HPL Blogs

Poet Diana Aldrete thinks of her poetry as being like a Polaroid – a moment in time.

She then takes that moment and explores the imagery inside of it, teasing out the feelings. She puts pen to paper, and then tests her words out loud.

If she’s done her job well, she draws the reader and the listener into her world.

Aldrete, a Hartford resident, will be performing an original work in Spanish and English at the opening event of the NEA Big Read on Sunday, February 28 at 3 pm. “Typically when I am writing a poem it only comes out in one language. This one is going to be very interesting,” she said.

Aldrete, a visiting lecturer of language and culture studies at Trinity College, began writing poetry in high school. As first generation American whose parents were born in Mexico and El Salvador, language was a central part of Aldrete’s formative experiences.

“Language is big. It’s huge. And I think that’s what connects my entire work, my entire identity. Spanish language is my first language. My parents spoke to us in Spanish,” Aldrete said.

She was born in the United States, but moved back to Mexico for a time, where she and her family spoke only Spanish. Aldrete returned to the United States, returning to English as her primary language.

“When I took my first Latin American literature class I felt like I returned home. I was reading my language in these beautiful art forms – novels, poetry, and essays – I fell in love with it. It has informed the way I think and the way I write. Using Spanish in my art is an homage to that experience,” she said.

Aldrete has always been a creative person, but it wasn’t until she began teaching literature that she re-engaged with poetry and began thinking of herself as a performer. “I started to get inspired by the poets that I was teaching. Then I would start writing my own poetry and developing my own style,” she said.

“I am a fan of hers. I have taught her for novel in my classes … not only am I a fan of the book, but also what it stands for as far as championing and advocating for women’s rights, especially in times of oppression,” Aldrete said.

The novel tells the story of three sisters, known at The Butterflies, who opposed the dictator Trujillo and paid with their lives. Aldrete believes that the novel has contemporary resonance. “We see this in terms of women’s issues. We saw the Women’s March, women joining together in solidarity to speak out against sexism and oppression in many forms. I think (the novel) really speak to where we are,” she said.

It’s about more than just the story for Aldrete. The way that Alvarez plays with language to evoke the beauty of the Dominican Republic is an inspiration. “It felt familiar to me. Some of the things I remember from living in Mexico. I felt connected to that because of her use of the language. I feel the sensory images. I am really connected to her work because of that,” Aldrete said.

To learn more about Aldrete’s work, visit her here: https://linktr.ee/aldreted

– by Steven Scarpa, manager of communications and public relations

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Hartford Public Library’s staff recently joined the fight against the scourge of Covid-19.

Library staffers worked with the city’s health department to call senior citizens to schedule vaccination at an event held at the Hartford Convention Center. In just under three days, library staff members made about 300 calls and booked appointments for over 60 residents.

“This is the work we do. We link people to the information they need to make informed decisions about all kinds of things in their lives, including health care. Our staff is also adept at helping people navigate sometimes complicated processes, like arranging for a vaccine. We are very excited to help make our city a healthier place,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, HPL’s president and CEO.

Marie Jarry, HPL’s director of public service, was one of the staff members who help people get access to the Moderna vaccine. Armed with information about the vaccination process, staff members assisted seniors through a system that can be confusing.

“The man I just talked to said he was calling all over the place to try and get an appointment and was so glad that I called him,” Jarry said. “Others are telling their friends that we contacted them so they are calling us looking to book an appointment too. I think it speaks to the need in the city.”

Andrea Figueroa, HPL’s senior executive assistant, made about 100 of the calls herself, speaking to people in both English and Spanish. “I was just going. I didn’t realize how many I’d called,” she said with a laugh.

Many of the seniors she reached struggled with online signup. They might not have been savvy about how to use the internet. Figueroa said people were delighted to get help. “People said we were lifesavers for getting to them at just the right time,” Figueroa said.

Many library staff members found this kind of outreach inspirational – it was a concrete way of combating the very thing that has put life on hold. “We were coming together to help our fellow citizens,” Jarry said.

“It was a good experience,” Figueroa said.

In addition to the outreach efforts, the library has put together a website with the latest information about the virus, prevention measures, and information from the state and city health departments: https://hplct.libguides.com/corona

“People trust us. It’s a responsibility that we don’t take lightly,” Quinn-Carey said.

City officials suggest that people who would like to get the vaccine fill out a vaccine interest form, linked in red at the top of HartfordCT.gov.

By Steve Scarpa, manager of public relations and communications

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Fifty families received much needed groceries thanks to Hartford Public Library’s partnership with Foodshare, which launched last week.

