About the Freedom Library
The library was a dream of Yvonne Jones, one of the founders of the Martin Luther King Institute. It was started with a grant from the Westchester Board of Legislators, facilitated by Lois Bronz, a founder of the Martin Luther King Institute, along with some donations of books and other materials.
Because of the generous offer of space and bookcases by Rev. Joe Agne and the Memorial United Methodist Church, the library opened in 2008 in their Fireside Room, with about 600 books. It now has over 3,000 books, plus some DVDs and videos. Before COVID, our money to purchase books came primarily from Barnes & Noble bookfairs, which we held twice a year.
From the beginning we have focused on books for adults, youth and children about Dr. King, other great peacemakers, African American history, the Civil Rights Movement, African American biography, peace, nonviolence, antiracism, and other related subjects, plus diverse fiction for all ages.
It became clear that we needed to move to a space in downtown White Plains where a car wouldn’t be necessary to visit the library. Wiley Harrison, chair of the Board of Directors of the Slater Center, and Heather Miller, Executive Director of the Slater Center, offered us free space in their computer room, AND a computer dedicated to the library!
We opened at the Slater Center on Nov. 1st, 2012. Heather and her staff have gone to great lengths to help us. We have received many donations of books. One very special donation is 25 volumes (dating from 1928 to 1954) of the Journal of Negro History (now called the Journal of African American History), founded and edited by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the “Father of Modern Black History.” There are many important articles, and one volume has the transcript of a meeting after the Civil War, with African American ministers, asking
Jacqueline Tynes cuts the ribbon
for suggestions about how to help the formally enslaved. That meeting was the origin of “40 acres and a mule” - the short-lived policy, at the end of the Civil War, of providing a means for the Freedmen to support themselves.In our many programs for children from the White Plains Youth Bureau, they watched and discussed short films on the Civil Rights Movement, did a re-enactment of Rosa Parks on the bus, learned about African American cowboys, and had brief presentations about books in the library. We have had a number of other programs including ones for Sunday School classes and homeschoolers. Adult programs included book talks and poetry open mics.
One teacher who came to look at our collection sent an email saying “From a teaching point of view as well as a personal one, I think your library is a treasure.”
Books for adults and children are in the same room, making it easier for parents to search for books while the children are looking for their own books.
Come visit the library!
Cora Miles with Youth Bureau visitors