BLACK HISTORY MATTERS
Celebrate this Black History Month with pride and remember that Black History is American History as we honor the past and work towards building an equitable future.
Photo credit: Greetings Tour
We are heartbroken and grieving for our neighbors in Altadena. Nestled in the beautiful foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, East of Glendale, Altadena is a tapestry of cultures, traditions, and stories. The Black community here has long been an essential part of the fabric that makes Altadena unique, contributing to its vibrancy and resilience. As the community recovers and rebuilds, we wanted to offer insights into Altadena’s history and the strength of its diversity.
Resources to support impacted individuals are abundant. A few starting points we can suggest are:
Recommended by Altadena Library Staff:
Rhythms of the Village – Cultural Center and black-owned business, was burned to the ground in one of the many LA fires. This wasn't just a business, but a home and a safe haven, hosting communal festivals, workshops, and music circles with the core goal of creating community. They have been a family-owned business and a constant source of joy in Altadena since 2013.
My Tribe Rise- Donation based community group with a mission to serve and address the needs of the community through their P.E.A.C.E. MOVEMENT (Positive Energy Activates Constant Elevation).
NAACP Altadena Chapter -The NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is a civil rights organization founded in 1909 that works to eliminate discrimination and ensure equal rights for all people.
Other resources:
‘2023 Observations in Black’ Photography Exhibit Opens in Pasadena -February 1st will mark the seventh edition of the annual Observations in Black photography exhibition in the city of Pasadena.
Altadena Baptist Church – Learn about the history of this cornerstone of community for over 90 years in Altadena.
Altadena Historical Society - Learn more about the historical diversity of this community.
Reflecting on Black Artistic Influence in California | The Huntington -During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ’60s, California was an important site of African American creativity, even in the face of intense discrimination. Black enclaves emerged in Los Angeles, northern Pasadena, and Altadena as important sites for African American leaders, activists, writers, performers, and visual artists. These enclaves served as places where they could build community and make professional connections.
Altadena’s Black community disproportionately affected by Eaton Fire, report shows - UCLA study shows systemic inequalities and redlining practices contributed to fire vulnerability and impacts
GOT RHYTHM!
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
CENTRAL LIBRARY
Presented in partnership with The Music Center.
Got Rhythm! is a captivating dance and music performance-based in the indigenous American art form of rhythm tap dance. Channing Cook-Holmes is a tap dancer and drummer extraordinaire, who presents rhythm tap in its purest form with live instrumentation. It is a contemporary look at the origins of tap dance and the masters of the art, featuring drums, bass, and keyboards. Channing, along with the ensemble, interacts with and engages the audience in rhythm making, encouraging each person to discover the tap dancer or musician inside. All Ages.
BALLET FOLCLÓRICO DO BRASIL
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
CHEVY CHASE LIBRARY
Presented in partnership with the Music Center.
This energetic program teaches about Brazilian culture, celebrating its multicultural dimensions through dance and music. When Brazil was a Portuguese colony (16th – 19th centuries), Africans were captured from their villages and forced to work as slaves on the sugar plantations and in the gold mines. Their music, dance and beliefs kept their spirits alive. Ballet Folclórico do Brasil has been applauded for “serving as a bridge between ancient and contemporary dance: by juxtaposing the sacred and joyous, the old and new.” All Ages.
Arts Grown L.A., a TMC Arts program, builds on The Music Center's highly successful partnerships with community groups and local artists to offer free, family-friendly performances and artmaking experiences for all ages. In collaboration with community locations such as libraries, community centers and parks among other sites, Music Center artists bring their creativity and talents to many neighborhoods across Los Angeles County. Performances, workshops and special experiences highlight the diverse cultural traditions of the county and the world.
CREATIVE ARTS: DRAW LIKE JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT
*Please note this program has been canceled due to a schedule change
CASA VERDUGO LIBRARY
We will create drawings inspired by the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960 - 1988). This hands-on, in-person program is designed to introduce different art techniques and materials. We will learn about the elements of art by exploring the works of famous artists. First come, first served. While supplies last. Ages 6-12 years old.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH STORYTIME
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22
10:30 AM -11:30 AM
CENTRAL LIBRARY
Be The Change presents Black History Month Storytime. Celebrate love of family, love of self and love of culture with engaging picture books. Ages 0 - 8 years old.
