Wednesday, February 23, 2011

South Carolina Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes
Viola Davis

Actress
(1965-)
Davis was born on her grandmother's farm in St. Matthews, South Carolina, the daughter of Mary and Dan Davis. Her family moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island when she was two months old. Davis majored in theatre at Rhode Island College, graduating in 1988; in 2002 she received an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the college. She also attended the Juilliard School for four years. She won Broadway's 2001 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play) for August Wilson's "King Hedley II." She had previously been nominated in the same category in 1996 for another Wilson play, "Seven Guitars."
 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

South Carolina Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes



Baseball Player
(1923-2003)

Born in Camden, South Carolina in 1923, Lawrence Eugene Doby was the son of David and Etta Doby. He was the first African-American to hit a home run in an All-Star game and was the first African-American to win a league home run crown. He is best remembered as power hitters, who like other power hitters, did strike out a lot. In May of 1948 he hit what would have been one of the longest home runs in history, estimated at over 500 feet, had it not hit a loud speaker hanging high over the center field fence in Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. Almost exactly a year later he hit another home run over 500 feet. It cleared the scoreboard in right center field in the same ball park.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Love for Spoken Word: Poetry Slam Ages 12-17

Join St. Andrews TeenSpot as we show our love for Spoken Word. You could recite a poem, sing a song, or show off your art work. It is all about your talent.




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Time
Wednesday, February 23 · 4:00pm - 5:30pm

Location
 St. Andrews Regional Library
 1735 North Woodmere Drive
 Charleston, SC

THAT'S SO GRAPHIC: NEW GRAPHIC NOVELS

We have new graphic novels for you!!!

Point Blank: The Graphic Novel 
by Anthony Horowitz

Alex Rider, the youngest spy ever recruited and forced into service by MI6--Great Britain's premiere espionage agency, returns in POINT BLANK with a vengeance. Only a few days have passed since Alex's last adventure when he helped catch the man responsible for murdering his uncle, Ian Rider, who had also been a spy. His excuses, a doctor's note no one quite believes, have barely been made before he's spirited off by Alan Blunt and Mrs. Jones, the head of Special Operations. Two deaths of rich and powerful men, one of them a personal friend of Blunt's, have triggered an investigation into the matter of those deaths. One man was killed violently while the other, a VERY careful man, apparently died by an unfortunate accident. The common denominator: both men had problem children, sons that were sent to a new school in France called Point Blanc. Blunt assigns Alex to infiltrate the school on a Search and Report mission. Once there, Alex discovers that the boys attending the school are all eerie, all acting like little puppets who answer every command of the creepy Dr. Hugo Grief and Mrs. Stellenbosch. In no time at all, Alex Rider fourteen year old spy extraordinaire is once more facing a grim and certain death if he doesn't use every ounce of cunning and intelligence he possesses.




Skeleton Key: The Graphic Novel 
by Anthony Horowitz
Trying to return to a "normal" life as a schoolboy after a mere four weeks since his last MI6 adventure, Alex Rider is recruited right off the soccer field to check out some suspicious goings-on at Wimbledon. This assignment catapults him into a series of life-threatening episodes, such as coming face to face with a great white shark, dodging bullets as he dives off a burning boat, and being tied to a conveyor belt that is moving toward the jaws of a gigantic grindstone in an abandoned sugar factory. Soon the teen is single-handedly taking on his most dangerous enterprise yet. His mission is nothing short of saving the world from a nuclear attack, engineered by the psychopathic and egomaniacal former commander of the Russian army. Alex is armed only with a few specially designed gadgets, which are disarmingly age-appropriate: a Gameboy that doubles as a Geiger counter, a cell phone whose aerial shoots out a drugged needle that is activated by pressing 999, a Tiger Woods figurine that doubles as a small grenade when its head is twisted just so.

