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High reading level interview with Sossina Haile

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High reading level interview with Sossina Haile

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Sossina Haile: ‘I never resonated with role models’

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The fuel cell pioneer discusses her childhood in Ethiopia and the US, life as a scientist and being the ‘only one in the room’

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High reading level article about Sossina Haile

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High reading level article about Sossina Haile

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Biography

Professor of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering Sossina Haile was born on July 28, 1966 in Addis Adeba, Ethiopia. After her family left Africa during an uprising in the 1970s, Haile grew up in Minnesota. She attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she received her B.S. degree in 1986. She went on to receive her M.S. degree from the University of California, Berkeley and her Ph.D. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1992. While in school, Haile received the AT&T Cooperative Research Fellowship and the Fulbright Fellowship to continue her studies. The Fulbright, along with a Humboldt Fellowship the following year, allowed her to study at the Max Palnck Institute für Festkörperforschung in Germany.

Upon receiving her Ph.D. degree, Haile assumed an assistant professorship at the University of Washington, Seattle where she stayed until 1996 when she joined the faculty at the California Institute of Technology. Her research group investigates ionic conduction in solid materials with applications to batteries and fuel cells. Haile is known for her work with the latter - in the 1990s she fabricated the first solid-acid fuel cell in her lab, regarded as a gateway to more powerful, commercial cells. In comparison to other fuel cells, Haile's is unique for its creation of energy at hot enough to be efficient, but not so hot as to be expensive. In 2003, two of her graduate students created Superprotonic, a company focused on fuel cells, with Haile as science adviser. Most recently, Haile has received recognition for developing new ways of using solar energy to make fuels like hydrogen and methane.

Haile is the recipient of the NSF National Young Investigator Award (1994-1999) and the 2001 J.B. Wagner Award from the High Temperature Materials Division of the Electrochemical Society. Newsweek Magazine named her one of "12 people to watch in 2008," and in 2010, Haile won both the Chemical Pioneer Award of the American Institute of Chemists and the Chow Foundation Humanitarian Award.

Haile lives with her two children and spouse in southern California.

Haile was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on November 29, 2012.

Interview Description (Finding Aids)

Watch the full interview in the Digital Archive

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Professor of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering Sossina Haile was born on July 28, 1966 in Addis Adeba, Ethiopia. After her family left Africa during an uprising in the 1970s, Haile grew up in Minnesota. She attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she received her B.S. degree in 1986.

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Sossina M. Haile: Fueling the Future | Scientist Biography

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Black History Month #11 - The Scientists: Sossina Haile

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Instantly access Astronaut Annie plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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kai was not here but someone was

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I love Peanuts (and obviously, peanut butter)

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I love Peanuts (and obviously, peanut butter)

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February 7, 2021

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Amanda Gorman found a natural desire to write down her thoughts at the age of five. She called herself a songwriter, although she did not typically sing. The songs resembled spoken-word poems without music, which kickstarted Amanda's natural transition into poetry.

By April 2017, at the age of 19, Amanda became the very first National Youth Poet Laureate in United States history, a proud moment for the Los Angeles native and current Harvard undergraduate.

Gorman's trailblazing career as a poet and activist have paved the way for writing, performing, and community organizing opportunities with the United Nations, Library of Congress, and the city of LA. Amanda has been featured in Glamour Magazine, Forbes, Total Request Live, NBC News, USA Today, and Teen Vogue just to name a few!

Gorman was raised with her two siblings in West Los Angeles by her single mother, Joan Woods. She attended New Roads School, a K-12 private school in Santa Monica, while her mother worked as a sixth grade English teacher in Watts. Witnessing her mother deal with life and death scenarios for her students made Amanda realize the paradigm of being an educator in underserved communities.

"Seeing her has made me a better student, poet, and person," Amanda says.

Shelly Fernan, Amanda's third grade teacher, helped further her creative writing as well. Shelly was not very concerned with grammar, but rather the importance of Amanda finding her voice.

