Full Description
Black women have historically been hidden figures in librarianship, yet their passion, courage, and tenacity paved the way for future generations of knowledge workers. Profiling more than a dozen librarians, book champions, activists, and pioneers of the profession from across the country, this powerful work of archival storytelling will inspire readers both inside and outside of the library field. These personal histories of advocacy and resilience
span the entire 20th Century, stretching from rural South Carolina and Florida to urban centers like New York and Los Angeles;
profile better known figures such as Augusta Baker and Eliza Atkins Gleason as well as many who have yet to receive their due;
grapple with the toxic legacy of segregation in library education, universities, public libraries, schools, and other institutions, showing how these persevering Black women dared to strive and work towards more equitable futures;
include an inspiring Afterword by Dr. Aisha Johnson-Jones, an educator and revelator of Southern intellectual history;
will encourage LIS students and newer librarians of all backgrounds to see themselves reflected in the profession's long and rich heritage; and
shed light on how librarianship can become ever more diverse and community centered.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction, by Nicole A. Cooke
Prologue: Children at Augusta Baker's Feet, poem by Jennifer Bartell Boykin
Chapter 1
Augusta Baker: An Early Advocate for Diverse Books
Nicole A. Cooke and Michael Weisenburg
Chapter 2
Ella Baker at the New York Public Library
Courtney Becks
Chapter 3
Ethel Bolden
Cynthia Johnson and Cearra Harris
Chapter 4
Doris Hargrett Clack: Pioneer, Activist, and Educator
Wendy Moore
Chapter 5
Sweet Resolve: Mayme A. Clayton's Response to the Precarity of African American Lives and Historical Materials
Chaitra Powell
Chapter 6
Resurgence of a Bibliotherapist: Exploring the Life and Times of Sadie "Sara" Marie Peterson Delaney
S. Michele Echols
Chapter 7
Eliza Atkins Gleason: Researcher, Dean, Advocate*
LaKeshia Darden
Chapter 8
Miriam Matthews and the Legacy of Black Documentation in Los Angeles
Jesse R. Erickson, Laura E. Helton, and Dalena Hunter
Chapter 9
Black Quiet: Continuing the Work of Activist Librarian and Community Advocate Annie L. McPheeters
Roberta Price Gardner and Morris R. Gardner
Chapter 10
Alice Roberts and the Breakdown of Segregation in Northern Library Schools, 1890-1940
Anthony Cocciolo
Chapter 11
A Life of Service: Mattie Herd Roland in Birmingham, Alabama*
Brooke Becker
Chapter 12
A Fulfilling Legacy of Florida Firsts: The Pioneering Impact of Henrietta Mays Smith
Jason Alston
Chapter 13
Exploring Six Decades of Librarianship with Jessie Carney Smith
Jahala Simuel and Bethany McGowan
Chapter 14
Gently Daring: The Story of Anne Bethel Spencer—Poet, Librarian, Gardener, and Activist
Shaina V. Anderson
Chapter 15
Lucille C. Thomas: Championing Diversity Through Library Leadership
Taina Evans
Chapter 16
Charlemae Hill Rollins: Out of One, Many
LaVerne Gray
Epilogue: Charlemae Rollins at the Willard School, 1955, poem by Jennifer Bartell Boykin
Afterword: Black Women—The Resilient Force Uplifting All, by Aisha M. Johnson
About the Editor and Contributors
Index
