys: Alicia Keys 13 Grammys: Ella Fitzgerald 12 Grammys: CeCe Winans 11 Grammys: Shirley Caesar 10 Grammys: Chaka Khan  9 Grammys: Mary J. Blige Natalie Cole Rihanna  8 Grammys: Anita Baker Lauren Hill Tina Turner 7 Grammys: Gladys Knight Toni Braxton 6 Grammys: Whitney Houston  5 Grammys: Dionne Warwick Donna Summer Janet Jackson Lalah Hathaway Mariah Carey 4 Grammys: Deniece Williams Erykah Badu India.Arie Mary Marh Missy Elliott Sade Yolanda Adams 3 Grammys: Etta James Jill Scott Lizzo Megan Thee Stallion 2 Grammys: Cissy Houston Jennifer Hudson Lena Horne Patti LaBelle 1 Grammy: Ashanti Ciara Fantasia Barrino Lil Kim Mya...

Banned Books Week 2021

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  Banned Books Week 2021 September 26 - October 2 Join us in supporting the annual celebration of the freedom and right to read ! Banned Books Week (held the last week of September)  spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. As stated on the   American Library Association's ( ALA)  website, Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular. Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship by focusing on  efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books As stated in Article III of the  Library Bill of Rights ,   “Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.”  To learn more abou...

Remembering Melvin Van Pebbles

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Celebrate the life of the iconic actor, director, and musician Melvin Van Pebbles. Van Pebbles, famous for directing the low budget art house film 'Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song' in 1971, was toted as the Godfather of Black Cinema. Besides being an actor and director, he was also an accomplished musician. Releasing several albums throughout his lifetime. Enjoy this small collection of works he has been apart of.     How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)    Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (An Opera) (The Original Cast Soundtrack Album)    Don't Play Us Cheap (Original Cast And Soundtrack Album)     The Complete Stax / Volt Soul Singles, Vol. 2: 1968-1971    Satchmo    Terminal Velocity

Book Recommendations: 9/11

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  As we approach the 20 th  anniversary of September 11 th , these works cover the events and af termath of a devastating act of  terrorism  that shaped modern American history.    Fiction and Non-Fiction   102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers  by Jim Dwyer   The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States  by  The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States   9/12: The Epic Battle of the Ground Zero Responders  by  Tom  Teicholz ; William H. Groner   The Black Banners (declassified): How torture Derailed the War on Terror After 9/11  by A.H. Soufan   The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland  by  Jim DeFede   Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11  by  Mitchell Zuckoff   Flight 93 : the story, the aftermath, and the legacy of Am...