The groceries were distributed at the Barbour Library. Distribution will take place at the branch twice a month, with the next one occurring on Thursday, February 25.

Over the next several food distributions, Barbour Library branch manager Irene Blean plans to build on what she’s already done. Local civic organizations, including Freshplace, which helps with food security planning, and the Chrysalis Center, which provides services for people seeking to transform their lives, were in attendance, signing people up for their offerings.

As cold as the first distribution day was, people were in good spirits, she said. “People were appreciative of being offered free food. A woman, who works in the Unity Plaza laundromat, planned her lunch break around the distribution,” Blean said. “A community leader said it was a great event.”

Blean’s thinking is both expansive and particular at once. On the one hand she invites organizations to participate that can have wide reaching impact. On the other, she’ll invite a group like CaptionCall, which provides no cost captioned telephones for the hard of hearing because she can think of a specific customer who would benefit from this service.

In addition, Blean arranged for the University of Connecticut to send two student diatectic interns to a distribution event in April and hopes to have a local community college on hand to talk about training certificate programs.

Blean understands acutely that the Barbour Library, and HPL as a whole, is a beacon in the community. Not only did HPL staff members distribute food, they passed along a bit of hope and some cameraderie. “Some of the men were glad to see a positive event taking place, despite the cold weather. A woman said that it was a chance for her to connect with others she knew,” Blean said.

By Steve Scarpa, manager of communications and public relations

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When Apolina Jerome came to Hartford with her family from Tanzania in 2016 she didn’t speak English at all. Just a few years later, she found herself on the Dean’s List at Capital Community College.

One of the factors in Apolina’s success was the commitment of one of Hartford Public Library’s volunteers, Carolyn Dorais.

Apolina was a participant in Hartford Public Library’s “Linking Learning, Belonging and Community” After-School English program since its inception in the Spring of 2017.   Apolina and 20-30 other high school students came to the Library after school for instruction in English and homework tutoring.

Then, the pandemic hit and the Hartford Schools shifted to distance learning in the spring of 2020.

For many newly arrived students, coupling online classes with the natural growing pains a teenager feels adjusting to a new culture can be too much.

“They’ve helped a lot of students to do what they need to do,” Apolina said.

That’s where the library can help. With funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the Nutmeg Foundation, The American Place offers English classes and tutoring sessions to help give these students the extra support they need to be successful. “They need us now more than ever because distance learning is such a challenge,” said Michele Brophy, an instructional specialist at Hartford Public Library.

The American Place’s volunteer tutors are also adapting to the new learning environment caused by the pandemic. Carolyn Dorais has volunteered with The American Place for six years. After a long career in corporate communications, Dorais retired to Hartford and began working as a citizenship coach. Inspired by Brophy’s program, Dorais decided to shift to tutoring high school students.

“It was such a nice community of kids over there. I really liked being a part of it,” she said.

Even after graduating from Bulkeley High School in 2020, Apolina has maintained close ties with the library. This past Fall, Carolyn met with Apolina via Zoom on a weekly basis to provide her with support in her college classes.

“We were able to provide a laptop to Apolina through the ‘Crossroads to Connectivity’ program. With hard work and determination, and Carolyn’s support, Apolina not only completed her first semester of college, she did so with distinction,” Brophy said.

In addition, Apolina reached out to Carolyn – she needed extra help to keep up with her English during the semester intercession. Carolyn, who wasn’t proficient on Zoom before, immediately agreed. She knew that for many immigrants, the time outside the classroom causes their English language skills to atrophy.

Over the college break, Apolina and Carolyn continued their weekly meetings, reading Jason Reynolds’ “Look Both Ways” as a way for Apolina to keep working on her English. “She has a very positive approach. I think she is a very positive person in general. She worked hard and I think one of the keys to her success is that she asks for help when she needs it,” Dorais said.

The hard work on everyone’s part paid off. Apolina made the Dean’s List her first semester with a 3.65 GPA and was named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. “I didn’t expect that,” Apolina said. “There’s no words to explain how I feel.”

In a recent interview, Apolina described long term goals that are like most immigrants trying to get a toehold in America – she’d like to get a good job working in an office and perhaps help purchase a home for her family. First thing’s first. Apolina has to meet with Carolyn today to work on an essay for English class.

“I am happy because I am doing something good that will help me later,” Apolina said.

For more information about the work of The American Place, visit tap.hplct.org.

By Steven Scarpa, manager of communications and public relations

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Hartford Public Library’s 2021 NEA Big Read celebrates Julia Alvarez’s book In the Time of the Butterflies from February 28^th through March 30^th, 2021.

