This month, Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) is honoring the lives of those lost at the Mother Emanuel AME Church five years ago by promoting acts of kindness around the county and releasing a special tribute documentary about Cynthia.
The Library is asking the public to perform acts of kindness and post a photo or video of the act to social media using #ThisIsForCynthia. Cynthia Graham Hurd was one of the nine people killed in the shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church and she was a beloved long-time librarian with CCPL. The Cynthia Graham Hurd/St. Andrews Library is named after her.
“We do not want anyone to forget what happened to Cynthia or the eight others killed in the church five years ago,” said CCPL Executive Director Angela Craig. “Every year since the tragedy, we have worked to honor her legacy through book drives for her family’s foundation, special programs, exhibits and events. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are unable to host these tributes this year and that pains us. We hope the community will take this opportunity to share a little love, even from afar.”
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CPL will also release a video tribute of Cynthia Graham Hurd on June 17. “Cynthia Graham Hurd, A Legacy Everlasting,” was produced by CCPL Digital Studio Manager and local documentarian Julian Gooding and features family, friends and elected officials sharing their stories and special messages.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
