Jammin' at JL

Today after my internship hours I stuck around Jefferson Library to attend a performance and talk by Calvin Earl. Earl discussed African American spirtuals in various contexts: slave/personal/communal narrative, linguistic code on the underground railroad, and the distinctly American art form born of enslavement, performing examples along the way. I was interested to see Jefferson Library transformed: the normally austere reading room's tables slid comfortably into the stacks on its wings to make way for seating, and there we were. The snow had cancelled Earl's performance earlier in Feb. but the public was clearly still interested in the event, which was free. This was a signature event for Monticello's celebration of Black History Month, and it was great to see the library serving the public in this manner. Jefferson Library hosts a number of events, and clearly not always lectures about TJ's tomatoes!