Establishing an identity has been a struggle Amanda faced her entire life, especially growing up with twin sister, Gabrielle Gorman. Amanda explains the perks of a twin sister are always having a best friend, never being alone, and someone who understands obscure childhood references. On the other hand, she asks herself, "How do I create my identity with this person I'm always compared to?"

Aside from her twin, Amanda has found additional hardships as a black woman. She says, "Being a black woman and being told, either you're black or you're a woman. I'm both at the same time. How logical is that?"

In 2014, at the age of 16 , she founded One Pen One Page, a non-profit organization that encourages youth advocacy, leadership development, and poetry workshops. In addition, Amanda regularly visits elementary and middle schools to share the power of poetry with students. Her poems connect with young people of color, specifically black teenage girls, in a way no other audience can relate to.

If she is performing for a conservative audience - for example, the United Nations - then Amanda will adjust a line within her poems to establish an entry point. This is not to compromise the message, but to give an approach that keeps people listening in a receptive manner. "Audiences need that journey to marinate. If I turn people off, then I'm not doing my job," Amanda says.
[Below, a poem by Amanda Gorman, shared with LA Taco]
Reading and writing have played a vital role in strengthening her creative muscle. One of Amanda's literary methods consisted of waking up early in the morning, pulling a book from a giant stack, and imitating the writer's voice through her own work. Some of her favorite authors are J.K. Rowling, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, and Ron Chernow. "I always really liked reading. There's a vacancy inside yourself with room for other stories to be told," she says.

Through writing workshops and mentorships such as Write Girl and Beyond Baroque, Amanda has honed her talents. Last April, after a rigorous process examining her literary talent, community engagement, and youth leadership, Amanda was appointed the first National Youth Poet Laureate. The awarded title has opened many doors for her, including meetings with Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Despite her major accomplishments, Amanda still manages to balance the schedule of a normal college student at Harvard University. She is currently a sociology major, and plans to follow in her mother's footsteps with a double major in English. Between interviews, traveling, speaking, writing, teaching, homework, eating, and sleeping, "I guess I have a lot going on," Amanda says with a smile.

For more information, visit Amanda Gorman's website: www.amandascgorman.com.
SEE ALSO: Young Poet Spotlight: Meet Eddy M. Gana Jr.

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Meet Amanda Gorman, the L.A. Native Who Is the First National Youth Poet Laureate ~ L.A. TACO

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manda Gorman found a natural desire to write down her thoughts at the age of five. She called herself a songwriter, although she did not typically sing. The songs resembled spoken-word poems without music, which kickstarted Amanda's natural transition into poetry. By April 2017, at the age of 19, Amanda became the very first National [...]

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The first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman is the author of The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough (Penmanship Books, 2015).

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CAlVIN

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Henry was here

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GMA Interview with Lin Manuel Miranda surprise

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GMA Interview with Lin Manuel Miranda surprise

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NEW YORK -- The day after inaugural poet Amanda Gorman awestruck the nation with words of devastation and triumph, the 22-year-old writer and activist said she feels "amazing."

"It's not often that you wake up on a morning feeling like this," Gorman told Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America" Thursday morning.

She went on to say that she was "shocked" and "overjoyed" by Dr. Jill Biden's inaugural invitation last month. She is the youngest by far of the poets who have read at presidential inaugurations since Kennedy invited Robert Frost in 1961, with other predecessors including Maya Angelou and Elizabeth Alexander.

"I was not expecting that at 22, they would trust me with such an honor," she said. "I was also daunted at the same time. I was honestly scared of writing such a poem. I wasn't sure if I could do it justice, but I'm so glad that I put my best foot forward and did it."

Her poem, "The Hill We Climb," referenced everything from Biblical scripture to "Hamilton." Gorman, a native and resident of Los Angeles and the country's first National Youth Poet Laureate, told The Associated Press last week that she planned to combine a message of hope for President Joseph Biden's inaugural without ignoring "the evidence of discord and division."
WATCH: Amanda Gorman recites 'The Hill We Climb'

She had completed a little more than half of "The Hill We Climb" before Jan. 6 and the siege of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump.

