Two Events To Honor Black History Month
Image courtesy of the Social History Archive on Unsplash
Takoma Park Presbyterian Church will host two exciting events in February, in honor of Black History Month.
First, on Sunday, February 11th at 3 p.m., TPPC is proud to host Dr. David Nicholson, who will discuss his book, “The Garretts of Columbia: A Black South Carolina Family from Slavery to the Dawn of Integration.” Nicholson is a former book reviewer and editor for The Washington Post Book World.
His book is a "warts-and-all" family history that begins with the story of an enslaved African who bought his freedom in 1819. The book focuses on the life and career of Casper George Garrett (called Papa in the book), a lawyer, newspaper editor and publisher, college professor, and activist for the rights of laymen in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. But it is also the story of Mama and Papa's children, men and women who became Pullman porters, post office clerks, and child-care workers. Their number also included a dentist, a woman who earned a doctorate from Columbia, and a son who wrote a musical with Langston Hughes. More information is available on Dr. Nicholson’s website.
This event will be held in the Church Library, located at 310 Tulip Ave, Takoma Park, Maryland. The library can be accessed from our Maple Avenue entrance. Light refreshments will be served.
Second, on Sunday, February 18th, the Church is proud to present the film, “They Called Him Mr. Lee”, followed by a discussion. The film is a documentary of the life of Lee Jordan.
Mr. Jordan was a legendary civil rights activist and mentor to Takoma Park’s young people, both Black and White. Jordan founded the city’s Boys and Girls Club and organized Montgomery County’s first integrated sports teams. A tireless advocate for the Black community, he led campaigns to improve the living conditions of African American residents in the face of segregation and racial discrimination.
The discussion will be led by Susan Schreiber, who leads the Takoma Park African American Oral History Project which is the larger endeavor of Historic Takoma for which this film was made. The film is available on YouTube.
The event will take place in the TPPC Assembly Room starting at 3 PM, with light refreshments served. This room is on the lower level of the church.
We hope to see you there!
