The Montclair History Center welcomes applications for the Hortense Tate Scholarship. Mrs. Tate inspired countless young women at the YWCA by creating a positive environment, fostering cultural pride, and encouraging African American young women to pursue higher educational degrees. This scholarship will be awarded in her spirit. Learn More

This Week at the Montclair History Center

History At Home Special Edition: Lackawanna Terminal: Iconic Railway Station Of Montclair

Thursday, February 16th at 7 pm

???????Kathleen Bennett, chairperson of the Montclair Historic Preservation Commission, will explore the history and legacy of the Lackawanna Railway Terminal of Montclair. Constructed in 1912, it opened to great celebration and served the commuters of the township for over seventy years. Learn about its auspicious beginnings and what the future holds for this historic site. This is a FREE Zoom Presentation.  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/92938168537?pwd=T0pGbVgxVUMwVjV0WDBMZlFkbUI0Zz09

Guided House Tour: Eyewitness To Black History

Sunday, February 19th at 12 pm, 1 pm, and 2 pm

Explore 200 years of Black history in Montclair and New Jersey through rare first-hand accounts, primary and secondary source documents at the Crane House & Historic YWCA. Artifacts include a bill of sale for an enslaved person in the household, an 1800s newspaper, an 1840s New York Knickerbocker magazine, census data, personal letters, oral histories, and mid-century Jet and Ebony magazines. These artifacts provide a springboard for discussion about race both in the past and in the present-day.  Learn More

Next Week

Price of Liberty Film Series Returns

Free Renty Screening & Discussion

Wednesday, February 22nd at 7 pm

Free Renty tells the story of Tamara Lanier, an African American woman determined to force Harvard University to cede possession of daguerreotypes of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty. The daguerreotypes were commissioned in 1850 by a Harvard professor to "prove" the superiority of the white race. The images remain emblematic of America’s failure to acknowledge the cruelty of slavery, the racist science that supported it and the white supremacy that continues to infect our society today.  Free Renty will be screened at Montclair Film’s Cinema 505 at 505 Bloomfield Ave, Montclair. Screenings will be available as a hybrid event for online participation through zoom here and free to the public. No registration required.

Screenings and discussion will be led by scholars Leslie Wilson, PhD and Khemani Gibson, PhD. This series is in partnership with Montclair Film, The Mark Montclair (the church), The Mark Cares, Inc. (the not-for-profit), Race Amity, and AAPI Montclair. This event is sponsored by The Tamima Team and made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Learn More

The Montclair History Center celebrates Black History this month, and every month. Explore programs, virtual histories, and resources available to learn about the stories and contributions of the African American community to Montclair and New Jersey here.