South Carolina Black History

St. Andrews TeenSpot Salutes
Reverend Joseph DeLaine

Civil Rights Actvist
(1898-1974)

To the South, the United States Supreme Court's decision to end segregation in the nation's public schools was a calamity; for a middle age Methodist minister from Clarendon County, South Carolina, it was the fulfillment of a lifelong crusade. The Reverend Joseph Armstrong DeLaine, who died in 1974, was one of the true heroes in the civil rights struggle to break down the barriers of segregation. Ultimately, Briggs v. Elliott became one of five cases which were considered and heard collectively under the name of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. Success came at a price for DeLaine. In Lake City, he was subjected to a reign of terror that eventually persuaded him to leave the state. "I am not running from justice but INJUSTICE," he told the FBI.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

BOOK REVIEW- RAISING KANE BY DARRIEN LEE (5 STARS)

Raising Kane By Darrien Lee  

Everyone deserves a second chance.

Denim is back and she has crossed the path of someone else that needs her help. Denim meets her new neighbor in the weirdest way. Kane is a sixteen year old student at a private school. She has a father cares who for her deeply and a mother that is addicted to drugs. The paths of Denim and Kane cross as Kane decides that she is going to run away from home. Drama at McDonald’s between Kane’s mother (Yolanda) and her gets so out of hand that the police are called and her father has to place a restraining order to protect his family. Kane is frustrated with having to be a second mother to her two younger brothers. She tells her father that she wants a normal teenage life but that is impossible with all the responsibilities that she has. This is where Denim comes in. Denim starts to spend time with Kane and her brothers. At this time Kane’s father notices that she is growing up and that she needs to be around others her own age. Yolanda sees the damage that she has caused her family and really wants to overcome her addiction. Devin sees all the pain and beatings that Yolanda is taking from the hands of Leon and decides it is time to help her overcome her demon. With the help of Devin, Yolanda overcome the drugs but also falls in love with him.

Will the relationship between Kane and her mother be mended? Does overcoming an addiction means a happy family? Will Kane be able to have a teenage social life or will she always be a second mother?

With this novel Darrin Lee deals with the subject of addiction and the dynamics of the family. He nailed it on the head with making sure he includes the feelings of the whole family. The handling of the subject matter was very much at a level that many teens can understand. Lee places words in a way that the teenage reader is not feeling like a young child but as an adult that they are growing into.



Raising Kane by Darrien Lee receives 5 stars.

South Carolina Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes

 
Charles F. Bolden, Jr.


Astronaut (1946-)
A resident of Houston, Bolden was born Aug. 19, 1946, in Columbia, S.C. He graduated from C. A. Johnson High School in 1964 and received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, retired Marine Corps Major General Charles Frank Bolden, Jr., began his duties as the twelfth Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on July 17, 2009. As Administrator, he leads the NASA team and manages its resources to advance the agency's missions and goals.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

South Carolina Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes
J. Anthony Brown

Actor & Comedian

A native of Columbia, South Carolina, J. Anthony started his comic career in 1972 as a regular at an Atlanta comedy hot spot. He moved on to Los Angeles in 1989 where he became a staff writer for The Arsenio Hall Show. Later writing gigs included The Parenthood and Me and the Boys. His television acting credits include Comic View, Like Family, Living Single, The Parenthood, Sparks, Moesha, The Parkers, Def Jam, It’s Showtime at the Apollo, and Evening at the Improv. Movie credits include How to Be a Player, Drumline, Triple X, and Mr. 3000.

Monday, February 14, 2011

South Carolina Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes
Augusta Baker

(1911-1998)
Librarian
Augusta Baker was born on April 1, 1911, in Baltimore, Maryland, the only child of 2 schoolteachers. In 1933, she received a BA in Education from New York State College (SUNY, Albany) and a BS in Library Science in 1934 from SUNY. In 1980 she moved to Columbia, SC to become the University of South Carolina's storyteller-in-residence at the College of Library and Information Science. She retired from this position in 1994. In 1986 The University of South Carolina College of Library and Information Science and the Richland County Public Library established the annual Augusta Baker's Dozen: A Celebration of Stories in her honor.
 

Thursday, February 10, 2011

South Carolina Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes

Paul Benjamin


(1938-)
Actor

Benjamin was born in Pelion, South Carolina. On the big screen during the '90s, Benjamin worked with some well-known directors. He appeared in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, Robert Townsend's The Five Heartbeats, Bill Duke's Hoodlum, and John Singleton's Rosewood. On television, he appeared in the 1994 pilot episode of ER, which led to his recurring role of homeless man Al Ervin during the next few seasons.Benjamin also worked on the American Masters documentary of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ralph Ellison, which aired on PBS.