In addition to Alvarez’s adult novel, the NEA Big Read will focus on her youth selection How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay.

“These are very challenging and difficult times. Many of us are feeling desolate, isolated and alone. It’s why the Big Read program is even more important now. We join with others to share a story and we therefore feel less alone,” Alvarez said to the Hartford Public Library community at its annual Beyond Words celebration in December.

Free English and Spanish copies of Big Read book selections will be available via contact-free pick up starting on February 28th while supplies last: bit.ly/HPLBigReadBooks

To see the full slate of events, all taking place virtually, click here: bit.ly/HPLBigRead21

An afternoon drive on a beautiful day turns deadly when the three Mirabal sisters, known as Las Mariposas (the Butterflies), are found at the bottom of a cliff. Officially, it was an accident. But everyone knows that when you cross the dictator Trujillo – no matter how right you are – bad things happen. “In the Time of the Butterflies” tells the sisters’ stirring story of their fight for freedom and justice even at the cost of their lives.

“HPL has the opportunity to honor and explore an important piece of history through Julia Alvarez’s stunning prose, while also talking about how the themes of Dominican pride, free-thinking, resilience, and women’s rights take root right here in Hartford. We believe this will be not only a great educational experience, but a lot of fun as well,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, HPL’s president and CEO.

Throughout March there will be a slate of exciting programming around Dominican art, literature, and performance, as well as educational and celebratory programs on revolutionary Hartford Latinas. The month long celebration will culminate in Julia Alvarez’s keynote address, taking place virtually March 25.

“The history and legacy of the Mirabal sisters is felt deeply by the Hartford Dominican community and is well known to Hartford’s Latin American diaspora. These heroines, who Julia Alvarez portrays in her book have inspired generations around the world and in Hartford since their assassinations in 1960,” said Liz Castle, HPL’s programming and events manager.

The events will serve to illustrate and amplify Alvarez’s story, showing the contemporary parallels with life in Hartford. “In the Time of the Butterflies inspires us to ‘stand in your power.’ Whether through art, storytelling, or relationship building, the NEA Big Read encourages us to practice courage in our own lives,” Castle said.

“I don’t have to tell you that now more than ever is a time for butterflies. For bold and unabashed love, for our freedom and liberty. A time for leadership and inspiration so that together we can create the more beloved community that they Mirabal sisters fought and died for,” Alvarez said.

The NEA Big Read, a partnership with Arts Midwest, broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Showcasing a diverse range of themes, voices, and perspectives, the NEA Big Read aims to inspire conversation and discovery.

Previous Hartford Public Library NEA Big Read participants include Advice from the Lights by Stephanie Burt, and Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine. Hartford Public Library has been the beneficiary four times of funding from the The National Endowment for the Arts to support the Big Read. For more information about Hartford Public Library, visit hplct.org.

2021 NEA BIG READ EVENT SCHEDULE

In the Time of the Butterflies and Beyond: HPL’s NEA Big Read Kickoff! 

Sunday, February 28th: 3:00-4:00PM

Facebook Live and YouTube Live

Help us kick off HPL’s 2021 NEA Big Read around Julia Alvarez’s In The Time of the Butterflies with music, poetry, dance, and more! Featuring live latin jazz from Ray Gonzalez, poetry readings from local poet Diana Aldrete, dance performance from Baila Con Gusto CT, and readings from In the Time of the Butterflies.

YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES_______________________________________

Pre-recorded programs shared on our Social Media platforms

Monday March 1st:  

Karina’s Tia Lola House’s Craft program en Espanol

Discover Tia Lola’s love for bright and tropical colors. Join Miss Karina and learn how to create your own “casita de la nin͂ez”(childhood house). Paint and decorate your own wooden house Tia Lola’s style!!

Tuesday March 2nd:  

If Dominican Were a Color Storytime with Ms. Linda

Tuesday March 9th:

Si Quisqueya fuera un color con Ms. Nancy (En Espanol)

Wednesday March 17th:  

Ages 6-18

Learn a little about Idelisa Bonnelly aka the “mother of marine conservation in the Caribbean” and learn about oil spills and why conservation efforts are important with an activity pack you can pick up at the library.

Live Virtual programs via Zoom and Google Meet

Register for all children’s live virtual programs here: bit.ly/hplchildren

If You were a Color Palette

Wednesday March 3rd: 3:30pm

Ages 6-12

Let’s share If Dominican were a Color by Sili Recio and see if you can describe yourself using a color palette.

Virtual Read Aloud Adventure with Ms. Lina: Destination, Dominican Republic

Thursdays March 4, 11, 18, 25: 3:30pm

Ages 8-12

Let’s celebrate Dominican culture, identity, and family with a fun weekly read-aloud of How Tia Lola Came to Visit Stay by Julia Alvarez.

