The Art of Connection

My cousins, neighbors and old friends all somehow seem connected to my new friends. My new friends are connected to my work, my hobbies or my Facebook page. I think I only have one old, friend who has a child, a new friend, who became a librarian. The world of Black librarians is very small, and our work often intersects, like it recently did in Cincinnati, Ohio.

During its development, Cincinnati was a highly segregated city. In the early 20^th century, the area of the city known as Avondale was at the height of its prominence as a thriving Jewish neighborhood. By the middle of the century, North Avondale remained upper income Jewish while other parts of the district became a lower income Black community. The 2020 census indicates that today, Avondale is predominantly home to African Americans between the ages of 18-64 with an estimated annual household income of $24,000 and because of constraints place on the area as it grew, few single unit homes were built here. These numbers tell us something, maybe about the lack of health care, cinemas. grocery stores, and coffee shops we’d find in this neighborhood, but they don’t really describe the neighborly ways and traditions; how people here look out for each other. They don’t talk about how church here is a verb rather than a place, and how the Avondale Library is a community space rather than just a repository of books.

Back in September, Tiffani Carter, a young Black librarian, shared pics on Facebook, posing with her girls who had recently participated in a program that developed as a result of a partnership between ProjectArt and the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library . Tiffani is the branch manager of Avondale Library in the Cincinnati Public Library System and part of what drives her commitment is her belief in library as space. The Branch is one of nine in the system that was built with funds provided by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation in 1913. The building, though in much need of updating, still stands firm 111 years later. Tiffani’s office is this bright little room at the front of the library, located right where the children can find her.

Dutana Dago, a Black artist, was the Resident Teaching Artist brought to teach art classes for young people at the Avondale Branch in its inaugural ProjectArt program. Although the program was created for ages 13-18, close kinship ties brought younger children to the classes, and this proved no problem or Dutana and Tiffany who improvised instruction to allow the children’s desire to work with their siblings to dictate the planning. Tiffany learned to bring this sense of equity into her programming from her Library Mom, Theresa Mosby. She let Tiffani realize as a child that library space exists to make children feel good by helping them learn how to overcome life’s challenges. These women advocate for their children.

Dutana, based in Cincinnati, is from Minneapolis. Approaching this work as an artist, she advocates for the recognition of Black creativity. In the library program, she created space for developing young Black artists to explore and design by creating collages and hand sculptures, while working with clay, water colors and other mediums. She began overhearing the children say that they wanted to be Jayda Wayda. Dutana saw this as an opportunity to express the intentionality of art as a cultural object used for communication and connection that can resist Black erasure. Dutana began working with her students on the art of Black hair, learning not only how to care for it, but also how to use it to express themselves. In addition to styling their hair, the girls began to learn about its care. From this experience, Dutana created the photo exhibit “Hair Privilege: Braided Portrait Series” feature Jolene, Lynetta, Skyler, and Na’Davia in the portraits. The images were displayed at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center and then, put on permanent display in the Avondale Library.

The girls often bring their families and friends to see their images on display. They are so proud of their work, and rightfully so! Reflecting on the project, Tiffani told me that “the girls have life challenges, but this built character and cemented friendships.”

Tiffani believes this is what libraries do: they provide space to bring people together, connecting one resource, one service, one child, with another. Black women remember what it was like, learning our hair and finding the resources to help us shine and we sometimes need help with that. Dutana and Tiffani let the girls tell them what they needed, though the girls probably didn’t even know themselves. These women knew how to listen.

When I went to the library to meet everyone and see the artwork, I was so impressed by the poise, confidence, and beauty of these young girls, and I wondered what next? What will the library, the church, the community do for them next? I know Tiffani has plans! Given the support her district leaders showed for her the day I was there, I’ve no doubt she’ll be able to continue her advocacy. For her, this is what being a librarian is all about.

This is Tiffani’s next project, connecting with more community members.

Tiffani and I connected because I went to the University of Cincinnati with her mom, Debra. Debra connected Tiffani with the library as a child and the rest, as they say, is history herstory.

Filed under: Communities & Outreach