Posted: February 13, 2019Written by: Ritchie Bermudez

Cuesta College is celebrating Black History Month in February with a display and poetry/literature readings.

The SLO Campus Library is now featuring an exhibit entitled “America’s Forgotten Greatness.” Curated by Cuesta English Professor Eric Atkinson, the vintage materials on display are the personal artifacts of the Atkinson family. Items featured include sheet music, a poster fragment from an 1856 slave auction, and a c. 1940s metal sign reading “Colored Rest Room.” This actual sign was in place at a Humble Oil Station in a small Texas town until the late 1960s when the station was demolished.

Eric was inspired to share these historical items “because there is a personal connection with history. These pieces are examples of moments, snapshots in time, that allow us to understand the legacy they bring with them that still affects American culture and society today.” A preview of the exhibit is available on the Cuesta Library website: https://libguides.cuesta.edu/bhm

The exhibit will be up through the month of February. The SLO Campus Library (Building 3200, upstairs) is open Monday – Thursday, 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. It is closed on weekends and holidays.

In addition to the exhibit, a poetry and literature reading entitled “Black Ink: The Power of African American Literature” will be co-hosted by the Cultural Center, Library and English departments on both Cuesta College campuses. The event will also feature a reading and talk by Santa Barbara Poet Laureatue, Sojourner Kindcaid Rolle.

·     SLO Campus: Thursday, February 21, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m., Library Group Study Area, Building 3200
·     North County Campus: Tuesday, February 26, 11:00 a.m. – noon, Library, Dallons Hall, Room N3102 (Note - Location has changed)

For more information, please call the library at (805) 546-3155 or (805) 546-3157.