Scotlandville Library expands with Black Heritage Room, outdoor areas
This event will mark the start of Phase Two for the Scotlandville Branch Library renovation and expansion. The event is located at 7373 Scenic Highway.
The 'gold shovel event' will include remarks from Library Board President Candace Temple and East Baton Rouge Parish Library Director Katrina Stokes. The library said Mayor-President Sid Edwards and District 2 Metro Councilman Anthony Kenney will also attend.
The $8.8 million project will take about 10 months to finish. It is funded by the Library's 10-year dedicated property tax, with no bonds or debt involved. The project is overseen by City-Parish Architectural Services and Library staff, according to the library.
Once finished, the expanded library will include:
Over 24,000 square feet of space.
A new Archive Annex completed in Phase One.
Dedicated areas for children, teens, and adults.
Meeting and programming rooms, including a retractable stage.
A Black Heritage Room for exhibits and events.
Collaborative workspaces, free Wi-Fi, public computers, and printing.
Outdoor features like courtyards, a garden story walk, and space for a community fridge.
The library said the Black Heritage Room will provide a space for hosting programming related to African American art and literature.
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Scotlandville Library expands with Black Heritage Room, outdoor areas
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Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Miami Herald
‘Joined at the Roots' is an exhibit to change the Haitian and Black American narrative
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He notes that while both communities have made significant contributions, their impact is rarely part of mainstream conversations. 'From local politics to high school championships to shared porches and block parties, we have had real moments of collaboration, unity, and brotherhood,' adds Mervil. 'This hybrid culture did not just survive poverty. It gave rise to entrepreneurs, educators, artists, and a thriving Black middle class. This exhibition is a love letter to that shared struggle and success.' According to Mervil, every artwork featured in the exhibition contains an element of the shared narrative of the two black communities in Miami. Mervil explains that the exhibition highlights significant historical examples of collaboration between Haitians and African Americans in South Florida. 'The first wave of Haitian immigrants were welcomed by Black churches; residents in Overtown opened their homes, shared meals, and offered resources,' says Mervil. A central quote prominently displayed within the exhibition reads, 'We're either going to come together or we're going to perish together.' Mervil describes this message as pivotal. 'That quote hits deep because it's not just a warning, it's a truth. We chose it because it speaks to the heartbeat of the exhibition: We go together,' according to Mervil.. He continues, 'There is no separation in this family. Haitian, Bahamian, African, Jamaican, African American, we are all branches from the same root. When we see ourselves as one body, one vision, imagine the power of our collective economics, our collective voice, our collective vote. We don't rise until we rise together.' The idea for the exhibit began with a series of conversations with artists and community leaders about the underrepresented stories of cooperation between Haitian and African American residents in Miami. Among the artists contributing to the exhibit is Fabienne Polycarpe, a first-generation Haitian American and cultural wellness curator. She contributed a series rooted in her upbringing around her mother's beauty salon. Polycarpe's art explores hair as a profound cultural symbol, reflecting both Haitian traditions and Black American influences. 'Hair has always been more than just hair; it's been ritual, identity, memory, and survival,' says Polycarpe. As a child, she remembers how her Haitian mother instilled the importance of hairstyles that reflected discipline and respectability. 'I wore ribbons and 'boule gogo' [braid balls]; my hair parted into clean plaits,' she says. 'But deep down, I admired the colorful beads Black American girls wore.' Over time, Polycarpe began to recognize how her artistic voice was influenced by both cultures. 'And as I got older,' she adds, 'I realized my artistic voice was formed by that dual gaze, the Haitian lens of structure and reverence, and the Black American lens of freedom, creativity, and expression.' Ultimately, she concludes, her art exists in the space where these two cultures meet, carrying the language of both traditions. Another featured artist, Nate Dee, who grew up in Miami, presents a portrait of Uncle Al (Albert Leroy Moss), an African American DJ and community leader whose legacy helped bridge cultural gaps. Dee, a Haitian American muralist, recalls coming of age during a period when being Haitian carried social stigma. DJ Uncle Al's visible support for the Haitian community left a lasting impression on him. 'I went to high school down here in the 1990s, and it was really rough to be Haitian, especially in the late '80s and early '90s,' Dee says. 'So, to see a person like DJ Uncle Al, who wasn't Haitian, showing love was big for me.' Reflecting on those years, Dee adds, 'As a teen I listened to his music and even grew up thinking he was a Haitian American DJ, only to find out later that he was in fact African American. This was in part because he was very active in Little Haiti.' DJ Uncle Al, recalls Dee, founded the Peace in the Hood festival to bring together people from various neighborhoods and cultural backgrounds. His goal was to celebrate community and demonstrate that peaceful coexistence and mutual respect were possible and necessary. 'He wanted to show that we have more in common than what differentiates us, that we are all truly the same. Just different branches from the same tree.' Artist Tawana Dixon contributed two pieces to the exhibition. One pays tribute to Arthur Teele, an African American political figure whose work helped lay the foundation for the Little Haiti Cultural Complex. The other captures the vibrant Haitian presence at the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn. 