Mobile display shares facts behind the artifacts
Published 02.06.2019
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A traveling museum honoring the contributions of African-American inventors, from George Washington Carver's groundbreaking scientific discoveries to the lesser-known faces behind societal icons, helped the Penn College community observe Black History Month. Sammie L. Davis, coordinator of diversity and cultural life, facilitated the unique collection of inventions on the first floor of Madigan Library from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Curators Clifton Brown and Leland Scott were on hand to interact with visitors and answer questions about the displays, each of which includes a patent date, biographical sketch, and additional historical information and facts. “People are often surprised to learn who is responsible for inventing or improving upon so many of the products and items we see and use every day,” said Brown, a Chrysler retiree who founded the pop-up museum (and related exhibits that celebrate other African-American notables, from sports figures to musicians to civil-rights pioneers). "And I want people to know that there's enough history to celebrate year-round, not just in February!" As the state's first Gold Star Library in the PA Forward Star Program, Madigan Library was a natural to house the Ohio-based exhibition; African American History on Wheels epitomizes the "civic and social literacy" skill that helps form the five-sided foundation of the commonwealth's library initiative. For a complete list of campus programming, check out the Diversity and Community Engagement portal site or this year's poster: Black History MonthMost photos by J.J. Boettcher, student photographer