 

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

February Happenings at St. Andrews TeenSpot!!!

February Happenings at
St. Andrews TeenSpot!!!


St Andrews Young Adult February 2011 Calendar of Events
All programs are Ages 12-17

Black History "I Admire” Essay Contest 
Entries have to be in by February 25, 2011



St. Andrews TeenSpot Ambassador’s Meeting Ages 12-17
Wednesday, February 2, 6pm
Come and chat with us about what you want your library to do for you. 


St. Andrews TeenSpot Theater Presents “THE WIZ” Ages 12-17
Monday, February 7, 5pm
An adaption of "The Wizard of Oz" that tries to capture the essence of the African American experience. Rated G; 134 min









African American Bowl Ages 12-17
Wednesday, February 9, 3pm
Outsmart all and win the prize package.






St. Andrews TeenSpot Theater Presents “DREAMGIRLS” Ages 12-17
Monday, February 14, 5pm
Based on the Broadway musical, a trio of black female soul singers crosses over to the pop charts in the early 1960's. Rated PG-13 130 mins







St. Andrews TeenSpot Theater Presents “PRIDE” Ages 12-17
Wednesday, February 16, 3pm
The determined Jim Ellis starts a swim team for troubled teens at the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. Rated PG; 104 mins






Bridging the Gap: My Family History All ages
Tuesday, February 22, at 6pm
Come and listen to Thomlin Martin-Polite trace her family history from her native country to the present.




Love for Spoken Word: Poetry Slam Ages 12-17
Monday, February 23, 4pm
Show your love for words by reciting your poetry to other. Listen to other guest poets share their work.





St. Andrews TeenSpot Theater Presents “SARAFINA!” Ages 12-17
Monday, February 28, 5pm
A South African musical by Mbongeni Ngema depicting students involved in the Soweto Riots, in opposition to apartheid. Rated PG-13 117mins

South Carolina Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes

Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates
(1907-1998)

Born in South Carolina in 1907, Bates lost his left leg at age 12 in a freak factory accident. Ever the entertainer, he was determined to continue dancing. And dance he did, to fame and massive acclaim. During his long career, Bates performed at Harlem’s Cotton Club, for the queen of England, and at least 20 times on The Ed Sullivan Show. He continued to tap-dance even after retirement, and until his death (in 1998) he lectured to audiences (particularly in the Ellenville area) about his life experiences, and the importance of tolerance among white and black, disabled and nondisabled.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

South Carolina Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes


Charlotta Amanda Bass
(1874-1969)
Newspaper publisher-editor, civil rights activist

Bass was born in Sumter, South Carolina on February 14, 1874. She relocated to California in 1910 for health reasons. Charlotta Bass took over control of The California Eagle, upon the death of the paper's founder, John James Neimore, in 1912 and served as its publisher until 1951. Bass retired from the newspaper business in 1951. Her later years were devoted to politics. In 1952 she became the first African-American woman to run for national office as the Vice Presidential candidate on the Progressive Party ticket.


Thursday, February 3, 2011

South Carolina's Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes

Marjorie Amos-Frazier
 
Community Leader
Born: 1926
Death: June 23, 2010

Marjorie Amos-Frazier, once described as "a one-person social service agency with a sweet demeanor and a will of steel," has spent her life breaking down barrier. Frazier was first woman to be elected to the Charleston County Council in 1974. Amos-Frazier was the first woman, the first African-American and the first non-legislator to hold a position on that body. As chairperson of the Human Services Committee, she spearheaded the negotiations between the county and the Medical University of South Carolina for indigent health care. She was instrumental in establishing a senior citizens center in Charleston County and in creating new facilities for substance abuse programs.


 

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

South Carolina's Black History

St. Andrew's TeenSpot Salutes

Kimberly Clarice Aiken
Human Rights Advocate
&
Miss America 1994

Born: October 11, 1976

In September of 1993, before a wildly cheering audience in Atlantic City, New Jersey, she was crowned Miss America. Aiken is committed to help solve the growing problem of homelessness. She is the founder and president of HERO (Homeless Education and Resource Organization), which offers assistance to agencies that provide aid to the homeless. Aiken has received countless awards and honors including the Order of the Palmetto, which is the highest honor bestowed upon individuals in South Carolina.