Able to walk through her fear, Gorman delivered a showstopping performance that was met with widespread praise from former President Barack Obama to Oprah Winfrey.

"Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, another fan of Gorman's work, also shared words of appreciation in an inspiring personal message that Gorman watched for the first time on "GMA."

"The right words in the right order can change the world, and you proved that yesterday with your brilliant piece. I'm so incredibly proud of you and I can't wait to see what you write next. Keep changing the world, one word at a time. You smashed it!" he said.

"I almost fell out of my chair!" Gorman said after watching. "That was amazing!"

While on GMA, Gorman also revealed that she--like Joe Biden--grew up with a speech impediment. She said she could not say several letters until she was around 20 years old.

"Most specifically the R-sound...meaning that I couldn't say words like 'poetry' or even 'Gorman' which is my last name, and I had to really work at it and practice to get to where I am today."

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Lin-Manuel Miranda surprises inaugural poet Amanda Gorman with message during 'Good Morning America' interview

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NEW YORK -- The day after inaugural poet Amanda Gorman awestruck the nation with words of devastation and triumph, the 22-year-old writer and activist said she feels "amazing." "It's not often that you wake up on a morning feeling like this," Gorman told Robin Roberts on "Good Morning America" Thursday morning.

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CNN Interview on writing 'The Hill We Climb'

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CNN Interview on writing 'The Hill We Climb'

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Hear from poet laureate Amanda Gorman who stole the show at inauguration - CNN Video

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CNN’s Anderson Cooper speaks with Amanda Gorman, the nation’s first-ever youth poet laureate, after she delivered a poem at the inauguration of President Joe Biden.

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Amanda Gorman marked her space in the history books as the youngest known inaugural poet when she took the stage to a new work titled "The Hill We Climb."

Gorman, 22, wrote the piece after January 6th's attack on the Capitol.

"In my poem, I'm not going to in any way gloss over what we've seen over the past few weeks and, dare I say, the past few years," Gorman said in an interview with the New York Times. "But what I really aspire to do in the poem is to be able to use my words to envision a way in which our country can still come together and can still heal."

Born in Los Angeles in 1998, she became Los Angeles' youth poet laureate at 16. While at Harvard studying sociology three years later, she was named the first national youth poet laureate.

Gorman joined Maya Angelou and Robert Frost as individuals invited to honor a presidential inauguration.

Like Angelou and President Biden, Gorman struggles with a speech impediment.

"It's made me the performer that I am and the storyteller that I strive to be," Gorman told The LA Times. "When you have to teach yourself how to say sounds, when you have to be highly concerned about pronunciation, it gives you a certain awareness of sonics, of the auditory experience."

If "The Hill We Climb" left you wanting more, here are five more poems from Amanda Gorman that inspire:
'Earthrise' 'Making Mountains As We Run' 'Talking Gets Us There' 'An American Lyric' Related Video:

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5 more poems from Amanda Gorman to share with your kids

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Amanda Gorman marked her space in the history books as the youngest known inaugural poet when she took the stage to a new work titled "The Hill We Climb." Gorman, 22, wrote the piece after January 6th's attack on the Capitol.

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Here & Now Interview: Activism in Times of Darkness

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Here & Now Interview: Activism in Times of Darkness

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In the midst of the pandemic and calls for racial justice, many artists are using their energies to help advocate for transformative change.

Amanda Gorman, the nation's first Youth Poet Laureate, is among them. The 22-year-old graduated from Harvard earlier this year and is using her talent to offer words of hope and understanding.

Here & Now's Tonya Mosley speaks with Gorman about poetry as a tool for activism.
An Erasure Poem of Thomas Jefferson's "Notes on the State of Virginia" By Amanda Gorman
Notes on the state

I find

uttered a

thought

the level of

Plain

; never

painting or sculpture.

