An exhibit by artists Terry Dixon and Robert Morris, inspired by Douglas Blackmon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery by Another Name, opened last night in the Great Hall of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. Almost 100 people attended the Black History Month kick-off and Art Exhibit opening Monday night, February 1.

Blackmon joined Dixon and Morris in a short program, which turned out to be a sneak peek of their upcoming slide presentation and lecture scheduled for Tuesday, February 23. As Dixon and Morris are native Washingtonians, many family and friends attended. The atmosphere was celebratory.

This exhibit has personal meaning my family and me. My grandfather worked in the Birmingham, Alabama, mines that Blackmon writes about and that the artists captured in their work. The artist’s depiction of that time and place commemorates all of the African-Americans who worked in those mines.

Using artifacts to capture the era, Morris has created amazing mixed-media images. One poignant moment during Dixon’s statement to the guests was a challenge to find him (his initials and date of birth) in one of his works. This is one way Dixon personalized the events of this tragic era. Dixon paints slices of this long-forgotten history, employing vibrant color and rich texture.

After the Emancipation Proclamation, African-Americans were re-enslaved by the penal system and the illegal incarceration of black males. Judges and sheriffs profited from the "leasing" of so-called convicts. Re-enslaved labor also profited northern industry. Check out Blackmon's Slavery by Another Name.

The exhibit will be in the Great Hall throughout the month of February. These are works that demand a second visit; one is not enough. The texture and depth of the art begs the onlooker to return again and again to discern the information layered in the art.

Social sciences manager, Paul T. Mills, and Dennis Davis, librarian, Black Studies Center, are responsible for the Black History Month programming. Michele Casto, librarian, Washingtoniana, served as curator. Many library staff contributed to the success of last evening’s event. 

What is the connection between gentrification and homelessness? How have shifts in the development of business districts and residential neighborhoods in D.C. affected the homeless population?

How have local government and local organizations been addressing the issue of affordable housing for D.C.’s most economically disadvantaged residents? Learn more at this panel discussion with advocates from Empower DC and National Coalition for the Homeless. Monday, February 8, 6:30 p.m. Room A-2.

What is the connection between mental health and homelessness? How could psychological and psychosocial conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia lead to homelessness? What are some resources available for people and supporters of people with mental illness, that may prevent them from ending up without a home?

Join DC Public Library and National Coalition for the Homeless as we explore these questions, in our second monthly panel discussion on the intersecting issues of homelessness. January 11, 6:30 p.m., Room A-2.