One of a Kind, Me!

Wednesdays March 3rd & March 17th: 2:00pm

School program only

Enjoy listening to a read aloud If Dominican Were a Color, by Sili Recio then get creative in decorating a flag to celebrate yourself or heritage. Will be discussing writing a poem about yourself and sharing examples. Copy of the book will be given to each participant. In the second session share a poem about you and receive an incentive.

Book Talk: How Tia Lola Came to Stay by Julia Alvarez.

Wednesday March 17: 3:30pm 

Ages 6-12

Play a family themed game to win prizes.

If Dominican Were a Color: Music and Art with Miss Nancy

Wednesday March 24: 10:00am

For students from Sanchez and Burns Schools

Join Miss Nancy for a celebration of Dominican culture with a virtual live musical performance and Dominican Flag art activity.

Tía Lola’s Lucky Scarf/Buena Suerte with Vickie

Friday March 26th: 4:00pm

Ages 6-12

Make your very own lucky scarf, or buena suerte, inspired by the book How Tía Lola Came to Stay by Julia Alvarez

Big Read Art Club with Miss Katherine: If Dominican Were a Color 

Tuesday March 30th: 4:00pm 

All ages

Join us for music and painting as we celebrate our Big Read book, If Dominican Were a Color by Sili Recio

Julia Alvarez visits Hartford as Tia Lola!

Date TBD

School program only

Julia Alvarez, the author herself, will pay us a visit as her character Tia Lola! Ms. Alvarez will read from her book How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay.

Public Event:

Big Read Musical Journeys (public event)

Tuesday, March 9th: 4:00-4:45pm

All ages

Join us for a reading of If Dominican Were a Color and a virtual live musical performance from Sirius Coyote of music from Latin America!

TEEN SERVICES_____________________________________________________

“Digital Graffiti” Workshop

Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in March

Discord

Create digital manifestos in 3D paint and animated digital art, and use different Hartford buildings and landmarks as your canvas! Learn how to bring digital graffiti to life through augmented reality, led by Hartford graffiti artist Lindaluz Carrillo and YOUmedia mentor Marc Pettersen. Inspired by the bold and revolutionary Mirabal sisters in In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.

Register here: linktr.ee/youmediahpl

ADULT PROGRAMS_________________________________________________

Virtual Film Screening: “In the Time of the Butterflies”

Wednesday March 3rd: 6:00pm

Starring Salma Hayek and Marc Anthony, enjoy the film version of Julia Alvarez’s novel, inspired by the true story of the three Mirabal sisters who led an underground plot to overthrow the dictatorship of General Trujillo in the Dominican Republic.

Registration details to come

La Cocina Dominicana

Fridays, March 5, 12, 19, 26: 3:00pm

Virtual series posted to social media

Join the chefs from Caribe, Hartford’s own loved Dominican restaurant on Park Street, as they teach us how to make traditional Dominican dishes.

D.I.Y. Puzzle Necklace and Book Discussion

Wednesday, March 17th: 11:00-12:30pm

Downtown Library – Center for Contemporary Culture

Learn how to make a puzzle piece necklace, symbolizing the bond and interconnection of friendship, sisterhood, and womanhood.  The craft activity is in celebration of Women’s History Month and a major theme in In the Time of the Butterflies.  All participants will receive a free copy of Julia Alvarez’s In the Time of the Butterflies. Please call Irene at 860-695-7401 or email iblean@hplct.org to register.

Butterfly Origami and Book Discussion

Tuesday, March 2nd: 2:00pm

Zoom

Learn how to create paper butterflies using the Japanese art of origami, in honor of the inspiring Miribal Sisters, the main characters and historical figures in In the Time of Butterflies, by Julia Alvarez. All participants will receive a free copy of In the Time of the Butterflies. Register here: http://bit.ly/HPLorigami

Sisterhood Card Making

Tuesday, March 2, 2021 2:00pm

Zoom 

Join us as we create and design our very own card. Once you have created your card you can write an encouraging message to someone who is in your sisterhood circle who inspires you! Registration/Participation is required to get your take and make bag. Registration is limited. Register here: bit.ly/HPLcards

Celebrating Dominican Culture with the Park Branch

Join the Park Branch virtually every Wednesday in March to engage all five of your senses in an exploration of Dominican culture and the book In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Participants can register for specific sessions, but are encouraged to register for the whole series. Register here: bit.ly/HPLBigReadPark

The Story of the Mirabal Sisters

Wednesday, March 3rd: 3:00 pm

Zoom

Join us for a bilingual overview of In the Time of the Butterflies, learn more about renown Dominican author Julia Alvarez, and the incredible story of the Mirabal sisters. We will also review all the programs available throughout the month of March as a part of HPL’s Big Read.

