Joan Y. Harris: Celebrating an Archival Legacy

Charles Dyer and Joan Harris, outside UB's Hilda and Michael Bogomolny Room 

Last Saturday, Langsdale Library honored the legacy of archival collection donor, Joan Y. Harris, ACSW. Ms. Harris devoted her career to Baltimore as a public school social worker, supervisor, and administrator. Her collection of archival records, known as the Baltimore City Public Schools Social Work Services Records (BCPS), is one of over 150 collections held in Langsdale’s Special Collections.

Want to know more about Ms. Harris’ contributions to school social work in Baltimore and the archival collection she donated to Langsdale Library? The BCPS collection guide in our archival database is the best place to start! Our donor herself has written an impressive narrative introduction to the project, with detail and precision that is characteristic of all Ms. Harris’ work!

The BCPS collection was scanned and put online in its entirety several years ago, through the determination and perseverance of Special Collections’ staff members, including Angela Koukoui. These digital files are accessible through the database, or this handy PDF document.

At last weekend’s ceremony, Joan's friends, family, and colleagues gathered with members of the UB community to recognize the importance of preserving the archives of school social work. Ms. Harris herself spoke to the enduring value of these records, which provide historical insight into the challenges of teachers, administrators, and youth in the City’s public school system through the significant changes of the 20th century. Langsdale thanks Ms. Harris and archival donors like her, whose careers and contributions become part of Baltimore history through preservation in the archives.

Online Sources: Baltimore and the Black Arts Movement

Cover art from a 1980 issue of Chicory magazine

From 1966 until 1983, Enoch Pratt Free Library published Chicory, a literary magazine by Baltimore residents. According to historian Mary Rizzo, Chicory began as a federally funded Great Society program run by Evelyn Levy and Thelma Bell. It sought to give a voice to residents in Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods and to develop black aesthetics in the arts locally.

Want to know more about this long-overlooked Baltimore arts magazine? View digital copies of all 126 issues in the statewide digital collection database, Digital Maryland: http://collections.digitalmaryland.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/mdcy

Cultural Arts Program Exhibit Opens 3/7

By Guest Blogger, Angela Rodgers-Koukoui

I’m very pleased to announce the opening of the Cultural Arts Program photo exhibit next Monday, 2/15  3/7, from noon to 2 pm. The exhibit, which is a collaboration between Langsdale Library Special Collections and the Division of Legal, Ethical and Historical Studies, will be located in room 317 of the H. Mebane Turner Learning Commons. The exhibit will feature a timeline with photographs, videos, and artifacts from the Cultural Arts Program, which began in Baltimore City in 1968 as part of the Model Cities Agency and continued through 1993 in the Urban Services Agency.

As the curator and designer of the exhibit, I would like to thank Langsdale Library for all of its assistance, as well as LEHS associate professor Dr. Nicole Hudgins for including this exhibit in the opening of the Ethics in the Arts Week at UB.

The Cultural Arts Program was one of the most successful art programs ever created in the history of Baltimore City. I say this not only as an alumna of the program, but also as a current art instructor and researcher who is eager to understand why high-quality youth arts education has been limited to so few in recent years. My quality of life was improved significantly by participating in the Cultural Arts Program as a child. I grew up in one of the poorest areas of Baltimore City. People who do not understand this kind of environment are unaware of the horrible impact of living in a sea of hopeless and what it can do to a child’s development. I was a walking statistic, born to fail; it was through the Cultural Arts Program that I was able to gain a sense of value of both my self-worth and my community. These values have been instilled in me and other CAP alumni, which is why so many of us are now teachers and community leaders running youth organizations throughout the country.

A lot of historic milestones occurred during the quarter-century run of the Cultural Arts Program. A few of these include the desegregation of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the celebration of the first African American Heritage Festival (AFRAM), and the creation of the first Urban Ballet Company. Barriers were broken, lives were saved from the streets, and the community was thriving in the field of the arts. I hope this exhibit will educate and enlighten others to understand the importance of quality art education for every child, especially in under-served areas of the city.

Lastly, I would like to thank the Langsdale Library Special Collections department. When I came to UB as a community researcher and discovered that Special Collections had my history in their archives, I had no prior knowledge of archivists or the role they play. Archivists Aiden Faust and Ben Blake have no idea that their commitment to preserving Baltimore's history is what encouraged me to enroll here at UB. Now I'm not only a student, but also a student assistant in Special Collections. This has been a humbling experience, and I'm truly amazed by the outpouring of support I've had while attending UB.

I hope everyone is able to join us for the opening reception of the Cultural Arts exhibit next week March 7th!

Sneak Preview: Ten Hills Collection

A sneak peek at archival records in the Ten Hills Collection

Langsdale Library Special Collections is pleased to announce a new addition to the archives, the Ten Hills Collection. Longtime neighborhood resident and Ten Hills history buff, Stephen Israel, worked with the community association and archivists in Special Collections to transfer the material earlier this week.

Want to know more about Ten Hills? Check out the community profile on the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance website. A summary of the Ten Hills Collection exists in the library’s archival collection database. Staff in Special Collections will be digging into the boxes over winter break, so additional information will be available to researchers soon!