LBCC LIBRARY COMMUNITY UPDATE LCU 2 November 25, 2002 by Henry DuBois

Library Exhibit Celebrates African American Invention

Black Invention, a poster exhibit of African American inventors by LBCC Art Instructor Deon Reid, was displayed in the lobby area of LAC Library during October.  Now this moving and beautiful display has moved to PCC where it will be shown at the Library (building GG) through February, 2003 in conjunction with Black History Month.  According to LBCC Librarian Monica White, “the evocative visual images presented on each poster explore the unspoken invention of everyday items by African Americans, recognizing the spirit of imagination and creativity that produced such ubiquitous technological advances and labor-saving devices as the laserphaco probe, the ironing board, and the street sweeper.”   Intended as the artist’s personal and political response to the marginalization of African American achievement, Black Invention engages viewers with a visual statement about a silent past and challenges preconceptions and racial stereotypes.  The exhibit is supported by the LBCC Foundation and a LIVE! @ your library™ grant from the American Library Association, with additional  funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For further information contact: Monica White, Librarian (562) 938-4582, email:mwhite@lbcc.edu