Painting Butterflies

Wednesday, March 10th

Prerecorded video

Join us for an art workshop on butterfly painting on canvas, a symbol of the Mirabal sisters. Participants need to reserve and pick up painting kits, and send pictures of the final project.

Dominican Cuisine

Wednesday, March 17th

Pre-recorded video

Join us for a Dominican culinary workshop, where participants will learn to make a traditional Dominican dish.

Final Book Discussion

Wednesday, March 24th: 3:00pm  

Zoom

Participants will share their take on the book, the day before Julia Alvarez’s virtual visit to Hartford!

Women’s Empowerment Group

Thursdays March 4, 11, 18, 25: 4:30pm

Zoom

The Women’s Empowerment Group at the Park Branch, in collaboration with the Hispanic Health council, is recruiting new participants, and forming committees for year 2021. Some of the committees are art, education and childcare, projects, and recruitment. Learn how to be civically engaged, and connected to others in your community. Anyone interested should send an email to grivera@hplct.org

HARTFORD HISTORY CENTER__________________________________________

Revolutionary Latinas in Hartford: Past, Present, and Future

A series presented by the Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library:

Led by Revolutionary Latinas: The History of Bilingual Education in Hartford
A conversation with Edna Negron & Glaisma Perez-Silva
Thursday, March 11, 6:30-8pm
Facebook Live

The fight for bilingual education in Hartford was led by Puerto Rican women, particularly Maria Sanchez, who fiercely stepped into a public community leadership role and inspired other community leaders, politicians, professors, and the Hartford Public Schools’ Board of Education to manifest her vision. With more Puerto Rican migrants staying in Hartford over the course of the 1960s, the need for a language program that saw the use of multiple languages as an asset and not a burden, became critical. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, a program to intentionally develop a robust bilingual education program across the system emerged, becoming not only a model for the State of Connecticut, but the nation as a whole.

Learn more about this history and its development from Edna Negron, who was the first Hartford Puerto Rican to become part of the first Hartford bilingual teacher core program in 1969 and Glaisma Perez-Silva, who was a recruited teacher from Puerto Rico in 1988. Both of these women became revolutionary Latinas in Hartford’s history and follow the legacy of those who are no longer with us. Negron and Perez Silva’s oral histories will also be part of the digital archive of the Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library.

Honoring Revolutionary Latinas in Hartford: A Virtual Performance

Thurs, March 18, 6:30-7:30pm
Facebook Live & YouTube Live

Join us for a virtual performance showcase featuring an intergenerational group of Hartford-based or Hartford-connected Latina poets, musicians, and choreographers celebrating revolutionary figures in Hartford’s history and visions for Hartford’s future. Featuring poetry by Glaisma Perez-Silva and movement by Addys Castillo, monologue by Cin Martinez and drums by I-SHEA, poetry by Zulynette and movement by Luzy Rivera, and Closing Reflections & Call to Action by Jocelyn Cerda and Jeniffer Perez Caraballo.

Revolutionary Latinas in Hartford: A Community Art Project and Exhibit

Submit artwork by Friday, March 19, 2021 / Submit here: https://tinyurl.com/y3oluz7t

Who can submit? Anyone at any age that lives in Hartford

Online exhibit launch: Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Submit a digital photograph of artwork you’ve created to celebrate someone in Hartford that you believe represents the qualities of a revolutionary Latina. It could be your abuela (grandmother), titi (aunt), mami (mom), prima (cousin), hermana (sister), nieta (granddaughter), sobrina (niece), maestra (teacher), amiga (friend), o alguien por quien te inspiras en tu comunidad (someone who inspires you in your community).

Along with your artwork submission, please share with us why you believe they are revolutionary (definition: causing a complete or dramatic change / engaged in or promoting political revolution). How have they made an impact on your life? How have they made a change in the lives of your family, your neighborhood, other community members, or the city or state or home country at large? Consider interviewing them to learn more about their story and sharing a little bit about that story in your submission.

Submissions will become part of an online exhibit put together by the Hartford History Center at Hartford Public Library and will become part of the digital archive. These submissions will be presented alongside commissioned portraits of Hartford historical changemakers who have passed: Olga Mele, Maria Sanchez, and Mildred Torres.

Portraits will be created by Hartford-based artists Mina Echevarria, Lindaluz Carrillo, and Constanza Segovia. 

