March 15, 4:00 PM, Paley Library Lecture Hall, 1210 Polett Walk
One Book, One Philadelphia Program: Wissahickon Scenes
Classical composer and Temple professor Maurice Wright composed Wissahickon Scenes for the Philadelphia Classical Symphony. Based on rare recordings of Lenape songs supplied from the archives of the American Philosophical Society, this work was commissioned as an aural expression of Native American history. In the work, three movements depict three periods in Lenape history — Lenape Dances, for the 18th Century when the Lenape flourished; Trail of Tears, for the exodus of the Lenape; and The Invisible People, suggesting the Lenape situation today. Join Temple University Libraries and the One Book, One Philadelphia program as Wright discusses the process of composing a classical work based on archival records and how he approached Native American history.

March 14, 4PM Paley Library Lecture Hall This year’s One Book, One Philadelphia selection, Sherman Alexie’s War Dances, is a collection of short stories and poems that examine the intricate facets of human relationships. Alexie weaves issues of personal identity throughout this book, many of them focusing on his experiences as a Native American in the Northwest. The Senator’s Son, one of the most moving tales in the book, however, touches on sexual identity. Through the lens of this story, panelists Mary Catherine Roper of the ACLU, Allison Buehler of the Mazzoni Center, and Gloria Casarez of City Hall’s LGBT Affairs Office discuss issues facing the queer community today.

February 24, 5:00 PM Paley Library Lecture Hall
Producer Zilan Munas and director Warren Bass discuss their documentary about the courageous African American soldiers who aided the Union to victory. This movie tells the story of the soldiers at Camp William Penn, the first and largest training camp for African American soldiers during the Civil War. Please join us for a screening, followed by a discussion of the research and process involved in creating this historical documentary.

More about today’s film: BLACK SOLDIERS IN BLUE is the story of the recruitment of black volunteers in the American Civil War and their training at Camp William Penn. The film documents their hardships, their heroism and their contribution to the outcome of the war. Over 178,000 African Americans served in the Northern Army during the Civil War. 11,000 were trained at Camp William Penn, the first and largest federal training camp for black soldiers. The campgrounds were located just outside Philadelphia next to the estate of Quaker abolitionist Lucretia Mott, an important stop on the underground railroad. “United States Colored Troops” (USCT) fought in many important battles including the capture of the Confederate capital of Richmond and the surrender of Robert E. Lee. In the final years of the War, the USCT were approximately a tenth of the Union Army. They suffered 68,178 losses.

About the filmmaker: Warren Bass (writer, director, editor, camera) is an independent filmmaker and Professor of Film & Media Arts at Temple. He was trained at the Yale School of Drama in directing and at Columbia University in film as their School of the Arts Scholar. He has taught at Yale, NYU, the State University of California, and the American Film Institute and has directed theater at Lincoln Center, off-Broadway and in regional professional theater. His work has received over 120 regional, national and international awards including both the 2003 and 2005 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowships in Film.

February 23, 2:30PM Paley Library Lecture Hall Lena Ampadu is an expert on African and African American women writers, specializing in oral traditions and the work of Frances E.W. Harper. She is the Assistant Chair of and Associate Professor in the Department of English, Towson University, and Director of the African and African American Studies Program there. Temple University Libraries, the Temple University Faculty of Color and Moonstone Arts Center bring this important scholar to Philadelphia, where she will discuss the important role women play in the African and African American literary tradition.

February 17, 2PM Paley Library Lecture Hall The Faculty Senate Subcommittee on the Status of Faculty of Color and Temple University Libraries present our ongoing lecture series with Temple faculty. Spring 2011’s first “Chat” will feature a discussion on our region’s African American history.

Wednesday, February 10, 4PM Paley Library, First Floor Temple University is a burgeoning center for the arts. In the past several years the Tyler School of Art moved to Main Campus, the Temple Performing Arts Center opened on Broad Street, and the university’s academic compass developed a plan for arts and community engagement. This second annual reception and exhibition at Paley Library celebrates the arts at Temple, honoring some of the best undergraduate projects, in all mediums, from the past year while bringing arts faculty, students and supporters together to reaffirm Temple’s commitment to the arts in North Philadelphia and throughout the region. This project is generously supported by the Provost’s Office, the Provost’s Commission on the Arts and Paley Library.

January 27,7 PM, the Baptist Temple Presented by ACCORD, the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, Advocacy and Leadership and Temple University Libraries Anti-racist activist, author and educator, Tim Wise will share insight and reflections on the challenges of conducting diversity research. Author of Colorblind: The Rise of Post Racial Politics and the Retreat from Racial Equity; White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son; Speaking Treason Fluently; and Between Barak and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial In the age of Obama, Wise is purported to be “the most prominent anti-racist writer…in the US.” His Temple appearance is part of a local four- college tour with Speak Out – the Institute for Democratic Education & Culture. Wise has lectured to over 400,000 people in 49 states and appeared on 600 college campuses. Wise will speak at the Baptist Temple at 7pm. The lecture is free but tickets are required. Reserve tickets

@ Paley Library, Main Floor and Mezzanine Experience Philadelphia’s bohemian past with this special exhibition of newly acquired materials from Middle Earth Books, an erstwhile Center City performance space/bookshop/publisher and Main Point, a Bryn Mawr folk music venue. The Middle Earth collection includes correspondence, manuscripts (both published and unpublished) and audio by Charles Bukowski, Andrei Codrescu, Richard Grossinger, Michael McClure, John Wieners, and Patti Smith, among others. The Main Point materials chronicle the history of a venue that introduced Philadelphia to many then-obscure artists like Joni Mitchell, Arlo Guthrie and Bruce Springsteen.