‘Black and Super’ back in Suffolk

Published 9:41 pm Thursday, September 5, 2019

Suffolk Public Library is bringing “Black and Super” back to Suffolk this coming week, with several events planned at Morgan Memorial Library and the North Suffolk Library.

“Black and Super: African-American History in Comics” was a celebration that the Suffolk Public Library held in February of the black superheroes from comic books, movies and television. There was so much interest in that event, library associate Cory Bland said, that it made sense to make it more than just once a year.

“The main thing that we took away from the program in February is that there are a lot of people interested in learning about black history through a sort of pop culture lens,” he said.

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It’s also very important to talk about real-life heroes, which will be the focus of “Black and Super: Heroes in Real Life” this Tuesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Morgan Memorial Library, 443 W. Washington St.

The talk is open to all ages and will feature local African American entrepreneurs, emergency workers and more.

“They’re going to talk about their careers, what inspired them, what they try to do to inspire other people and offer really good life advice,” Bland said.

“Black and Super: Documentary Night” on Wednesday from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at Morgan Memorial Library will show the documentary “White Scripts and Black Supermen.”

The documentary shows interviews with prominent artists, scholars and cultural critics to examine the degree to which early black superheroes adhered to common, often offensive stereotypes. Light refreshments will also be served.

On Saturday, “Black and Super: Family Fun Day” will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road, with storytime, crafts and more.

This is part of the library’s Supercharged Saturdays that celebrate cultural heritage and traditions of cultures both locally and around the world.

“Even if you’re not interested in comics or superheroes, it’s (still) another way to learn about different cultures,” Bland said.

These events are free and open to the public. Visit suffolkpubliclibrary.com for more information.