Music gifted.

whites

have been found capable

of imagining.

Whether they will be

the composition

of a more extensive

or

complicated harmony,

is yet to be proved.

Misery is often.

poetry is misery enough

God knows poetry.

Love is peculiar

of the poet. ardent,

but it

kindles only

the imagination.

Religion indeed;

a Phyllis

could produce

published

under her name

the dignity of
By Amanda Gorman
The word 'race' first arose
In the English language in 1508. Of course,
It appeared where all
words are born:
a poem. when
A Scottish writer
Spoke of a long line of kings,
And the dancing deadly sin of envy.
So what is a poem, if not a beginning?
An announcement that heralds itself?
Moments of air molded like melted wax.

I always thought language was
Akin to the body,
Padlocked oh so delicately to a pulse.
It tells you in the beginning was the word.
This was before 1619, before Trayvon, before Till,
Before Malcolm and Martin and Michael went still.
Before the echo that is breath's
Pilgrimage to the start of the sound.
Before the inception of a new poem,
When I am bent and gasping,
Stripped skinny, thatched thin,
A wild note waiting to be sung.
I am braced against beginnings
I cannot name, my breath wheezing
So hard as to stain the haze of night.
My teeth are bared,
My tongue a rare thing, flared and forked.
I'm the damsel. The dragon. The dork.
A furious flower--
I dare you: bury me, wilting, under your feet.
For what is stepped on cannot be stepped over.

So I'm still not sure if words
Are something the page pulls from me,
Or the page pulls me from.
All the same, I am parcel to a we
That is enviously gibbous, glamorous.
Letters clamorous in the damp dip of the tongue.
Think: if sorrow made slaves sing,
Bronze faces polished with light,
Might we write a hymn
That fills the mouth tight with wind.
Maybe we can dream of lettering a lyric
Loud enough to crack the lung.

I want to speak a blackness that
Is something to celebrate
And something to shovel;
The soil from which all of us start.
Buried deep down within me,

Under the skin, like a secret skeleton.
The shell that keeps us standing.
Let our verses grab the globe by the ear,
Like a black grandma tugging a toddler straight.
Let us arrive on the backs of words
That give air its meanings,
So that the next time historians speak of race,
A long line of kings,
They'll see us,
our crescent smiles naked and nascent,
Shining so bright they make others black with envy.
We tell the kingdom we are deadly,
And dancing, too. The heralds announce that
Our race has just arisen
From the flowerbeds
where our seeds have always been.
We grin,
Recognizing our reign isn't words,
But the world words begin.

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Poet Amanda Gorman On Activism And Art In Times Of Darkness

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In the midst of the pandemic and calls for racial justice, many artists are using their energies to help advocate for transformative change. Amanda Gorman , the nation's first Youth Poet Laureate, is among them. The 22-year-old graduated from Harvard earlier this year and is using her talent to offer words of hope and understanding.

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Background and Story

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Amanda Gorman was born and raised in Los Angeles. The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough She attended New Roads in Santa Monica and Harvard University, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in sociology.

In 2014 Gorman was named the first Youth Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, and in 2017 was named the first US National Youth Poet Laureate. She has performed at many prominent venues, including the Obama White House, the Library of Congress, Lincoln Center, and on CBS This Morning. She has received a Genius Grant from OZY Media, as well as recognition from Scholastic Inc., YoungArts, the Glamour magazine College Women of the Year Awards, and the Webby Awards. She has written for the New York Times newsletter The Edit and penned the manifesto for Nike's 2020 Black History Month campaign. Gorman is the recipient of the Poets & Writers Barnes & Noble Writers for Writers Award, and is the youngest board member of 826 National, the largest youth writing network in the United States. She has two books forthcoming from Penguin Random House.

In early 2021, she was selected by president elect Joe Biden to read her original poem, "The Hill We Climb" at his inauguration. She lives in Los Angeles.

