STATEN ISLAND, NY – The Staten Island Museum celebrates black history throughout the month of February, partnering with community organizations and individuals and offering intriguing programs for adults and children.
On tap will be a Black History Month Transcribe-a-thon, Feb. 13, “Lunch and Learn: The Pecan,” Feb. 17 with Dr. Kobinah Abdul-Salim, and a special exhibit from the FDNY 2001 Memorial Quilyou on loan from the Sandy Ground Historical Society, which will be on view all month.
“We are honored to partner with such important organizations dedicated to Black history on Staten Island,” said Janice Monger, President and CEO of the Staten Island Museum. “The variety of programming this month allows attendees to look forward and look back in reflection and tribute. Through programs across art, science and history, participants can connect with the rich local history and cultural legacies of the past and present.
The museum is collaborating with the Staten Island Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society and Frederick Douglass Memorial Park to transcribe the newly digitized archival materials, making them more easily searchable and accessible for family and historical research.
To rejoin in at the Staten Island Museum or virtually for the transcribe-a-thon. No prior experience is required. Training will be provided. Bring your own laptop or tablet.
“Transscribe-a-thon”, a program at the Staten Island Museum to celebrate Black History Month. (Courtesy of Staten Island Museum) Staten Island Advance
The transcribe-a-thon is part of a larger collaboration between the museum and its partners called the Access, Collaboration, and Equity in Genealogy Initiative (ACEGen).
“Frederick Douglass Memorial Park is thrilled to join in this important work and move our records management procedures into the present and the future. It is to remember our ancestors. said Lucille Herring, Chair of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Park Board of Trustees.
“We hope that interested students, teachers, researchers and community members will register to join the transcribe-a-thon in person or virtually on February 13, and then stick with the project for the many months it will take to complete. work,” said Debbie-Ann Paige, co-chair of the Staten Island chapter of the African American Historical and Genealogical Society (SIAAHGS). Members are ready to do their part to make these invaluable documents available online.
Lunch and Learn: The Pecan with Dr. Kobinah Abdul-Salim, Thursday, February 17 at noon
Virtual, Registration required
Clementine Hunter has been described as one of the most important self-taught contemporary American artists of the 20th century. Organizers are asking attendees to dive deeper into the content of his painting “Threshing Pecans” with botanist and educator Dr. Kobinah Abdul-Salim and join in an exploration of the nut’s important history and cultural significance. pecan – the only nut native to North America.
Alongside the 140 Objects exhibition and related programming, three paintings by Clementine Hunter will be on display at the museum beginning February 25: Threshing Pecans, Zinnias Looking at You, and Picking Cotton.
FDNY 2001 Memorial Quilt
In 2002, members of the Sandy Ground Historical Society’s Quilt Group assembled and applied a quilt honoring the black firefighters lost on September 11, 2001.
The 2002 FDNY memorial quilt honoring black firefighters who were killed on September 11, 2001. (Courtesy/Staten Island Museum) Staten Island Advance
On loan from the Sandy Ground Historical Society, the quilt will be on display in the Staten Island SEEN Gallery at the Staten Island Museum throughout February in celebration of Black History Month.
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