Editor: Please do not edit out ALA credit in the last two paragraphs.
As part of the Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries, an American Library Association (ALA) grant, the Chatham Area Public Library will be hosting a film viewing and discussion of the documentary Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility In America. The film viewing will occur on Friday, September 24 at 6:30 PM and the discussion on Saturday, September 25 at 9:30 AM; both will take place at the Library and are for Chatham community members 18 years of age and older.
“This event is an opportunity for the community to share in a common experience and discuss important topics and ideas. It’s an opportunity to come together, to actively listen, and to share,” said Library Director, Amy Byers. Registration is required for this event, and can be done on the Library’s website at https://www.chathamlib.org/monthly-calendar by September 17.
The event is free, and participants will receive a free copy of the book "Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights" by Gretchen Sorin along with a gift card to a Black-owned restaurant. For more information, please visit www.chathamlib.org or contact Megan Freeman at [email protected] or at 217-483-2713.
Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined the role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized free dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; and have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff.
“Libraries Transforming Communities: Focus on Small and Rural Libraries is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL).”