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Amanda Gorman was born and raised in Los Angeles. She is the author of the poetry book The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough (2015). She attended New Roads in Santa Monica and Harvard University, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in sociology. Her art and activism focus on issues of...

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NYT Interview: A Young Poet's Inspiration

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NYT Interview: A Young Poet's Inspiration

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Amanda Gorman Reads "Talking Gets Us There" Poem

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Amanda Gorman Reads "Talking Gets Us There" Poem

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🇺🇸 Inaugural Poet Amanda Gorman reads "Talking Gets Us There" | PBS KIDS Talk About | PBS KIDS

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Poet Amanda Gorman On Using Her Art As A Tool For Activism

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We revisit a conversation Here & Now's Tonya Mosely had with Gorman last October about her poetry as a tool for activism.

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Wikipedia information about Amanda Gorman

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Wikipedia information about Amanda Gorman

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Interview with Amanda Gorman with Jenna Bush from 2018

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Interview with Amanda Gorman with Jenna Bush from 2018

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Amanda Gorman: Meet The First African-American Youth Poet Laureate | TODAY

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Transcript of the poem, The Hill We Climb

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Transcript of the poem, The Hill We Climb

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AFP/Pool

Amanda Gorman became the youngest person to deliver a poem at a U.S. presidential inauguration, with the 22-year-old reciting her poem "The Hill We Climb" after Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as president and vice president.

Gorman spoke for nearly six minutes.

Read a transcript of her remarks below:
When day comes we ask ourselves,-Updated on Jan. 21 at 7:01 a.m.
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We've braved the belly of the beast
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn't always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn't broken
but simply unfinished
We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one
And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn't mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and
conditions of man
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
That we'll forever be tied together, victorious
Not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division
Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
And no one shall make them afraid
If we're to live up to our own time
Then victory won't lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we've made
That is the promised glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it's the past we step into
and how we repair it
We've seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than share it
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy
And this effort very nearly succeeded
But while democracy can be periodically delayed
it can never be permanently defeated
In this truth
in this faith we trust
For while we have our eyes on the future
history has its eyes on us
This is the era of just redemption
We feared at its inception
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it we found the power
to author a new chapter
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves
So while once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?
We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be
A country that is bruised but whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce and free
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation
Our blunders become their burdens
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children's birthright
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one
We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,
we will rise from the windswept northeast
where our forefathers first realized revolution
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,
we will rise from the sunbaked south
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we're brave enough to see it
If only we're brave enough to be it
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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READ: Transcript of Amanda Gorman's inaugural poem

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Amanda Gorman became the youngest person to deliver a poem at a U.S. presidential inauguration, with the 22-year-old reciting her poem "The Hill We Climb" after Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as president and vice president. Gorman spoke for nearly six minutes. Read a transcript of her remarks below: When day comes...

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Amanda Gorman reads a poem at inauguration

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Kamala Harris has message for children during victory speech

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Arturo Schomburg created a lasting legacy of collecting materials by and about the Black diaspora. The following institutions also preserve and provide access to the history of people of Black ancestry. While this list is not exhaustive, it is a starting point to learn more.

Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City- The mission of the Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City, Inc. is to collect, preserve and make available to the public materials documenting the social, economic, political and cultural histories of persons of African American descent in the central United States, with particular emphasis in the Kansas City, Missouri region. Black Archives of Mid-America is an educational resource and provides access to its collections for research, exhibition and publication to honor our community heritage and to catalyze public awareness.

The Colored Girls Museum- The Colored Girls Museum is a memoir museum, which honors the stories, experiences, and history of ordinary Colored Girls.

Museum of African American History- The mission is to inspires all generations to embrace and interpret the authentic stories of New Englanders of African descent, and those who found common cause with them, in their quest for freedom and justice. Through its historic buildings, collections, and programs, the Museum expands cultural understanding and promotes dignity and respect for all.

