February 2, 2009

LIBRARY PRESENTS “FAITH, SCHOLARSHIP, SERVICE: DR. MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE”

Celebrating Black History Month, the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System presents "Faith, Scholarship, Service: Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune," on the following dates:

Tuesday, February 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Public Library, 11211 Countryway Boulevard, Tampa.

Saturday, February 28 at 11:00 a.m. at the Seminole Heights Branch Library, 4711 Central Avenue, Tampa.

Travel back to 1954 to meet the founder of Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona, Florida-a visionary educator, civil rights activist and presidential advisor. Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, portrayed by Ersula Knox Odom, shares stories about her life and accomplishments, and her thoughts about the Supreme Courts decision about Brown vs. Board of Education.

Ersula Odom is a writer, performer, and professional speaker. She holds a theater degree from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her work has been featured widely in local publications, as well as on television and radio programs throughout the Tampa Bay area. She is the author of At Sula’s Feet, a collection of her memories about growing up in a rural area with her grandmother.

This program, presented by the Florida Humanities Council, is cosponsored by the Friends of the Upper Tampa Bay Regional Library, Friends of the Library Development Committee, and the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs. For more information about this and other FREE programs @ your library®, please call (813) 273-3652 or visit hcplc.org.