Celebrate local Black history at Shreve Memorial Library this week
With only one week left in Black History Month, Shreve Memorial Library is the place to go to learn more about our local Black History moments and figures. Throughout the month of February, the library has hosted numerous program celebrating the accomplishments and achievements of African Americans and the Arts, educating and entertaining patrons with everything from dramatic performances, arts and crafts workshops, and fun and interesting trivia contests. This week, Shreve Memorial Library will continue the celebration with programs highlighting African American history in Shreveport.
Local historian, Robert Trudeau, will visit the David Raines Branch of Shreve Memorial Library to present the last in his Black Achievers series highlighting the life and legacy of Norman C. Davis. Davis was an African American barber, musician, and land developer in Shreveport in the mid-1800s. The lecture, which will be held on Tuesday, February 27 at 11:00 a.m., will use material sourced from Willie Burton’s The Blacker the Berry and will incorporate sketching and coloring to highlight the discussion.
Shreve Memorial Library’s Genealogy Department will host an intriguing presentation highlighting the history of Shreveport and early Buffalo Soldiers. Did you know that there were 150 men from Shreveport who enlisted in the 39th and 41st regiments, 2 of the original 6 Buffalo soldier regiments? Buffalo Soldiers were all-Black regiments of the U.S. Army, and while there are multiple stories as to how these regiments came to be called Buffalo Soldiers, their mark on history is indelible. Join the Broadmoor Branch on Tuesday, February 27 at 4:00 p.m. to learn more about these remarkable men.
You can also learn more about Shreveport’s recent past at the Hollywood/Union Avenue Branch, as the branch hosts a discussion of Willie Burton’s 1983 book, On the Black Side of Shreveport. The program will explore the political, social, educational, religious and economic developments of Black citizens in northwest Louisiana as recorded in the book. You can join the discussion at the Hollywood/Union Avenue Branch on Thursday, February 29 at 1:00 p.m.
These are just a few of the many programs being held at Shreve Memorial Library to honor Black History Month. You can find a complete listing of events at www.shreve-lib.org. Join us in celebrating our local history and always remember to dream, discover, do.
What’s New at the Library
The Teacher by Freida McFadden (fiction)
A mind-bending, psychological thriller from Freida McFadden, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Housemaid! Lesson #1: trust no one. Eve has a good life. She gets up each day, gets a kiss from her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except… Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal involving a student-teacher affair, with one student, Addie, at its center. But Eve knows there is far more to these ugly rumors than meets the eye. Addie can’t be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that’s what everyone says. But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet. From the New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes a story of twisting secrets and long-awaited revenge.
You Only Call When You’re In Trouble by Stephen McCauley (fiction)
Is it ever okay to stop caring for others and start living for yourself? After a lifetime of taking care of his impossible but irresistible sister and his cherished niece, Tom is ready to put himself first. An architect specializing in tiny houses, he finally has an opportunity to build his masterpiece – “his last shot at leaving a footprint on the dying planet.” Assuming, that is, he can stick to his resolution to keep the demands of his needy family at bay. Naturally, that’s when his phone rings. His niece, Cecily – the real love of Tom’s life, as his boyfriend reminded him when moving out – is embroiled in a Title IX investigation at the college where she teaches that threatens her career and relationship. And after decades of lying, his sister wants him to help her tell Cecily the real identity of her father. Tom does what he’s always done – answers the call. Thus begins a journey that will change everyone’s life and demonstrate the beauty or dysfunction (or both?) of the ties that bind families together and sometimes strangle them. Warm, funny, and deeply moving, You Only Call When You’re In Trouble is an unforgettable showcase for Stephen McCauley’s distinctive voice and unique ability to create complex characters that jump off the page and straight into your heart.
Run. Walk. Eat. by Carissa Galloway (non-fiction)
Good nutrition is an important facet of good health, and good nutrition is even more important for runners. Whether running a 5-minute mile or a 15-minute mile, your body needs the right fuel for performance, recovery, and overall health. In Run. Walk. Eat., you have the best nutritional guidelines for eating for training and performance. Olympian and running coach Jeff Galloway and Registered Dietician Nutritionist Carissa Galloway break down nutrition to provide you with simple changes that not only improve performance, but also lead to improved lifelong eating habits. They offer a nutritional education that puts you, the runner, in charge of your food choices so you can train harder, perform better, and recover faster. Those runners with additional weight-loss goals are also given weight-loss strategies. To help you improve your nutrition and performance, the authors have included meal plans, shopping lists, 21 recipes, and 8 video accessed through QR codes that further explain nutrition and recipe prep. This nutrition guide is meant to accompany Jeff Galloway’s proven Run Walk Run? Method and can be incorporated into any run-walk-run training program – making it a must-have for all runners seeking to run-walk-eat right!
About Shreve Memorial Library
Shreve Memorial Library transforms Caddo Parish lives with resources, services and support to create a better world by focusing on developing young readers, sparking imaginations, encouraging curiosity, fostering connection, and providing comfortable places. Shreve Memorial Library’s 21-branch system is maintained by a parish-wide property tax millage to support the informational, educational and recreational needs of its constituents. For more information, visit www.shreve-lib.org, and like, follow and subscribe on social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube. Dream, discover, do – Shreve Memorial Library and you!
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Celebrate local Black history at Shreve Memorial Library this week