As a retired UAlbany professor of Africana Studies, Delmar resident Dr. Maurice Thornton has spent many years sharing the stories of African Americans throughout history. Earlier this spring, he focused on the men and women who make up his own ancestral history, writing and publishing the 160-page “The Thornton Family.” The book details the family’s perseverance in the face of unemployment, segregation and the tumultuous Civil Rights Era, stretching back from the time of his great grandparents in the mid-1800s to the present day.
Thornton will be at the library Thursday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m. to share some of these stories and talk about the work that went into researching, writing and publishing his family’s history.
Thornton, a veteran of the Korean War, is also a leading member of the 369th Veterans Association, an organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the story of the all-African American 369th Infantry Regiment (the Harlem Hellfighters) and instrumental in obtaining the Medal of Honor for local WWI hero Henry Johnson. He was part of the Historic March on Washington in August 1962 during the Civil Rights Movement and attended President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address as Congressman Paul Tonko’s official guest.
All ages are welcome to attend.
Sing along
Local musicians Phil Teunim, Ron Tweedy and Will Vail, also known as the Delmariners, return to the library Friday, Oct. 4, for a folk concert sing-along. The performance is part of the Coffee and Conversation series, which features a variety of Friday afternoon performances and lectures for adults throughout the year. The concert begins at 1 p.m. and will be followed by light refreshments. Coffee and Conversation is co-sponsored by Bethlehem Senior Projects, Inc.
Eating well
Join us Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 6:30 p.m. for the first of four “Dining with Diabetes” sessions featuring a nutrition educator from Cornell Cooperative Extension. Learn ways for diabetics to manage their health through menu planning, carb counting, portion control and label reading. More “Dining with Diabetes” sessions will take place Oct. 16, 23 and 30.
— Kristen Roberts
