It’s been several years since I’d seen her, and she is as beautiful, regal, and delightful as ever!
My mind was all over the place: revisiting trips to Washington Highlands Library, and recalling how she worked tirelessly to make the school library inviting, rich, and safe. I remembered the BRAT (Books Really Are Terrific) club, and Read-A-Thons she spearheaded, seeing her in her office, listening to the summaries from countless children (including my own daughter), as they endeavored to read 100 books; how she invited her famous friends and associates to the school— from Dick Gregory, and Eloise Greenfield, to Lucille Clifton, and E. Ethelbert Miller. I couldn’t forget how she always supported my Art, and even held a book signing after the first book I’d illustrated was published.
I thought about my Mom, too, and what great friends, confidants, and colleagues they’d been. Mom was older by a year, and they even favored one another so much, they could have been mistaken for sisters. She was always welcome at our house, (especially to enjoy some gumbo, or sweet potato pie), and they even decided to retire from DCPS on the same day.
Seeing the wonderful Sharon Bell Mathis today, brought me so much joy. She’s still strong, witty, wise, clever, sharp, and oozing the care and love of people, students, community, culture, reading, writing, and literacy that she did every day as librarian at Friendship/P. R. Harris Educational Center.
Joining her was award winning author, Brian Gilmore, who shared his early interest in, and respect for Sharon’s writing, and left us all anticipating his soon to be released work, “No More Worlds to Conquer: The Black Poet in Washington, D.C. Since Paul Lawrence Dunbar”.
Journalist, poet, and author, jonetta rose barras has conceived a wonderful thing, with the symposium/ exhibition, African Americans and Children’s Literature Project, and emphasized how important it is to promote library science, invigorate school libraries, support librarians, celebrate and remember the roles and work of noted creatives in the DMV, and make it our mission to introduce them to young readers and writers.
Barras envisioned an event championing African American Children’s Literature, and the authors, poets, and illustrators whose work was dedicated to it.
After inquiring of her whereabouts, from people she thought would know where she was, searching Google and social media, and coming up empty, she enlisted the help of a journalist friend, who is also a private investigator, to locate not only Sharon, but writer Maxine Claire as well.
The P.I. did not disappoint. Jonetta learned that Sharon is alive, well, and still writing. Barras did not want to proceed with her endeavor without Sharon, and other pioneer writers who she knew were integral to her topic, and would validate her effort. “How can you do this, or talk about that, without including them?”
She sent Sharon a letter, via currier, that included an invitation to participate.
Sharon, at 86, initially thought it was a scam, but responded, agreed to participate in the initial symposium, and is currently contributing to select, subsequent events held at local DC libraries.
At today’s event, a roomful of eager listeners included her former students—and THEIR children. Now, another generation will know and enjoy her contributions to Literature.
If no one cares or shares the jewels in our midst, who will know of them? If the inclination to cast aside what’s not current, in favor of what we THINK is new continues, people will always be shocked, amazed, and “today years old” when exposed to, and learning of originals and originators.
Sometimes, we go all around Robin Hood’s barn, put out feelers outside of our communities, spend resources, and break our necks stepping over what’s valuable, competent, useful, and capable, when the people we need, could enlist, and should include, are right under our noses.
Perhaps some might think that hiring a P.I. was extreme, but History, walks among us; expertise, and wisdom too, but we don’t, and won’t know who he, or she is, or who they are if we’re not persistent.
Is gatekeeping a thing, or do those with authority, responsibility, or platforms, need to expand their OWN knowledge? That body of work you’ve unfairly judged, decided to ban, or tossed aside, just might be worth knowing. That person you don’t know, might be, too. (Isn’t it weird how people perk up, stumble over themselves, and become apologetic, when the person they snubbed, mistreated, or disrespected, turns out to be someone who could have changed their lives?)
If you want to have a conversation about, produce a documentary about, convene a panel to discuss, compile a list, have a conference highlighting, establish an award honoring, write an essay, think piece, or book about anything or anyone, and you want it to be comprehensive, and taken seriously, there are specific things you cannot—must not—omit. You have to ask, if you don’t know. What you DO include, will determine if you’re conscientious or lazy when it comes to research, intent on telling the truth or glossing over it, an aficionado or woefully uninformed.
History, and history-makers matter. If they’re still around to tell the story, they need to be at the table, on the dais, at the podium, on the stage, in the room, on the screen. They fill in the blanks, set records straight, and even remind us how far we’ve come, and how grateful we should be. They reveal the identities of those upon whose shoulders THEY stand.
Sometimes, we shamefully forget, don’t know about, or deem irrelevant, those upon whose shoulders WE stand, and the contributions they’ve made—and they’re still…right…here. Our weight upon their shoulders can’t drive them into the ground. We have to lift them up. They’re STILL here.
Representation really does matter—and as for Sharon’s suggestion, it would be nice if the children’s reading room at the MLK Library was named in honor of her dear friend, Eloise.
#newberry
#caldecott
#childrensliterature
#africanamericanauthors
#humanitiesdc
#theblackstudentfund
#theinstituteforafricanamericanwriting
#sharonbellmathis
#protectlibrarians
#readingisfundamental
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