The Los Angeles Public Library is hosting its second annual Inspiring Journeys: African American Histories to celebrate the rich and multi-faceted accomplishments of the community. This February, celebrate Black history with free programs for all ages at branch libraries throughout Los Angeles featuring African American storytelling, workshops, arts activities, and community conversations. The month concludes with Inspiring Journeys: African American Histories, a half-day event on Saturday, February 28, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., Downtown Los Angeles.
“We are so pleased to provide these immersive experiences of storytelling and performances to celebrate African American History Month, and the contributions of Black Angelenos throughout the city,” said John F. Szabo, City Librarian.
Through documenting your oral history, providing historically accurate portrayals, offering contemporary dance, and running compelling workshops to help uncover your family’s lineage, program highlights include:
- “CommUnity: Your Archive, Your Legacy” opens the event with an oral history workshop focused on preserving community memory. Discover the power of your own story in this interactive workshop! Learn how to spot meaningful moments, record them with confidence, and preserve them for the future. Then, try a hands-on activity, using an oral history backpack to start a project of your own. We’ll finish with a screening of a completed oral-history project.
- The Charles Reese Experience honors James Baldwin through a performance drawing on the Harlem Renaissance and mid-20th-century Black thought, blending history and art to explore identity, truth, and resistance.
- “Making Black Los Angeles” features Dr. Marne L. Campbell, who connects personal narratives to the history of early African American families and communities who shaped Black life in Los Angeles.
- Tommy the Clown and Crew close the event with a high-energy performance celebrating Black Los Angeles through movement, music, and youth expression. As the originator of Clown Dancing and Krumping, Tommy reflects generations of African American cultural innovation.
Throughout February, branch libraries will present free interactive programs for kids, teens, and adults to promote engagement, expand outreach, and foster connections with the African American community.
“I’m really excited for our community to experience the programs we have planned,” said Christina Hairston, Inspiring Journeys Committee Co-Chair. “People can learn about Black L.A. history through lectures, dance, or even by documenting their own family history with our free kits.”
