Celebrate African-American History Month at the Norfolk Public Library

Norfolk, VA (Friday, January 26, 2007) -In recognition of African-American History Month, the Norfolk Public Library will offer its annual series of programs featuring music, art, dance, poetry, storytelling and more throughout the month of February.

The 2nd Annual Festival of the Arts Marketplace and Book Sale will feature a full afternoon of music, dance, spoken word and other entertainment combined with vendors and a book sale. The featured attraction this year will be the Matude Sakili African Dance Company. The Festival will be held at Kirn Memorial Library on Sunday, February 4 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.

Other highlights of this year's celebration include the 10th Annual Youth Art contest; SoulStyle, a fashion show featuring Nubian hairstyles and fashionable African wear; the 3rd Annual African-American Quiz Bowl; and performances by MSG: Acoustic Blues Trio. Other African-American History Month programs are listed below.

All Norfolk Public Library locations offer free parking. To receive 3 free hours of parking at Kirn Memorial Library, park in the MacArthur Center South garage, and bring your ticket to the library for validation. For more information, you can pick up the 2007 African-American History Month Bibliography and Calendar of Events at any Norfolk Public Library location, or call 664-READ.

Youth Art Contest. Entries accepted until Monday, February 12. Illustrate a scene from your favorite African-American book or poem to enter to win great prizes. Entry forms and guidelines available at all NPL locations. The Awards Ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 25 at 3:00 p.m. at the Kirn Memorial Library. Age Group: K-12. For more details, call 757-441-2852.

African Tales. 11:00 a.m., Thursday, February 1. Anansi the spider and his antics! Join us for stories about Anansi the spider. (Age Groups: Preschool) Van Wyck Branch Library, 1368 De Bree Ave. 757-441-2844.

African Trickster Tales. 11:00 a.m., Thursday, February 1. Enjoy lively tales featuring some very tricky characters. Do you think it pays to be tricky? Find out with these favorite stories from Africa about Anansi the spider and others. (Age Groups: Preschool) Pretlow Branch Library, 120 Balview Avenue. 757-441-1750.

Anansi to Uncle Remus: 4:00 p.m., Thursday, February 1. Memories carry us through the tough times and often show up in our stories. Let's find the thread in these stories. (Age Groups: School Age) Barron F. Black Homework Center, 6700 E. Tanners Creek Drive. 757-441-5806.

Super Saturday Family Storytime. 10:30 a.m., Saturday, February 3. Join us for songs, games, stories and more. Here oral histories about African-American heritages. (Age Group: Family) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City Hall Ave. 757-664-7323.

Elliott Family String Quartet. 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 3. Enjoy this talented family perform classical favorites, patriotic songs, fiddle tunes, and contemporary/pop from Motown to Alicia Keys with equal skill and enthusiasm. (Age Groups: Family), Blyden Branch Library, 879 East Princess Anne Road. 757-441-2852. **Also performing at 3:00 p.m. on February 10 at Larchmont Branch Library. **

African Mask Making. 1:00 p.m., Sunday, February 4. Learn why masks were such an important part of the African culture. Create your own mask. This is an unsupervised event for children. Materials provided. (Age Groups: All Ages) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 E. City Hall Ave., 757-664-7323.

Festival of the Arts Marketplace and Book Sale. 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., Sunday, February 4. Join us for a full afternoon of music, dance, spoken word and other entertainment, combined with vendors and a book sale. The featured attraction will be the Matude Sakili African Dance Company. There will be plenty of cultural enjoyment for the entire family. (Age Groups: All Ages) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City Hall Ave., 757-664-7323.

African-American Quilting. 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 7. Explore the past and present while discovering the importance of African-American Quilters Guild of Virginia. (Age Groups: All Ages) Larchmont Branch Library, 6525 Hampton Blvd. 757-441-5335.

Explore Gulla. 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 7. Join Gulla descendent Philip Simmons of Charleston, South Carolina, a National Treasure Blacksmith, for a look at his artistic gates of Charleston. Included in this program is the showing of a video titled The Gates of Charleston that captures his exquisite forged iron pounded into works of beauty. (Age Groups: Family) Van Wyck Branch Library, 1368 DeBree Ave. 757-441-2844.

Captivating Tales. 10:30 a.m., Thursday, February 8. Join us for exciting stories about African-Americans. (Age Groups: Preschool) Horace C. Downing Branch Library, 555 East Liberty Street. 757-441-1968.

Anansi the Spider. 10:30a.m., Thursday, February 8. Celebrate African-American History Month with stories about Anansi the Spider! Join us for songs, crafts and lots of fun. (Age Group: Preschool) Janaf Branch Library, 124 Janaf Shopping Center. 757-441-5660.

Jeopardy - African American Style. 6:00 p.m., Thursday, February 8. Enjoy the thrill of competition while learning interesting facts about African American History with America's favorite quiz show. (Age Group: All Ages) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City Hall Ave. 757-664-7323.

Walk Through Africa. 10:30 a.m., Saturday, February 10. Meet the people, places and things in Africa through stories are presented by Eunice Jones. (Age Group: Family) Pretlow Branch Library, 120 Balview Ave. 757-441-1750.

