Activism

Marin Civic Center Library Marks Black History Month with 3 Events

The Civic Center Library’s Afternoon Book Club will celebrate and commemorate Black History and will meet in person on Thursday, Feb. 20 from 1-2 p.m. to discuss “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead. (This afternoon book club generally meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

Published

2 years ago

February 10, 2025

Oakland Post

Fauna Solomon, “The Nickel Boys” book cover, Keenan D. Webster. Photos courtesy of Marin County Civic Center Library.

By Godfrey Lee

The Marin County Civic Center Library in San Rafael will be celebrating Black History Month with presentations by Fauna Solomon on the steelpan drum, Keenan D. Webster on West African music and a book club discussion on “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead.

The library is located at 3501 Civic Center Dr., Room 427, in San Rafael, CA. 94903. Their phone number is (415) 473-6057.

Solomon will be sharing about the history and sounds of the steelpan drum on Friday, Feb. 14, from 12- 12:45 p.m. at the Civic Center Library.

Solomon is a former teacher and professional musician from Guyana, South America, and uses storytelling and performance to explore the complex and dynamic history of the instrument. Having played since age 5, Fauna has performed across the country. Her program traces the steelpan’s evolution from the West Indies to its global recognition, offering insight into its cultural and historical significance.

The Civic Center Library’s Afternoon Book Club will celebrate and commemorate Black History. It will meet in person on Thursday, Feb. 20 from 1-2 p.m. to discuss “The Nickel Boys” by Colson Whitehead. (This afternoon book club generally meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.)

A copy of the book can be requested online, or ask at the Info Desk of the Civic Center Library (or call 415-473-6057) for assistance in placing a hold.

“The Nickel Boys” is the story of two boys unjustly sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim Crow-era Florida and is based on the real story of the Nickel Academy, a reform school that operated for 111 years and warped the lives of thousands of children.

When Elwood Curtis, a Black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee, is unfairly sentenced to the Nickel Academy, he finds himself trapped in a grotesque chamber of horrors. Elwood’s only salvation is his friendship with fellow “delinquent” Turner, which deepens despite Turner’s conviction that Elwood is hopelessly naive, that the world is crooked, and that the only way to survive is to scheme and avoid trouble. As life at the academy becomes ever more perilous, the tension between Elwood’s ideals and Turner’s skepticism leads to a decision whose repercussions will echo down the decades.

Later in the afternoon at the Civic Center Library, local musician Keenan D. Webster will be sharing about the traditional instruments of the Mandinka and the Mande-speaking people of West Africa on from 4-5 p.m. on Feb. 20.

Experience the Kora (West African Mandinka harp), the Kamele Ngoni (West African Mande harp), the Balaphone (Mandinka xylophone), and more. Feel the beauty, fire, and energy of this incredible music, and learn how these traditions gave birth to the banjo and influenced blues, jazz, and popular music of today.

Webster was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His love for the blues, spirituals, and gospel and folk music of the South deepened in his youth. As a teenager in Los Angeles, California, he became fascinated with African, Afro-Cuban, reggae, and other music from the African diaspora, and was further inspired to learn about his roots, music, culture and spirituality with the Gullah, Mandinka, Mende and Yoruba people of West Africa.

He started with drums of West Africa and Afro-Cuban roots. Then came jazz and Blues, playing the saxophone and flute, and later the Native American flute. He has a deep appreciation for world music and has familiarized himself with classical music from India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Webster has been on a mission to use music for world peace, healing, to fight against racism, and to bring all people together.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Across Country, Elected Officials and Others Defend Immigrants by Refusing to Cooperate with Trump’s Call for Mass Deportations

Don't Miss

Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee Reflects on Her Career as She Bids Farewell to Congress

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of September 2 – 8, 2026

Published

3 days ago

September 7, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2026

Post News Group

Dawna Williams, EOBA executive director speaks to attendees at the Black August Eperience on Aug. 21. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Flynn of EOBA.

By Jana Lang Propel Youth Reporter

Youth-Led Black August Event Brings Past to Present at East Oakland Boxing Association

The East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA) and Youth Alive! came together on Aug. 21 to share with their community all that Black August means to them.

Held on EOBA’s patio at 816 98th Ave. in Deep East Oakland, the two organizations hosted their second annual Black August Experience, featuring a food tasting, financial literacy and mindfulness workshops, and voter registration with the League of Women Voters Oakland (LWV).

Black August is known as a time to uphold the legacy of prisoners who protested their conditions by fasting, fighting, and educating themselves on the economic and political circumstances that contributed to their incarceration.

According to its website, “EOBA is a multi-service youth and community development hub that goes far beyond the ring. While rooted in the discipline of boxing, for nearly 40 years EOBA has also integrated robust programs in workforce development, food justice, afterschool enrichment, financial literacy, mentorship, and wellness.”.

The mission of Youth Alive! Is to “break the cycle of violence, heal trauma, and uplift a thriving community of leaders, to save lives in Oakland and beyond” by serving “as mentors, youth leaders, counselors, case managers, intervention specialists and violence interrupters,” working “to help violently wounded people heal themselves and their community.”

Through Coro California, another leadership organization serving young people across the state for 80 years, they gained a broader understanding of Black August.

EOBA Executive Director Dawna Williams spoke about how much she learned about Black August from the youth who created it. “I let them educate me,” she said. Instead of talking about prison reform and mass incarceration, Williams and youth interns found that Black August meant so much more. “We would have done a disservice if we had just focused on who the people were and what their situation was…We tried to take their message from back in the day and make it relevant to the young people today. What do they need to know?”

Youth interns created and placed posters around the patio to help participants understand how traditional Black foodways, civic engagement, financial literacy, and the power of education are relevant to Black resistance today.

An EOBA member described Black August with Youth ALIVE! as “a whole vibe. “This year we added the Fun Zone for the kids, because you really cannot go wrong with a Fun Zone. I also loved seeing everyone chillin’ in the outdoor lounge, catching some Vitamin D and just enjoying a Friday evening together.”

The food tasting, a popular event from last year, featured traditional Black foods such as black-eyed peas, johnny cakes, and fried chicken. Led by Williams, the tasting included a talk about how these traditional foods were made and why they are forms of Black resilience.

The “‘Plate of History’ was a favorite of the online writers. “Fun, educational, and did I mention delicious? Our Taste of History cook, Angela Southall, served up some good eats while connecting food to history and culture.”

The writer also commended the “League of Women Voters Oakland for their civic leadership and for getting our young people informed, ready, and registered to vote.”

Overall, it was a “good Friday event in East Oakland,” the writer said.

Upcoming Black August events: Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host “Black August: The Arc of Liberation” at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The websites for East Oakland Boxing Association, Youth Alive! and CORO are sources for this report.

Jana Lang is an Oakland resident, teacher, gardener and poet participating in the Propel News Initiative.