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Africana librarian to moderate Black History Month discussion at Tompkins County Public Library

Eric Acree, director of Cornell’s Africana Library, will moderate a panel discussion at Tompkins County Public Library on Saturday, Feb. 23 as part of its Black History Month festivities.  The event, A Generational Approach to the African American Experience, will begin at 1 p.m. in the Borg Warner Community and will feature African-American community and business leaders.
 
This event is free and open to the public.  The discussion will feature a lively and inspirational dialogue with the following panelists:
 
Constance V.A. Thompson – Named “One of the 20 Outstanding Women You Should Know in Tompkins County,” Thompson serves as manager for recruitment and diversity recruitment for Cornell University.  An active volunteer for several local, regional and national organizations, Ms. Thompson has been recognized by Who’s Who Among Executive Professional Women.
 
Monte I. Trammer – Recently named president and publisher of The Ithaca Journal, Trammer began his career as a copy boy at The Indianapolis Star in 1969.  Through hard work and dedication, he climbed the ranks of the newspaper industry, serving as a founding deputy managing editor of the USA Today and publisher of The Saratogian.  Trammer believes that it is the responsibility of The Ithaca Journal and its leaders to be involved in the community.
 
Michelle Courtney Berry – An artist, teacher, mother, playwright, author, Reiki Master and business columnist, Berry is a well-recognized leader in Ithaca’s arts, legislative and business communities.  Berry served as Tompkins County’s Poet Laureate from 2002-2004 and has opened with original poetry and song for presentations by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Howard Zinn and Gayle Danley.  A former elected official, Ms. Berry holds a master’s degree in communication from Cornell University.  She owns two businesses, Courtney Consulting and Reiki Goddess.

Sean Eversley-Bradwell – Eversley-Bradwell is an assistant professor in the Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity at Ithaca College.  He is currently completing a doctorate dissertation at Cornell University in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management entitled, “Voices of Black Students and Educational Policy Implications.” He currently teaches courses on race theory, hip-hop and the African Diaspora.  His professional and community associations include the American Evaluation Association, the American Education Research Association and the National Alliance of Black School Educators.

Jacqueline Melton Scott – A native Ithacan, Scott has been a social and political activist, an educator, an organizer and an optimist since the 1950s. She has held positions as executive director of Southside Community Center, adjunct faculty member at SUNY Cortland and principal/directress/teacher at the Cambridge Montessori School in Cambridge Mass. She has also served as an education consultant and currently works at the Beverly J. Martin School.
  
For more information about the event, contact Carrie Wheeler at (607) 272-4557, ext. 248.