Learn from the comfort of your home with these online resources:

A Digital Collection Celebrating the Founding of the Historically Black College and University- A collection of primary resources from HBCU libraries and archives. It includes several thousand scanned pages and represents HBCU libraries first collaborative effort to make a historic collection digitally available. Collections are contributed from member libraries of the Historically Black College and University Library Alliance.

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Research Guides: Arturo (Arthur) Schomburg Research Guide: Schomburg's Legacy

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A guide to resources related to bibliophile and curator Arturo Schomburg.

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Schomburg & the Harlem Renaissance

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In recognition of the 146th born day anniversary of renowned researcher Arthur Alfonso Schomburg we take a look at his involvement in the reinvigorating Harlem Renaissance occurring during the "Roaring Twenties."

Born Jan. 24, 1874, in Santurce, Puerto Rico to Mary Josephina, a Black Cruzan mother, and Carlos Federico Schomburg, a Puerto Rican father, he devoted his life to uncovering Africa's glorious heritage after a fifth-grade teacher told him "Black people have no history, no heroes, no great moments."

After studying African literature and commercial printing in the Caribbean, Schomburg migrated to Harlem on April 17, 1891. In 1898, he co-founded the Negro Society for Historical Research and served as leader of the American Negro Academy. His family relocated to 105 Kosciusko St. in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, in 1918, yet still maintained their Harlem home.

He mingled among exiled Cuban and Puerto Rican nationalists and intellectuals in NYC.

"With Harlem came the courage to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame," Langston Hughes indicated.

The artistic, intellectual and social boom occurring in Harlem, beginning in 1918, was initially called the "New Negro Movement," and incorporated primarily African Americans who had recently relocated during the Great Migration from the rural South. Countee Cullen, Claude McKay and John E. Bruce were among them.

However, many Afro-Caribbeans like Hubert Harrison, Marcus Garvey and Schomburg also participated. Once they began communicating together, they realized that the same oppressive system affected them all.

By this time Schomburg had redefined himself as an "Afro Borinqueño," an "African Puerto Rican," and he had learned to write English. He scribed articles for several progressive Black periodicals including The Crisis and Opportunity magazines, Negro World, and the New York Amsterdam News newspapers. During March 1925 he self-published his inspirational essay, "The Negro Digs Up His Past," which master teacher Dr. John Henrik Clarke credited as sparking him as a teen.

The self-taught bibliophile had amassed a vast collection of rare African artifacts accumulated throughout his global travels, and in 1926 the New York Public Library purchased his trove for $10,000 and displayed them at their 135th St. branch, naming it the Arthur A. Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature and Art. Several of his contemporaries--namely Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston--utilized it as a valuable resource center. In 1973, it was renamed the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

In 1932, the astute bibliographer and historian served as curator of his collection.

Following dental surgery at Brooklyn's Madison Park Hospital, he became ill and transitioned June 8, 1938. His body was interred at Brooklyn's Cypress Hills National Cemetery.

"Schomburg was the preeminent researcher and conscious figure that pointed the right path for all of us Afro descendants to follow," notes Dr. Georgina Falu, former director of CCNY's Afro-Latino Studies. "His contribution to the Harlem Renaissance can never be accurately described because there remains years, centuries, of the work he started. We should be attempting to increase that collection of our experiences throughout the diaspora so that everyone will know what we contributed to world history."

To support the co-naming of the intersection of Nostrand Avenue and Kosciusko Street "Arthur Schomburg Place," contact facebook.com/arthur.schomburg.

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Arthur Schomburg and the Harlem Renaissance - New York Amsterdam News

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In recognition of the 146th born day anniversary of renowned researcher Arthur Alfonso Schomburg we take a look at his involvement in the reinvigorating Harlem Renaissance occurring during the "Roaring Twenties."

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Includes biography & video clip

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Studio portrait of Schomburg as a young child in Puerto Rico, age 4.

NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 5673918

One of the most influential forces behind the creation of The New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is the man the research center is named after, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg. Born in Puerto Rico in 1874 to a Black mother and a father of German descent, young Arturo often wondered about the lack of African history taught in his classrooms.This interest formed the cornerstone of Schomburg's eventual lifework consisting of research and preservation-work that would lead him to become one of the world's premier collectors of Black literature, slave narratives, artwork, and diasporic materials.

Schomburg's devotion to collecting precious materials focusing on the global Black experience was preceded by his allegiance to Puerto Rican and Cuban independence groups. But once the Spanish American War ended and the Cuban Revolution Party was dissolved, Schomburg refocused his efforts on bolstering Black identity and preserving its culture in New York City.

Artist Aaron Douglas (left) and Schomburg in front of Douglas's painting "Aspects of Negro Life: Song of the Towers," 1934. NYPL Digital Collections, Image ID: 1820330

During the 1920s and '30s, Schomburg traveled to Europe, Latin America, and across the United States collecting new materials that bolstered his already voluminous collection. In 1926 the Carnegie Corporation funded The New York Public Library's purchase of Schomburg's private collection for $10,000. This would mark the beginning of the 135th Street branch's transformation into the Schomburg Center.

Schomburg's curation work was so heralded that in 1929, Fisk University President Charles S. Johnson invited him to curate Fisk's library. By assisting in the architectural design of the library and focusing on providing equitable experiences for researchers, including the building of a reading room and browsing space, Schomburg helped cement Fisk's standing as one of the leading institutions on Black research and studies. By the time Schomburg ended his tenure at Fisk, the library's collection had expanded to 4,600 books from a mere 106 items.

In collaboration with Rhonda Evans, Assistant Chief Librarian of the Schomburg Center's Jean Blackwell Hutson Research and Reference Division, the Bronx Library Center has created a presentation highlighting Arturo Schomburg's life and legacy. We hope that you enjoy learning more about Schomburg and his commitment to uplifting and preserving Black history and culture.

Please visit our presentation about Schomburg's life and contributions below or on Instagram here.

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Arturo A. Schomburg: His Life and Legacy | The New York Public Library

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Schomburg was one of the world's premiere collectors of Black literature, slave narratives, artwork, and diasporic materials-a titan of pre...

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Quick history of center built on his legacy

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DK Kids Find Out on George Washington Carver

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DK Kids Find Out on George Washington Carver

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Aretha Franklin Biography: Life and Career of the Soul Singer

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Britannica Kids Facts on Aretha Franklin

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Britannica Kids Facts on Aretha Franklin

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(1942–2018). American singer Aretha Franklin defined the golden age of soul music of the 1960s. In 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of…

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National Geographic- George Washington Carver

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National Geographic- George Washington Carver

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Book on Epic

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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A longer biography on Epic

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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George Washington Carver: Biography, Inventions & Quotes

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George Washington Carver was a prominent American scientist and inventor who developed hundreds of products using peanuts and other plants.

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Short video from PBS about Carver's life and contributions

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Short video from PBS about Carver's life and contributions

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George Washington Carver | Scientist, Inventor, and Teacher Video | PBS LearningMedia

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George Washington Carver was a world-renowned American botanist who devoted his life's work to helping farmers successfully grow their crops. A lover of nature with a keen intellect and desire to help people better their lives, Carver used his knowledge to make American farms flourish, which helped the nation as a whole.

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Rolling Stones Tribute to Aretha Franklin after her death in August 2018

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Rolling Stones Tribute to Aretha Franklin after her death in August 2018

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Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Dead at 76

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Aretha Franklin, the Hall of Fame singer and undisputed Queen of Soul, has died at age 76.