Suwabi African Ballet. 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 10. Enjoy an afternoon of dance with Master dancer Ofosuwa M. Abiola-Tamba. She has been dancing for over 40 years and has 27 years professional experience as an instructor, choreographer and director. (Age Group: Family) Horace C. Downing Branch Library, 555 E. Liberty Street. 757-441-1968. **Also appearing on Saturday, February 10 at 3:30 p.m. at the Blyden Branch Library. **

Young People's Guild School of Performing Arts "From Slavery to Freedom". 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 10. This theatrical showcase of acting, music, singing, dancing, monologues and skits will highlight events from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement. Madam Kay Johnson, a Langston Hughes colorful character, will make a special appearance. (Age Groups: Family) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City Hall Ave. 757-664-7323.

From the Caribbean to America: The Music and Literature Connection. 3:00 p.m., Sunday, February 11. The cultural connections between the Caribbean and the United States will be celebrated and explored in the form of music, spoken word, literature and dance by The Virginian Caribbean-American Carnival Association, Inc. Reggae, jazz, swing, Jamaican DJ music and rap will be discussed. (Age Groups: Family) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City Hall Ave. 757-664-7323.

Young People's Guild School of Performing Arts. 4:00 p.m., Sunday, February 11. This production takes place on a plantation with the extended family of Grandma Moses. It addresses issues relating to separation, mistrust, and hatred within the family and how some of these factors may affect families today. (Age Groups: All Ages) Barron F. Black Homework Center, 6700 E. Tanners Creek Drive. 757-441-5806.

SoulStyle. 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 13. Watch our models strut down the runway wearing the latest Nubian hairstyles and fashionable African wear. Dancers will perform. Don't miss the display on African jewelry and African musical instruments. (Age Group: Family) Blyden Branch Library, 879 East Princess Anne Rd. 757-441-2852.

African American Storytelling. 10:30 a.m., Thursday, February 15. Please join Shirley Sellers from the Norfolk Storytime League in a celebration of African-American stories. (Age Groups: Preschool) Little Creek Branch Library, 7853 Tarpon Place. 757-441-1751.

PJ Storytime. 6:30 p.m., Thursday, February 15. In honor of African American month, we have an incredibly talented quilter coming to tell us the beautiful stories of how quilts were an integral part of the cultural heritage of African Americans. This is going to be fun! Come and see the gorgeous quilts and listen to the beautiful stories. (Age Group: Family) Lafayette Branch Library, 1610 Cromwell Drive. 757-441-2842.

MSG: The Acoustic Blues Trio. 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 17. This dynamic trio performs traditional Piedmont blues. Their style of music has been influenced by the likes of Archie Edwards, Etta Baker, and Cephas & Wiggins. "They can raise the roof with some old fashioned house party tunes and then make you weep with their blues ballads!" says Mary Smith, Co-director of Richmond Folk Music. (Age Groups: Teens, Adults) Jordan-Newby Branch Library, 961 Park Ave. 757-441-2843. **Also performing on February 17 at 3:30 p.m. at the Janaf Branch Library**

Rhythms of Africa. 1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 17. John Carter and Felix Valderrama; storytellers and percussionists, will captivate you with their rhythmic drumming and provocative storytelling. They'll welcome you with a drum call and have you dancing and beating on the drums before the program ends. (Age Groups: Family) Van Wyck Branch Library, 1368 DeBree Ave. 757-441-2844.

Bookmarks & Black History. 1:00 p.m., Sunday, February 18. Celebrate African-American History Month by making bookmarks to honor those who have changed our lives. We will have photos of African-Americans who stood up for their convictions and made a difference. (Age Groups: School age, Family) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City Hall Ave. 757-664-7323.

Norfolk Storytellers Presents. 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 21. The Norfolk Storytellers will visit the Larchmont Branch Library to tell African-American stories. (Age Groups: All Ages) Larchmont Branch Library, 6525 Hampton Blvd. 757-441-5335.

Super Saturday Family Storytime. 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb 24. Join us for songs, games, stories and more. We're going on a safari! Listen to stories about animals that call Africa their home. (Age Group: Family) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City Hall Ave. 757-664-7323.

Third Annual African American History Month Quiz Bowl 07. 11:00 a.m., Saturday, February 24. Three teams will compete in the championship match for the 2007 NPL African American History Month Quiz Bowl Cup. Come out and match your knowledge of the facts with the contestants. (Age Group: All ages) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City Hall Ave. 757-664-7323.

Gospel Concert. 2:30 p.m., Saturday, February 24. Join us for a joyous afternoon of gospel music featuring the Butt Family, a young singing prodigy Bryan Archibald, Garcia Ortiz, and others. (Age Group: All ages) Park Place Branch Library, 620 West 29th St. 757-664-7330.

African Beading. 1:00 p.m., Sunday, February 25.Beading and ornamentation was a way for one tribe to identify another. Create your own bead work and share it with members of your family. This is an unsupervised event for children - materials provided. (Age Group: All ages) Kirn Memorial Library, 301 East City Hall Ave. 757-664-7323.

Stories our Grandparents Knew. 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, February 28. Keeping in tradition with African American folktales our imaginary trip takes us to the countryside to hear about a tricky old rabbit. Join us in our travels to adventure. (Age Group: Preschool) Blyden Branch Library, 879 East Princess Anne Road. 757-441-2852.

Abrakadoodle African-American Storytelling. 4:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 28. Abrakadoodle features Jacob Lawrence, an African-American artist known for telling stories in his artwork. Children will learn about the artist and then use collage methods to tell a story. Registration required. (Age Group: School Age) Little Creek Branch Library, 7853 Tarpon Place. 757-441-1751.