I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for giving up a few hours of a glorious Saturday afternoon to attend the SGGL’s first anniversary celebration. A crowd of about 85 was on hand-- a figure that exceeded our expectations. I would also like to extend a special thank you to all our performers, which--as it turned out--was everyone. Mrs. Betty Henry read a poem in the call-and-response tradition, and it was especially gratifying to see all of you stand and participate. Gratifying too was that so many took the time to fill out our event evaluation forms. A number of you seem to want this to be an annual event, and I appreciate that response and the affirmation behind it. A lot of planning goes into an event like this, but a receptive audience makes it all worth it. Thank you to all of you, and especially to those who put money into the donation box.

I would be remiss at this point if I didn’t say something about the election. As the librarian-archivist in an African American museum, we saw history made, as I did when I was in Chicago to see President-Elect Obama accept the nomination for the Democratic Party. I was at home in Maryland last night, so I was not able to rub elbows with a teary eyed Oprah Winfrey or an equally emotional Jesse Jackson. But even from the remove of several hundred miles, this was a special night, one that is the culmination of so many dreams and aspirations. His victory is shining evidence that the American Dream is alive and well, that all boys and girls can grow up to become President. I couldn’t be prouder to be an American than I am this afternoon.

--Pictured: Sylvia Gaither Garrison and Joni Jones