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An Evening with Julia Alvarez

Thursday, March 25th – 6:00pm

Zoom, Facebook Live & YouTube Live

Join us for our keynote event, an evening with Julia Alvarez in conversation with Connecticut writer and poet Sarahí Almonte. Featuring Dominican music from Connecticut’s own Rey Kellys Band. This event will not be available for re-watch, so please join us live! Register here: bit.ly/HPLJuliaAlvarez

Born in New York City in 1950, Julia Alvarez’s parents returned to their native country, Dominican Republic, shortly after her birth.  Ten years later, the family was forced to flee to the United States because of her father’s involvement in a plot to overthrow the dictator, Trujillo.

Alvarez has written novels (How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies, ¡Yo!, In the Name of Salomé, Saving the World, Afterlife), collections of poems (Homecoming, The Other Side/ El Otro Lado, The Woman I Kept to Myself), nonfiction (Something to Declare, Once Upon A Quinceañera, and A Wedding in Haiti), and numerous books for young readers (including the Tía Lola Stories series, Before We Were Free, finding miracles, Return to Sender and Where Do They Go?).

Alvarez’s awards include the Pura Belpré and Américas Awards for her books for young readers, the Hispanic Heritage Award, and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award.  In 2013, she received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama.

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When was the first time you got down on the dance floor, sprayed paint on an outdoor wall, or listened to rap on the radio? For some people in Hartford, the first time took place at the dawn of hip hop, before it became a world-wide phenomenon.

The next event in Hartford History Center’s partner “Encounters” series, called “The Origins of Hip Hop” will explore the evolution of the form, from its days on the street of the South Bronx to its ubiquity in our popular culture, through short readings, small-group dialogue, and engagement with cultural specialists.

The discussion will take place Thursday, February 18 from 6 to 8 pm on Zoom. To register, click here: https://tinyurl.com/y6ydkmdp

Hip Hop is a global arts movement that was started by Black and Puerto Rican youth in the early 1970s in the South Bronx as a response to the criminalization of youth, the lack of quality education support, and the burning down of dilapidated housing neglected by property owners and the New York City government.

These young people took their situation and flipped it into dance, visual arts, and music, which they shared at community block parties to tell their stories and express their realities.

Program organizer Jasmin Agosto, the History Center’s education and community outreach manager, led a semester long program about hip hop back in 2016 throughout the Library system, which included a small archival exhibit that was to become the beginning of the Hartford History Center’s Hip Hop Archive, a collection of over 200 images and oral histories from the local scene back in the 1980s. She delved back into the archives of Real Art Ways and the Hartford Advocate, looking for how the hip hop scene changed and what some of the important events were at the time. As the archive grew Agosto began to develop relationships with some of the pioneers of Hartford’s hip hop scene.

Back in the early days, Hartford’s engagement with the relatively new art form started slowly. A now-defunct record store named “Disco Tape,” located on Pratt Street, sold the new records. Some kids in neighborhoods around the city picked up their music there. It wasn’t necessarily creating music that gave Hartford it’s place in hip hop lore – it was through a vibrant and innovative dance scene.

“We were connected to (New York City). People were going up there, seeing what was happening and brought it here,” she said. “There was an excitement about trying stuff.”

Hip hop was more than an aesthetic phenomenon, Agosto said. There were large structural issues that hip hop was able to comment on or offer a respite from, like diminished government support in local neighborhoods and a lack of educational opportunities. For many kids, hip hop, dance, and graffiti art was a path away from the gang scene. “A lot of kids either went the gang route or they tried to create,” Agosto said.

As time progressed, Hartford retained an important part of that earlier cultural movement. Hartford’s dance scene, cultivated in the 1980s, remains active and vibrant. “The dance battles at the Trinity International Hip Hop Festival are well attended events,” Agosto said. “The young teen dancers are trained in the roots of hip hop dance. The DJs will do a mix of old music from the late 1970s and early 1980s. They play more of the old school vibe for the battles.”

While the history of hip hop in Hartford is an interesting one, Agosto plans to extend the conversation to the history of the art form across the country. Dr. Seth Markle of Trinity College and Dr. Jeffrey Ogbar of the University of Connecticut will be on hand to help flesh out the national narrative, while local community expert and pioneer Rick Torres will talk about the Hartford scene. Agosto also hopes that some of the original members of the Hartford hip hop scene will join them to lend their firsthand perspectives.

The “Encounters” series is a partnership with UCONN Human Rights Institute Dodd Impact, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, and CT’s Old State House.

