Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh:Join International Storyteller, Donna Washington Under The Baobob Tree

Pittsburgh PA

22 January, 2021

4:16 PM

Description

Press release from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh : by Children's Services Thursday, January 21, 2021 On Monday, February 1, 2021, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is opening its virtual doors to the international storyteller, Donna Washington! Donna is a highly animated performer, able to captivate even the hardest-to-make-sit-still audiences. For over thirty years, she has been inspiring audiences with folklore, literacy tales and personal narratives. In addition to being a "Walking Disney Movie" (yes, she has been called that!), Donna takes pride in being an educator. She provides a wide variety of workshops and trainings on subjects like the research of language and literacy, incorporating creative assignments and storytelling techniques. More so, Donna also continuously educates on Black history. In her blog post, "Practical Black History," she says, "Black history is about taking a moment to remember that our country's history is dynamic and everybody who had ancestors here helped build it even if our textbooks keep forgetting to tell the whole story somehow." Through her storytelling, Donna does just that. She writes excerpts and spotlights Black individuals that have contributed to history. She has written about Mary Beatrice Davidson, the inventor of the sanitary pad; Archibald Alphonso Alexander, an engineer and mathematician; Ernest Everett Just, a biologist and zoologist; and so many more. But what Donna Washington really excels at is bringing African folklore to life, telling stories of overcoming fear, problem-solving and positive racial identity. In this way, Donna's work directly aligns with the research of University of Pittsburgh's P.R.I.D.E. (Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education) Report. The research states, "Positive racial identity development has been linked to a plethora of affirming social, emotional, and academic outcomes in children from preschool age through high school, including better problem solving and improved behavior." The P.R.I.D.E. Report emphasizes the importance of continuously increasing community awareness as well as developing and identifying resources that build positive racial identity in children. Donna has focused her career around being a role-model educator, developing curriculum, training and implementation of resources that foster children's racial and cultural pride. She emphasizes the importance of listening to and giving space for voices belonging to people of color. Storytelling is a powerful tool used to unite communities, show perspective and share experiences. Within her storytelling, Donna creates an environment that both educates communities across the globe and shows the joy in sharing culture. To see a librarian-selected booklist catered to Donna Washington's event, focusing on the topics of Black storytelling and positive racial identity, click here. To read more about Donna's message, view Donna's work and watch her storytelling, visit her website here: https://dlwstoryteller.com. Tune in here on Monday, February 1 as Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh hosts Donna Washington for a virtual storytelling event! This page will be updated with an active link to the virtual event on February 1, 2021 at 12 pm and will remain active until February 7, 2021. To read more on University of Pittsburgh's Office of Child Development's research, the P.R.I.D.E. report, or their programs, visit their website here: https://www.ocd.pitt.edu. University of Pittsburgh School of Education Race and Early Childhood Collaborative. (2016). Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education: Understanding PRIDE in Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh, PA. You can sign up for a free library card here. If you are new to our eResources, check out these tutorial videos on how to get started. If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can also call us at 412-622-3114 or email us at [email protected]. This press release was produced by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The views expressed are the author's own.