CREATIVE ARTS: CITYSCAPES INSPIRED BY JACOB LAWRENCE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28
4:30 PM -5:30 PM
CASA VERDUGO LIBRARY
Jacob Lawrence, The Library, 1960, tempera on fiberboard, 24 x 29 7⁄8 in. (60.9 x 75.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., 1969.47.24
We will create drawings inspired by the art of Jacob Lawrence (1917 - 2000). This hands-on, in-person program is designed to introduce different art techniques and materials by exploring the works of famous artists. First come, first served. While supplies last. Ages 6-12 years old.
LOCAL RESOURCES
Black in Glendale - B.I.G.'s mission is to promote awareness and respect for Black culture through events that honor the heritage, creativity and contributions of Black people and builds community among Glendale neighbors and friends. Together we will provide a sense of community for people who live, work and play in Glendale.
YWCA- YWCA Glendale and Pasadena is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Pot LA Studio - The first pottery studio for and by people of color. Community ceramics studios that prioritize people of color, beginners, and LGBTQ+ communities. We offer FUN classes, private parties, memberships & more. Our mission is to cultivate pleasure, community, and new career paths in pottery for BIPOC communities while breaking opportunity cycles in our industry.
Black Women for Wellness - Standing on the rich history of the resilience and strength of our culture, we envision a future for Black women and girls where, in our full wellness, we use our power, beauty and intelligence, to pursue and attain healthy lives and families. We build and sustain healthy communities and within them, empower other women and girls to improve their own well-being.
Octavia’s Bookshelf- Octavia’s Bookshelf is Pasadena, California’s only Black Woman owned bookstore offering books and other literature by BIPOC writer. Our mission is to offer these magical and rich stories to readers of all backgrounds, interests and ages.
Reparations Club - Rep. Club is concept bookshop & creative space curated by Blackness in Los Angeles, CA. Black-owned. Woman-owned.
The Great Migration: Creating a New Black Identity in Los Angeles - In honor of Black History Month, this is the first in a three part series exploring the shifting Black communities of Los Angeles.
Community and Commerce: Oral Histories of African American Businesses in Los Angeles - Features a series of eighteen oral histories conducted by COHR that document long-term African American business ownership in the Los Angeles area.
California African American Museum - The first African American museum of art, history, and culture fully supported by a state.
California Cultures: African Americans - Historic photographs and artwork show the changing lives of African Americans from the Gold Rush Era and Statehood, through years of struggle to claim their civil rights.
Glendale Community College (GCC) Black History Month - GCC is hosting a variety of events and workshops throughout the months of January and February.
Altadena African American Historic Resources Survey - Full Downloadable Document (454 pages) located here: Altadena African American Historic Resources Survey
NAACP Los Angeles: The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
GENERAL RESOURCES
African American History Month - The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.
National Museum of African American History and Culture - It provides an opportunity for those who are interested in African American culture to explore and revel in this history through interactive exhibitions. It helps all Americans see how their stories, their histories, and their cultures are shaped and informed by global influences.
Library of Congress NAACP: A Century in the Fight for Freedom Exhibit - A retrospective of the NAACP’s history during its first 100 years.
Slave Voyages - This digital memorial raises questions about the largest slave trades in history and offers access to the documentation available to answer them.
Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938 - 2,300+ first-person accounts of slavery & 500 black-and-white photographs of former slaves.
Black Women's Suffrage - The Black Women’s Suffrage Digital Collection is a collaborative project to provide digital access to materials documenting the roles and experiences of Black Women in the Women’s Suffrage Movement and, more broadly, women’s rights, voting rights, and civic activism between the 1850s and 1960.
African American History: American Memory from the Library of Congress - 16 collections ranging from music to baseball to slavery.
The African-American Mosaic: A Library of Congress Resource Guide for the Study of Black History & Culture - 500 years of the black experience in the Western hemisphere via the Library of Congress's books, periodicals, prints, photographs, music, film, and recorded sound.
Learning for Justice - A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) was founded in 1991 to prevent the growth of hate. Learning for Justice provides free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners—who work with children from kindergarten through high school.
She the People - She the People is activating and mobilizing women of color across the country to create a politics grounded in love, justice, and belonging.
