Report: “LA Public Library to Celebrate the Life and Legacy of LA’s First Black Librarian, Miriam Matthews”

From LAist:

This Wednesday, Dec. 11, the Los Angeles Public Library’s Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the building’s opening, as well as the life and legacy of its namesake, Miriam Matthews.

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Matthews’ accomplishments run the gamut from advocating for Negro History Week in the city – the precursor to Black History Month – to helping publicly recognize the Black and Indigenous heritage of the pobladores who founded L.A.

When confronted with obstacles, Matthews found a way to advocate for herself after she’d been misled or skipped over for opportunities, including the opportunity to apply for a librarianship at LAPL. In interviews, Matthews always attributed this steadfastness to her parents, who moved to L.A. when she was a toddler to get away from the segregation of the Jim Crow South.

“Even though I wasn’t what I’d call a brash, forward-type person, I always quietly said my piece when I thought something was not right,” Matthews, who died in 2003, said.

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Filed under: Interviews, Libraries, News, Public Libraries