SCRANTON — Black History Month opened on Saturday with a kickoff event at the Black Scranton Project Center for Arts & Culture, which drew over 100 area residents for a celebration that will continue throughout February.
This year’s theme, “Labor of Love,” applies both to the the work Black residents of the city have done throughout its history and the efforts which made the Center’s success a reality, Black Scranton Project founder and CEO Glynis Johns said
The goal is to continue to showcase and curate African American history, she said.
Six years ago, Johns — having recently completed her master’s thesis — began the effort with a pop-up exhibit entitled the “Black Scranton Project” at a storefront at the Steamtown Mall, which drew 1,200 visitors during an eight week period. Now, six years later, the organization has found a permanent home at the Center for Arts and Culture on North Main Avenue.
“This is literally a labor of love and I’m so happy the tradition is continuing in the city of Scranton, now more than ever,” she said.
Scranton city issued a proclamation which will be on display at the Center throughout the month.
Johns said such proclamations are important and looks forward to putting them up every year until, in a hundred years, they cover the walls of the Center.
Inspiration and education
Brenda Johnson, Vice President of the Lackawanna County branch of the NAACP, credited Johns with creating an amazing space bringing otherwise unknown Black history to residents.
As she pointed to a photo of Wilt Chamberlain, for example, Johnson said most people were not aware that he visited the area in 1999 as part of the Harlem Globetrotters, speaking with and inspiring children during his visit.
Another exhibit presents a map of Scranton and numerous newspaper articles, emphasizing downtown areas where members of the Black community lived during the late 1800s, including multiple alleys in the downtown area.
Johnson believes that, especially at this point in history, such events which highlight the contributions of Black Americans are very important.
For information on Black Scranton Project and its upcoming events for Black History Month, see blackscranton.org.
Originally Published: February 1, 2025 at 4:04 PM EST