'I ultimately chose to center the portrait around Teele because I wanted to explore the relationship between communities,' says Dixon, who was raised in New York and now resides in Miami. 'In doing so, I hoped to honor the bond between Haitian and African American communities in a way that wasn't too literal or expected.' Reflecting on her second piece, Dixon says her New York upbringing made it essential to include Brooklyn's Little Haiti in the show. 'While Miami's Little Haiti came first and is home to established institutions like the Cultural Complex, Brooklyn has the largest Haitian population in the U.S. and a community that has fought hard for recognition,' she says. She adds, 'Haitians in New York were once seen as underdogs in the Caribbean community, but through resilience and pride, they've earned deep respect. Their presence, especially during the West Indian Day Parade, is powerful.' Ruth Louissaint, an educator and Haitian artist, contributed a shrine centered around Dana A. Dorsey, Miami's first Black millionaire. Her installation incorporates flags, religious symbols, and historical elements that reflect the intersection of culture and spirituality. 'To me, the shrine embodies all three themes of the exhibition: identity, resistance, and unity,' says Louissaint. Other artists in the exhibition also explore the emotional depth of blended identities. Joe Wesley's photography captures moments of intimacy, pride, and joy between community members. Oscar Martinez sculpts a tribute to Dana A. Dorsey. Rico Melvin's paintings evoke ancestral memory, while his textile art speaks in the quiet, powerful language of heritage passed down. The works of Edwaffle, Nica Sweet, and Anthony Lumpkin add layers of generational reflection, migration, and domestic life. For Mervil, the exhibit reflects MUCE's broader mission to preserve heritage while diversifying the artistic landscape in South Florida. 'MUCE has always believed in bringing culture to the people, not keeping it hidden behind museum walls,' he says. 'This exhibit lives right where it belongs: in the neighborhood, in the community, and in a space built for cultural expression.' Beyond its artistic value, the exhibit aims to foster real-life conversations among community members and visitors alike. Polycarpe says the community's response has been emotional and affirming. 'What I cherish most is when someone stands in front of my work, pauses, and says, 'That's my story,'' she explains. Dee hopes younger generations inspired by his tribute to Uncle Al will learn about the DJ's contributions. 'I hope they explore his legacy and all of the positive impact he had on the Miami cultural scene,' he says. Louissaint echoes the sentiment, emphasizing the role of art in countering the divisiveness currently shaping American discourse. 'We are currently in a strange time in the U.S. where much of the rhetoric is divisive. I think events like this are important and an act of resistance against this growing trend throughout the country.' 'Joined at the Roots' also acknowledges the evolving nature of cultural identity in cities like Miami, where gentrification and displacement threaten to erase long-standing community narratives. Artists like Polycarpe see their participation as a form of preservation, a way to anchor the stories of a vanishing neighborhood in memory and meaning. 'There's a deep sense of loss, but also a sense of responsibility to share my stories of witnessing and experiencing the forever that are no longer 'forevers' but a love letter to Little Haiti,' Polycarpe says. 'Being part of this exhibition is an honor. It feels like I am giving something back to the place that raised me.' WHAT: 'Joined at the the Roots' WHEN: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Friday; Saturday and Sunday schedule may vary based on programming and events. Through Saturday, Aug 30. WHERE: Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terr., Miami COST: Free INFORMATION: 305-960-2969 or or is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music, and more. Don't miss a story at
New York Times
4 days ago
- New York Times
At This School, Students Don't Graduate. Their Teachers Eat Them.
The Library at Hellebore Compared with other horror subgenres, dark academia tends to focus on intellectual pursuits and mysteries instead of just straight-up gore. Khaw's THE LIBRARY AT HELLEBORE (Tor Nightfire, 276 pp., $29.99) does the opposite — yes, it showcases a scholarly environment, but one packed with viciousness and covered in bodily fluids. The novel introduces the Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted, a school for young people who have powerful and dangerous abilities that could, if uncontrolled, bring about the end of the world. Hellebore promises that by graduation day, it will have turned these students into people who can live normal lives. The problem is graduation isn't actually a new start for Hellebore's students; it is the end. Because rather than hosting a ceremony, the faculty eat their pupils. The novel follows Alessa Li, who was kidnapped and taken to Hellebore against her will. Her graduation day is here, and she is trapped in the institute's library, where the 'Librarian' is a monster that feeds on students. To survive, she and her classmates need to work together, but instead, they start turning on one another. Khaw's style is a peculiar mix of lyricism and brutality. The pages brim with snark and extreme violence. Layered into that are deep discussions about model minorities and gender. But Khaw keeps readers hooked with the strange allure of Hellebore itself (which, in addition to being populated by terrifying beings, is an enchanting and morphing architectural feat in its own right) and with the tension that at any moment, a student could be devoured. This is a story where there is never any solid ground, and that purposeful confusion deliciously intensifies the novel's anxiety-inducing atmosphere. At one point, Hellebore as an institution is characterized as 'unwholesomely eldritch.' That description also perfectly fits the novel. This book is a treat for horror fans — Hellebore is a perilous place you'll definitely want to visit. Explore our hand-picked genre recommendations Romance Thrillers Fantasy Sci-Fi Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hypebeast
25-07-2025
- Hypebeast
Hypebeast Community Center: Hikari no Yami
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