Daily Archives: February 17, 2009

I heart Charles Blockson, former curator of the Charles L. Blockson library on Temple’s campus. I spent a many an hour there with Blockson and his lovely replacement, Aslaku Berhanu (who is a sweetheart).  I doubt they’d remember me (unless you mention the lone undergrad visitor) , but those two single-handedly helped me complete a semester’s worth of African American Lit classes without me having to buy a single book. Yes, I am that cheap. Hey, but I did help protest Temple University’s treatment of the library. So it all worked out.

From the Inquirer:

The celebrated black-history archivist Charles L. Blockson is officially retired. But that didn’t stop him from gathering up every lawn sign, bumper sticker and magazine cover he could lay his hands on from Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and inauguration. “As a collector, it’s a conditioned response,” he said. Lucky us. Thanks to Blockson’s industry, the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University already has two display cases brimming with ephemera from the historic 2008 election and the inauguration last month. There are campaign buttons and campaign posters, including an “I Want You” broadside with Obama as Uncle Sam urging college students to register to vote in the state where they go to school. There’s the infamous Obama fist-bump cover from the New Yorker. There’s the 22-karat porcelain Obama Victory Plate, courtesy of Blockson’s daughter, Noelle, and a book of Barack Obama paper dolls. Inexplicably there’s the Obama pancake mix, labeled “Change You Can Taste.” The Blockson Collection is housed at Sullivan Hall at 1330 W. Berks St. on the Temple campus and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Blockson’s Obamarabilia will be on display all month.

Now if there was only a way to to preserve Mr. Blockson forever. I’m telling you, that man is a treasure trove of information.