librarianrebels - Tumblr blog

librarianrebels · 8 years

Photo

Within history textbooks, articles, even academic journals highlighting influential librarians, you will be hard to find information on Regina Anderson Andrews. Anderson Andrews began working at Chicago Public Library but it was after a vacation to New York City in 1922 that inspired Anderson Andrews to stay in New York City and begin working at the 135th Street Branch of the New York Public Library (NYPL). Regina fought long and hard for a fair wage and a fair chance for a promotion (which African Americans were denied), as well as the opportunity to work at different branches amongst the geographically sparse New York Public Library. With assistance from W.E.B. Du Bois and the N.A.A.C.P. , she eventually fulfilled her goals.

On June 10, 1930, Regina received a telegram notifying her “that you have been transferred from the 135th Street Branch to Rivington Street Branch and . . . [promoted] from Grade 2 to Grade 3, as assistant branch librarian, with an increase in salary from $155 to $165 per month. After 6 years at Rivington Street Branch, Regina transferred to the 115th Branch which was almost exclusively colored patrons. It was for the next decade that Regina worked at the 115th Branch. She became the first African American to head a branch in NYPL history. She gave a speech as she accepted the title of Acting Branch Librarian and said, “We must be more than Librarians, bibliophiles, curators and catalogers in order to develop the kind of social philosophy necessary for a modern community library.” She also stated that it was important to provide the community space for various activities such as clubs, lectures, classes, and plays— which she would later arrange.

Throughout her life which covered much of the 20th century, Anderson Andrews had witnessed wars, protests, and movements. Point in case, The Harlem Renaissance. “This was a time when educated, upper-class African American intellectuals, writers, poets, musicians, teachers, doctors, lawyers, visual artists, and social scientists converged in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem. They produced nonfiction books and essays, novels, plays, poetry, visual art, and magazines among many other works depicting a range of African American life, although the primary objective was usually to uplift the race by countering prevailing views of African Americans as lazy, shiftless, and uncouth. Known primarily as an artistic and literary movement, the Harlem Renaissance was also a sociopolitical and intellectual movement.” Regina was an actress, director, and playwright. She teamed up with W.E.B. Du Bois who founded Crisis Guild of Writers and Artists to create and produce plays for and by African Americans. Within their written philosophy it was stated that within their theatre, the content must “plots which reveal negro life as it is”. It was stated that the theatre “ must be catered primarily to negro audiences”, and it must be close to negro neighborhoods. This theatre company and others like it were set to combat the racist stereotypes and tropes often portrayed in white plays with white actors in black face.

Within the library itself, Regina secured the rehearsal space in the basement of the 135th Street Branch of the New York Public Library, allowing production to flourish. She also maintained productive spaces for newcomers to work by making a space for African American writers to work, Langston Hughes, Eric Walrond, and Claude McKay were some of these writers. Regina Anderson Andrews was a force to be reckoned with. Her single acts of defiance, outspokenness, and offered support to peers, would not be noted for their revolutionary spirit until many years later, sadly. It is important to note that she was not just the support to this melting of the minds, she was right up in the mix of things with the best of them. Such is the story of many women throughout history, not to mention the story of almost all librarians. With assignments like these, I hope that will one day change.- MJ

#librarianrebels #Librarian #peopleyoushouldknow #herstory #woc

3 notes · View notes

librarianrebels · 8 years

Text

Librarian Rebels

Initially named Badass Librarians, this tumblr will be used to showcase some of the most brilliant and rebellious minds that history seems to have forgotten. In the full interest of disclosure, I will tell you that this project has begun as a direct result of my Children’s Literature: Criticism and Response class, in which we are to create a multi genre project(not so much in literary terms, as much as various mediums to showcase-a topic of our choosing).

Awesome assignment, right? No, I’m not just sucking up to my professor (Hello, Professor W!), I am genuinely excited to get this bad boy going. Libraries have been my sanctuary for many years and librarians are some of my favorite people on earth, they just so happen to be some of the most progressive and fearless to boot!

Feel free to message me on here (or email- [email protected]) with any suggestions as to librarians/ people in the library world to feature whether they be from 100 years ago or are active today. You may also hashtag any posts with #LibrarianRebels on here and twitter (LibrarianRebels) and I will see it. I also welcome corrections as there are not a TON of resources to compare in terms of accuracy. I will site my reliable academic sources and pray they are all accurate.

Thanks,

Montgomery Jones

#librarians #library #rebels #activists #books #Librarian Rebels

2 notes · View notes