Links to share:

• Hartford Hip Hop online exhibit

• Hartford Hip Hop Collection on the CT Digital Archive

– By Steven Scarpa, manager of communications and public relations

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In an exciting new partnership, Hartford Public Library’s Barbour Branch Library, thanks to a partnership with Foodshare, will now become a food distribution center for Northeast neighborhood families in addition to offering regular library services.

Shelf-stable groceries and fresh fruit, when available, will be distributed outdoors at the branch, located at 261 Barbour Street, the second and fourth Thursdays of the month from 3 to 4 pm while the branch is closed to the public. The first distribution day will take place Thursday, February 11.

“We are extremely excited to embark on this partnership with Foodshare and to continue our commitment to serving the people of the Northeast neighborhood in ways that will feed their hearts, minds, and bodies,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, HPL’s president and CEO.

“I strongly believe Hartford Public Library is one of our strongest anchor institutions in Hartford. HPL is not just a traditional public library; the HPL offers various holistic services to our community. HPL and all their branches are at the center of our communities. Community members’ love, trust, and know they can receive assistance and help from the library,” said Yahaira Escribano, programs partner coordinator for Foodshare.

The Library will also partner with “Our Piece of the Pie,” a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth with the key competencies needed to overcome barriers and succeed in education and employment. Teenagers affiliated with the non-profit will work at the Barbour Library helping to bag and distribute the food.

It’s an example of how community partnerships can extend each organization’s reach and impact. In this instance, thanks to this one relationship, much needed food gets distributed, teenagers receive practical work experience, and Hartford residents receive an introduction to the services the library can provide.

“It is so needed in this neighborhood,” said Irene Blean, manager of the Barbour Library. “We want to support the whole person.”

The Library and Foodshare started working together about a year and a half ago, specifically providing after-school and summer snacks for children. The two organizations had been in conversations on how to deepen their relationship, said Bonnie Solberg, coordinator of branch services.

“We were looking for a way to expand our partnership where we can do it right now,” Solberg said. “In these challenging times, this kind of outreach gives us the opportunity to have an immediate impact.”

Marie Jarry, director of public services, believes this is the first time in Connecticut that a library and Foodshare have entered into a formal partnership. If the program is successful at Barbour, the library may look for ways to extend food distribution to other branches. “The need is increasing,” Jarry said.

Blean believes that this is also an opportunity to extend what would be considered more traditional library services. To that end, Blean is holding a Valentine’s Day themed event in conjunction with the first food distribution on February 11.

Blean and her team will recite poetry and hand out chocolate Hershey kisses to whomever comes to the library from 3 to 4 pm. The Library on Wheels will also be on hand to distribute novels by bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey, and other romance titles.

“We hope to create more engagement in what we are offering,” Blean said.

In addition to the bags of groceries, Blean and her team will distribute 25 new children’s winter coats donated by Lawrence International.

The School Choice Coordinator, a Hartford Behavioral Health representative, and the Library’s intern from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work will be present at the event to provide assistance.

For more information about Foodshare’s work, visit foodshare.org.

For more information about Our Piece of the Pie, visit opp.org.

For more information about Hartford Public Library, visit hplct.org.

By Steven Scarpa, manager of public relations and c0mmunications

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By Yahaira Escribano, Partner Programs Coordinator, Foodshare

Foodshare and HPL began their partnership on October 2020 as a snack program. We both felt there was a need to better serve our youths, especially after school. During this time, we spoke of the potential of expanding their services by helping families who are food insecure through a HPL pantry in the future. Unfortunately, COVID-19 hit us and we had to take a pause in our joint efforts until we had a better sense of how to safely serve our community members. As soon as  COVID-19 hit, we all witnessed unemployment skyrocket and the number of families in need of nutritional assistance increase drastically. After a couple of months of all us figuring out how to best navigate COVID-19 and continue offering needed services to our community, Foodshare and HPL picked-up our conversation about establishing and executing the HPL Pantry sooner than later to meet the unprecedented and growing needs in our community.

The north-end of Hartford has the most social and economic disparities in our community and it has been one of the hardest hit neighborhoods during COVID-19. I strongly believe HPL is one of our strongest anchor institutions in Hartford. HPL is not just a traditional Public library; the HPL offers various holistic services to our community. The HPL and all their branches are at the center of our communities. Community members’ love, trust, and know they can receive assistance and help from the library. I feel and share these sentiments because I was born and raised in the north-end, specifically on Martin Street and I used to go to the Barbour Branch as much as possible. The library was influential for me and I see the library as a safe haven for so many of us are hit hard, and struggling to get by for various reasons, and now by having the ability to safely and sustainability offer emergency food assistance to those of us who are in need is going to transformative and life changing for our community members.