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Interview with Aretha Franklin from 2010

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Interview with Aretha Franklin from 2010

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The Aretha Franklin website, containing her work and achievements

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The Aretha Franklin website, containing her work and achievements

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By submitting my information, I agree to receive personalized updates and marketing messages about Aretha Franklin based on my information, interests, activities, website visits and device data and in accordance with the Privacy Policy. In addition, if I have checked the box above, I agree to receive such updates and messages about similar artists, products and offers. I understand that I can opt-out from messages at any time by emailing privacypolicy@wmg.com.

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Welcome to the official site of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. Learn more about exclusive limited-edition releases, legacy news, community events, and more.

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An article about Tony Hillery, the founder of Harlem Grown

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An article about Tony Hillery, the founder of Harlem Grown

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HARLEM, NY - Tony Hillery is no stranger to helping Harlem. The founder of Harlem Grown, he has worked to convert more than a dozen vacant lots in the neighborhood into urban farms over the past nine years, helping nourish food-insecure children.

Hillery's work helps address an ongoing crisis that is especially severe in New York City, where more than 114,000 children are homeless and about one in five is food insecure, according to the Food Bank of New York City.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in the spring, Hillery realized the neighborhood was facing a challenge of another order - especially once the city moved to close down public schools.

"Most of our kids go to school for not only their academics - they go there for their nutrition," Hillery told Patch. "They have breakfast, lunch, and kids who are in after-school [programs] stay for supper."

Almost immediately, Hillery thought of a contact he'd made more than a year earlier: JJ Johnson, the James Beard-award-winning chef behind the restaurant Fieldtrip in Central Harlem, who, like so many others, had been forced to temporarily close his restaurant. Hillery called Johnson and made him a proposal.

"If I bought 400 dinners, would he be able to open up his kitchen and bring back his staff?" Hillery recalled. "And he said, yeah."

The resulting partnership between Fieldtrip and Harlem Grown sent more than 2,000 meals to shelters around the neighborhood. Its success prompted an expansion to four more Harlem restaurants, which eventually spent six days a week delivering more than 13,000 hot meals.

"It's a no-brainer: we raise the money, we support the local economy, and we feed our families," Hillery said.

At the same time, Hillery realized that the difficulties facing Harlem's youth extended beyond food insecurity: as remote learning picked up in the spring, thousands of students had trouble accessing the devices they needed to log on for class.

The issue wasn't exactly within Harlem Grown's normal purview of food insecurity, Hillery noted, but the exceptional times called for action.

"You have two options: shrug your shoulders and say, 'Hey, that's out of my mission statement,' or you try to address it," Hillery said.

He chose the latter option. An initial appeal to Harlem Grown's donors yielded a handful of laptops - a welcome donation, Hillery said, but "a mere trickle when you're dealing with a waterfall."

Then, in late August, Hillery was contacted by TD Bank, a longtime partner of Harlem Grown, whose representatives asked him to participate in a commercial for their employees, along with five children from Harlem Grown's programs.

In fact, the company had summoned them in order to surprise them with a donation of 100 laptops to Harlem schoolchildren. The gift was part of an ongoing "TD Thanks You" campaign, in which the bank is highlighting positive work by its customers and partners during the crisis.

Hillery, who said he dislikes surprises, admitted that this one was welcome - and much-needed. Still, he hasn't lost sight of the irony of the situation: that the health and well-being of New York City's youth has depended on charity.

"We're in the richest city in the country, if not the world, and I work with hungry, homeless children," he said. "Go figure."
Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 54 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.

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Harlem Man Honored For Helping Families Survive Pandemic

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Harlem Man Honored For Helping Families Survive Pandemic - Harlem, NY - After helping feed children and revive local businesses during the pandemic, Tony Hillery received a gift that will help advance his work.

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A four-minute video about the mission and history of Harlem Grown

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A four-minute video about the mission and history of Harlem Grown

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The Voluntourist | Transforming Harlem with Urban Farms

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This website gives information about Harlem Grown, the organization that Tony Hillery developed in Harlem, NY. 

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This website gives information about Harlem Grown, the organization that Tony Hillery developed in Harlem, NY. 

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Harlem Grown: Youth development through urban farming