Alabama Humanities Alliance Awards Grant To The Friends Foundation Of The Birmingham Public Library For "Be Gentle With Black Girls," Thursday, September 22

Birmingham, Alabama—The Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library has been awarded a competitive mini grant of $2,315 from the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

This award will help make possible the be gentle with black girls: Addressing Adultification Bias and Protecting Black Childhood program happening next Thursday, September 22, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Central Library.

As the first program in the Birmingham Public Library's Local Author Series, be gentle with black girls: Addressing Adultification Bias and Protecting Black Childhood brings the Birmingham community together to support local, self-published author Tania De'Shawn while discussing systemic issues that affect the children in our local community. Read our last blog to learn more about Tania De'Shawn and adultificaiton bias. 

This program is free and open to the public, allowing everyone to hear her poetry and participate in the discussion. Reserve your spot at be gentle with black girls on Eventbrite. 

With Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones moderating, our expert panelist will engage the audience with keen insight on adultification bias. Discussions may touch on matters not intended for children; young adults and older are invited to attend the program. 

Our panelist include:

 DeJuana Thompson—President and CEO of the  Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

 Lauren Whatley—University of Alabama Women's Studies professor

 Queen daPoetess—Poetess and Co-Owner of the Majesty Lounge

Attendees will wrap up the program with an Oriki station (Praise Poems from a West African tradition, affirming oneself through relationships between kinship and destiny), a story station to contribute their own stories of black girlhood with the BPL Archives and Southern History Department, and a raffle to win a copy of be gentle with black girls. Copies of her book will be available for purchase at the program.

The Local Authors Committee is excited incorporate this grant to extend Tania this opportunity as a platform for marketing self-published books. be gentle with black girls is the first in a series of programs highlighting local authors, leading up to the Local Authors Expo on Saturday, November 5, from 10:00 a.m.—2:00 p.m. The 2022 Local Authors Expo's theme is marketing self-published books. —Bessie Miller, from The Local Authors Committee

This is the first time the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library has received a grant from the Alabama Humanities Alliance, the primary source of grants for public humanities programming in the state. 

We're honored to support cultural organizations that make Alabama a richer, smarter and more vibrant place to live and learn...Our grant recipients are community cornerstones and creative storytellers that explore what it means to be human. They help us better understand ourselves, our neighbors and the wider world around us. —Chuck Holmes, Executive Director of the Alabama Humanities Alliance

About the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library 

The mission of the Friends Foundation of the Birmingham Public Library is to support the programs, services, and partnerships of the Birmingham Public Library, in service to the broader community, through fundraising, advocacy and outreach. Learn more at friendsofthebpl.org. 

About the Alabama Humanities Alliance

The Alabama Humanities Alliance is a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Our mission is to foster learning, understanding and appreciation of Alabama's people, communities and cultures. The ultimate goal: To use the humanities to bring Alabamians together and make our state a better place to live. Learn more at alabamahumanities.org.

Alabama Humanities Alliance grants includes support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by grant recipients do not necessarily represent those of the NEH. 

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Follow Tania De'Shawn Russell on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Medium to see more of her writing.

By Cheyenne Trujillo | Library Assistant Ⅲ, Public Relations