Monthly Archives: January 2022

February is Black History Month, so it is fitting that Dr. Erika Denise Edwards will be talking about her award-winning book titled Hiding in Plain Sight:  Black Women, the Law, and the Making of a White Argentine Republic in February as part of UNC Charlotte’s Personally Speaking Series.  Her virtual presentation/conversation will take place at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. This free virtual event is open to the public. Register to join the conversation.

Dr. Edwards is an Associate Professor in UNC Charlotte’s History Department, where she has been teaching since 2012.  An expert on the history of the Black experience in Argentina, she draws on this expertise in Hiding in Plain Sight, which the University of Alabama Press published in 2020.  In discussing her book on the Women’s History Network blog, Dr. Edwards wrote:

Set during the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, my book, Hiding in Plain Sight: Black Women, the Law and the Making of a White Argentine Republic, focuses on women … who took matters into their own hands and sought to better their lives and the lives of their children by escaping their blackness. By examining the household as the epicenter for this transformation my book intentionally makes black women, enslaved or free, the protagonists of the whitening. Moreover, the exploration of the household activities such as domestic chores, daily interactions, and raising children created various forms of intimacy and emotional attachments that created the spaces for African descended women to maneuver and transform into Spanish women in Argentina.

Known as a “white” country today, my book examines how African descended women contributed to the making of a white Argentina (1776-1840). It focuses on the city of Córdoba, in order to expand our understanding of race relations beyond Buenos Aires.  A contrast in many ways to Buenos Aires, Córdoba served as a good case study because of its small size. I was able to cross-reference various sources which detailed the lives of various African- descended women. …

At its core, this book is about resistance.  In general, rebellions and revolutions have encapsulated black resistance, but this book engages “everyday forms of resistance.” African descended women adapted to the choices they were given, signifying that they did not passively rely on others to secure their social advancement. Instead, while remaining hidden in plain sight, they adapted not only to the rules of the household but also forged their own experiences.

For readers who are interested in learning more about Hiding in Plain Sight, the publisher has additional information on its website: http://www.uapress.ua.edu/product/Hiding-in-Plain-Sight,7299.aspx  For readers who want to know more about Dr. Edwards, please click on the following link: https://www.erika-denise-edwards.com/

Through her work as a historian who specializes in Afro-Latin America, Dr. Edwards helps us better understand that Black history extends well beyond the borders of the United States.  Her Hiding in Plain Sight adds an international dimension to the ever-expanding library of books that make up Storied Charlotte.

When I heard about Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s new bookmobile, I immediately flashed back to my first visit to a bookmobile.  I grew up in the mountains of Colorado where the closest public library was many miles away from my home.  However, every month the county sent a bookmobile to the Inter-Canyon Fire Department, where both of my parents served as volunteer firefighters.  My mother would bring my brother, sister, and me to the bookmobile, and we each got to take home a book or two.  The first book I checked out was Curious George.  I was about six at the time, but I felt very grown-up when I checked out the book all by myself.   Our bookmobile had once been a bus from the 1940s before being converted into a bookmobile, but we loved it despite its run-down appearance.  We always looked forward to our bookmobile day. 

Like the bookmobile from my childhood, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s new Mobile Library is intended to serve patrons who cannot easily visit one of the library’s branch locations.  The new Mobile Library, however, is not a converted old bus.  It is a state-of-the-art, 33-foot-long vehicle with its own generator and solar panels.  It has an ADA-compatible wheelchair lift, a speaker system, free Wi-Fi, eight public-use Chromebooks, and sufficient shelf space for 2,400 books, audiobooks, magazines, CDs and DVDs.  For more information about the Mobile Library, please click on the following link: https://www.cmlibrary.org/mobilelibrary

The Mobile Library will begin serving the community on January 18, 2022.  Saul Hernandez, the Mobile Library Coordinator, is looking forward to the launching of this new outreach service.  I contacted Saul and asked him for his thoughts on the Mobile Library and the role that it will play in the Charlotte community.  Here is what he sent to me:

The Mobile Library—which we’ve nicknamed MoLi around here—offers the opportunity for people to embrace library services in their collective backyard, even those who might not enjoy convenient access to brick-and-mortar locations. As MoLi begins its first voyages into the community, we’re excited to connect to people who are already passionate about library services as well as those who might be unfamiliar with the amazing services that are available through the golden ticket that is a Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card.