As we grow our partnership, our goal is to sustainably and safely expand our emergency food pantry services to the other branches so we are all able to meet and reach more community members right in their neighborhood. By integrating an emergency food pantry as part of the various services and programs that are offered, I strongly believe that the HPL will be able to remove the difficult decision and barrier people are facing on deciding whether or not to one  your programs or other services, like your GED programs, in order to find some type of temporary work to get food on the table. By removing this one barrier, community members will be better able to access all the other services and programs the HPL has to offer. Overall, we hope that we will all continue to increase the impact of this service throughout Hartford so more households’ basic needs are being met.

For more information about Foodshare, visit foodshare.org.

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The seminarian : Martin Luther King, Jr. comes of age,  By Patrick Parr

Martin Luther King Jr. was a cautious nineteen-year-old rookie preacher when he left Atlanta, Georgia, to attend divinity school up north. These experiences shaped him into a man ready to take on even greater challenges. Based on dozens of revealing interviews with the men and women who knew him then, The Seminarian is the first definitive, full-length account of King’s years as a divinity student at Crozer Theological Seminary. Long passed over by biographers and historians, this period in King’s life is vital to understanding the historical figure he soon became.

Revolution of conscience : Martin Luther King, Jr., and the philosophy of nonviolence - Moses, Greg

Martin Luther King, Jr. developed a philosophical logic of nonviolence in terms of equality, structure, nonviolent direct action, and love. Here we look at the way King’s analysis makes use of each concept with a special view to the context of other Black activist intellectuals.

King : the photobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr – Johnson, Charles

A photographic tour of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, public and private, covers a wide range of scenes, from King standing before his congregation to the bus boycott in Montgomery and his incarceration in a Birmingham jail to his assassination and its aftermath.

April 4, 1968 : Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death and how it changed America – Dyson, Michael Eric

On April 4, 1968, at 6:01 PM, while he was standing on a balcony at a Memphis hotel, Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and fatally wounded. Only hours earlier King — the prophet for racial and economic justice in America — ended his final speech with the words, “I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land.”

“In a single garment of destiny” : a global vision of justice – King, Martin Luther, Jr.

An unprecedented and timely collection that captures the global vision of Dr. King—in his own words

 Too many people continue to think of Martin Luther King, Jr., only as “a Southern civil rights leader” or “an American Gandhi,” thus ignoring his impact on poor and oppressed people around the world. “In a Single Garment of Destiny” is the first book to treat King’s positions on global liberation struggles through the prism of his own words and activities.

From the pages of this extraordinary collection, Dr. King emerges not only as an advocate for global human rights but also as a towering figure who collaborated with Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert J. Luthuli, Thich Nhat Hanh, and other national and international figures in addressing a multitude of issues we still struggle with today: from racism, poverty, and war to religious bigotry and intolerance. Introduced and edited by distinguished King scholar Lewis Baldwin, this volume breaks new ground in our understanding of King.

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Be a King:  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You, by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by James E. Ransome

Featuring a dual narrative of the key moments of Dr. King’s life alongside a modern class as the students learn about him, Carole Weatherford’s poetic text encapsulates the moments that readers today can reenact in their own lives. See a class of young students as they begin a school project inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and learn to follow his example, as he dealt with adversity and never lost hope that a future of equality and justice would soon be a reality. As times change, Dr. King’s example remains, encouraging a new generation of children to take charge and change the world.

 

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend – but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. But do they hold up anymore? He starts a journal to Dr. King to find out. “A visceral portrait of a young man reckoning with the ugly, persistent violence of social injustice.” -Publishers Weekly

My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King III

What was it like growing up as a son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? This picture book memoir, My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King III, provides insight into one of history’s most fascinating families and into a special bond between father and son.

Dream March: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

An inspiring biography introducing children to the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the historic march on Washington. Young readers can now learn about one of the greatest civil rights leaders of all time, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in this Level 3 Step into Reading Biography Reader. Set against Dr. King’s historic march on Washington in the summer of 1963, a moving story and powerful illustrations combine to illuminate not only one of America’s most celebrated leaders, but also one of America’s most celebrated moments.

Martin’s Big Words:  The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Doreen Rappaport, illustrated by Bryan Collier

This picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. brings his life and the profound nature of his message to young children through his own words. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the most influential and gifted speakers of all time. Doreen Rappaport uses quotes from some of his most beloved speeches to tell the story of his life and his work in a simple, direct way. Bryan Collier’s stunning collage art combines remarkable watercolor paintings with vibrant patterns and textures. A timeline and a list of additional books and web sites help make this a standout biography of Dr. King.

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