NLM Celebrates African American History Month

The National Library of Medicine is hosting two special exhibitions to celebrate African American History month.

The Dr. Herman Barnett, III Memorial Exhibit honors a physician, leader, and trailblazer. Herman A. Barnett, III, M.D. was a World War II fighter pilot and member of the Tuskegee airmen. After his discharge, Barnett became the first black graduate from a Texas medical school. He was a surgeon and anesthesiologist in Houston and continued to be a man of "firsts." Barnett was the first African American member of the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, and the first African American elected president of the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees. The Barnett Memorial Exhibit comes to NLM from the University of Texas Medical Branch. Dr. Barnett graduated from UTMB in 1953.

Harlem: the Vision of Morgan and Marvin Smith celebrates the work of the identical twin photographers who portrayed life in Harlem from the 1930s through the 1950s. The exhibition, which features 150 photographs, is divided into five sections showcasing the lives, art, and work of the Smith brothers.

• The Smiths and Their Art gives an intimate look at family life and the development of their two careers;
• Faces of Harlem offers glimpses of residents pursuing their day-to-day lives;
• Newsmakers focuses on leading national figures and issues;
• Artists and Entertainers showcases leading visual, literary, and performing artists, and;
• Sports Figures looks at a period when black athletes were topping racial barriers.

The collection of prints is part of the travelling exhibition program of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a research library of the New York Public Library. This is the eighth year that the National Library of Medicine has featured pictorial materials from the Schomburg collection.

Both exhibitions will be on display in the lobby of the Lister Hill Center, Building 38A, from February 4 through February 29, 2008.

Teachers or administrators who want to arrange a tour of the exhibition may contact Erika Mills, Outreach Coordinator, National Library of Medicine, at 301-594-1947.

Last reviewed: 05 February 2008
Last updated: 05 February 2008
First published: 01 February 2008
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanence Not Guaranteed