Some Mecklenburg residents might experience limitations in connecting to these services. Some who might otherwise be a passionate library customer may find themselves experiencing barriers to our services, only needing an opportunity to avail themselves of these golden opportunities. That’s where MoLi shines; we aim to provide opportunities to connect to the library throughout Mecklenburg County, to act on the principle of equitable access to information, and to deepen our existing connection to the community through the opportunities that MoLi provides us.

As we begin using MoLi to serve our communities, we are looking for opportunities to collaborate with customers to learn how we can improve our library. I’m reminded of a young man I met recently who expressed interest in starting a small business and borrowed related reading material. The privilege of being allowed these little glimpses into people’s goals, into their lives, and to help connect them to the tools they need for self-actualization is the engine that drives MoLi. I hope to meet this young man again, to learn where his book has taken him, and to deepen the service MoLi provides by offering resources and workshops related to his goals. The Mobile Library is in its infancy, but like our entrepreneur friend, we have long-term goals and passion to make our home, Mecklenburg County, that much stronger.

When you see MoLi on the road, give us a wave! Come aboard and take advantage of the services and resources that the Mobile Library offers. Share a story about some of your personal goals; we may have just what you need to help you achieve your life goals.  We are looking forward to growing alongside you!

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will hold a special ribbon-cutting event to mark the arrival of MoLi.  Billed as the Mobile Library Community Celebration, this event will take place on January 29, 2022, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Eastway Regional Recreation Center, 150 Eastway Park Drive.  The arrival of MoLi is indeed a cause for celebration, for the new Mobile Library will undoubtedly enrich Storied Charlotte by bringing books to readers and by providing library services to residents who might not be able to visit one of the library’s branch locations. 

One of my former students recently sent me an email about her resolution for the new year.  “I have one big goal for 2022,” she wrote, “and that’s to finish the YA novel that I started while I was a graduate student at UNC Charlotte.”  She asked me if I had any advice for her related to her goal.  I gave her the same advice that I often give to Charlotte writers who are looking for help or support with their writing.  I advised her to join one of Charlotte’s organizations for writers.  Such organizations can provide writers with support, encouragement, and a needed break from the solitude of a study.  Charlotte is home to several organizations and groups for writers, but for the purposes of this blog post, I will focus on three of them.

Charlotte Lit – The Charlotte Center for Literary Arts, more commonly known as Charlotte Lit, is a nonprofit arts center that holds more than 100 events annually.  Founded in 2015 by Kathie Collins and Paul Reali, Charlotte Lit declares on its website that its mission “is to celebrate the literary arts by educating and engaging writers through classes, conversation, and community.”  Charlotte Lit offers a wide variety of writing classes and workshops.  For example, this month Kathie Collins and Larry Sorkin are co-teaching a course called “Mythology and Depth Psychology: A Crash Course for Writers.” Charlotte Lit also publishes a literary journal titled Litmosphere, sponsors or co-sponsors lectures and readings by writers, and holds writing contests.  For more information about Charlotte Lit, please click on the following link:  https://www.charlottelit.org/

Charlotte Writers Club – Founded in 1922, the Charlotte Writers Club (CWC) has a long history of supporting Charlotte-area writers by offering workshops, helping writers find critique groups, and sponsoring contests.  The CWC meets monthly, and usually, a prominent writer gives a presentation at the meeting.  The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 18, at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.  At this meeting author, Megan Miranda will give a presentation titled “Finding the Right Way to Tell Your Story.”  For more information about the Charlotte Writers Club, please click on the following link:  https://charlottewritersclub.org/home

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Writing Groups – The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library sponsors a variety of writing groups, all of which are currently meeting online.  Some of these groups are intended for adults while others are for children or teenagers.  For example, on Wednesday, January 19, the Independence Regional Branch is sponsoring its “Adult Poetry Club” from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  Also on January 19, the ImaginOn Preteen Writing Group meets from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  For more information about the public library’s writing groups, please click on the following link:  https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/search/q=writing%20group

The ready availability of writing organizations and groups is one of the reasons why Charlotte is home to so many successful writers.  Aspiring Charlotte writers, such as my former graduate student, can easily find the help and encouragement they need to achieve their writing goals and make their own contributions to Storied Charlotte’s ever-expanding library.