Unsung Heroes: Segregated Military Units

East Islip Library - Monday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.

You’ve heard of the Tuskegee Airmen, but did you know there were other segregated African American units that bravely served their country? Historian and educator Howard Rosenberg will discuss the Triple Nickels (WWII Army Smokejumpers), the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, and more in his fascinating lecture on the unsung heroes of our past.

Long Island and The Civil War

East Islip Library - Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.

Join former reporter Bill Bleyer as he covers Long Island and the Civil War. While no battles were fought on Long Island, the war affected all of its residents. Bleyer explores the patriotism and pacifism that followed the outbreak of the Civil War, Lincoln’s visit to Long Island, local soldiers, efforts on the home front, postwar memorials to the soldiers and more.

Long Island Author’s Group, Author Saturdays

Islip Arts Council Gallery at the South Shore Mall

Saturday, Feb. 18 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Jerry Mikorenda on Black History Month, America’s first freedom rider.

The Cuban Giants:
The First Professional Black Baseball Team

Connetquot State Park  - Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.

The Cuban Giants: The First Professional Black Baseball Team, got their start in Babylon, in the summer of 1885. Town of Babylon historian Mary Cascone will present on the team’s start in Babylon and their early years in professional baseball, the myths about their name, and their position in baseball history. Cascone has worked in the Town of Babylon, Office of Historic Services, since 2006, and was appointed town historian in 2014. Her projects for the Town of Babylon have included seven local history books, more than 20 historic markers, creation of the Town of Babylon History Museum, and a history blog. To register visit https://www.friendsofconnetquot.org/lecture-cuban-giants.

Women in Long Island’s Past: A History of Eminent Ladies and Everyday Lives

Connetquot State Park - Saturday, March 11 at 1 p.m.

The exhibit follows the path to women’s right to vote in New York beginning with the influence and authoritative power of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) women. The exhibit continues through time, highlighting the early cooperation between Black and white women, the creation of the Colored Woman’s Equal Suffrage League of Brooklyn in the late 1880s, the organization of the Men’s League for Woman Suffrage in 1909, the suffrage march from Manhattan to Albany and Washington, the impact WWI had at home and abroad, and the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment. The exhibit concludes in “modern history,” with the Women’s March in 2017. The exhibit will be on-site, March 11 through March  23, and available for viewing during Clubhouse open hours. Speaker Natalie Naylor will give a presentation. To register visit https://www.friendsofconnetquot.org/lecture-womens-history-month.

The Beatles: 50 Years Later

East Islip Library, Zoom - Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.

A respected musicologist once referred to The Beatles as “one of the most transforming entities of 20th-century music,” and claimed that they changed the course of popular music forever. Can that possibly be true? Join Barry Wisenfeld as he explores the phenomenon that was The Beatles.