Submitted by: Ida D. McGhee
I first met Dr. Donna Gilton over 20
years ago when I was a librarian at Hartford (Connecticut) Public Library
attending a conference at the New Haven, Connecticut public library.
I believe the all-day conference was on diversity in our local
libraries. Donna was in attendance with Dr. Michael Havener, the
then dean of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School Library and
Information Studies program. The main speaker was Dr. Carla Hayden, presently
the 14th Librarian of Congress, whom at that time was the CEO of Enoch Pratt
Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. While working on her Ph.D. at
the University of Pittsburgh, not only did they room together but Donna and Dr.
Hayden became very close friends.
I saw Donna a few other times before
relocating to Rhode Island at various library conferences. We were
always cordial and she invariably had something humorous to share to make you
laugh.
Upon retiring from HPL and moving to
South County, near URI, I met with Dr. Havener to discuss the number of unrepresented
students of color in the GSLIS program. I humored him by stating “I
guess they do not have any Black librarians in Rhode Island other than Dr.
Gilton.” I asked him this question due to my attendance at a Rhode Island
Library Association annual conference at Bryant University. I remember seeing
only one librarian of color that spring day, Marlene Lopes, former special
collections librarian at Rhode Island College, who became a member of
CORI.
I am
not sure what Dr. Havener said to Donna, she always used to tell me, “he
instructed me to meet with you.” I recollect saying to her, “as a seasoned
educator and a pioneering voice in the library world and due to your immense expertise and
passion for librarians, he selected the right professor to meet with me.”
And not to mention her institutional and community knowledge. These words
would always make her smile, that grin and smirk she would portray.
During
our first meeting, she stated that Attorney Denise Dowdell, a former librarian,
should be on board for future meetings as we discuss the under representation
of Black librarians in the state. Thus, the idea and discussion proved
feasible to organize a group of librarians of color in RI. Therefore,
Cornucopia of Rhode Island: A Library Community of Color, CORI was
established.
Dr.
Havener, Dr. Gilton, Denise and myself would meet several times a month at the
home of Dr. GIlton and her mother, Mrs. Hattie Gilton, whom we decided would be
ex-officio of our organization. Plus, Mother Hattie always prepared
a full course meal, whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner and we always sat
at the formal dining room table and ate off fine china plates. No
wonder it took forever to incorporate, we procrastinated just to continue with
Mother Hattie’s sumptuous meals.
After months of meetings, research,
discussions and Denise’s design of the CORI logo, in September 2005 we had our
inaugural program at URI’s University Club. An invitation to every RI librarian
and library worker of color that Gilton and Havener could think
of, including current and former URI GSLIS Prism Fellows was disseminated.
Librarians of color from neighboring states, Connecticut and Massachusetts were
also invited and many attended. Our featured speaker for the
luncheon was Andrew P. Jackson (Sekou Molefi Baako) former executive director
of the Queens Library's Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center
in New York. Andrew has returned to RI on several occasions as guest
speaker for CORI as well as for RILA annual conferences.
Since inception, CORI has presented at
RILA’s annual conferences as well as established a yearly fall
mini-conference. Guess speakers for both have included well known
and prominent librarians throughout the country. From Dr. Hayden,
who returned her honorarium from RILA and benefited it
to CORI, with the stipulation that it be used for future CORI programs, to
presidents of ALA, former ALA executive director, Tracie Hall and Jack Reed,
Senior Senator of Rhode Island. Whenever we invited a notable speaker to
Rhode Island to speak pro bono or at a lower speaker’s cost and they accepted
our invitation, Donna and I would always be tickled pink.
Without Dr. Gilton’s input and URI
GSLIS support, there would be no CORI. In between writing her books
and numerous articles, teaching, playing the piano for her church choir, Donna
was always present for CORI. We normally carpooled together or with
other CORI members in our area of the woods to drive throughout Rhode Island
for our Saturday morning meetings. I will forever cherish those
drives and Donna’s funny stories. When Donna learned that she had
cancer, her tenacity and good humor never quit. She preserved
through it all without murmuring or negativity and always had a joke to share.
Rest in peace, my first librarian
friend in Rhode Island. Your kind spirit and willingness to march on
will always be remembered with a smile.
