Singer Solange recently announced the launch of a new digital library dedicated to celebrating the work of Black and Brown authors and writers.
Announced on Thursday, the digital library, titled the “Saint Heron Library,” will be available for free access. Now available, the first collection features digitized versions of writings by playwright and poet Ntozake Shange, poet Luis Lopez Alvarez, visual artist and sculptor Barbara Chase-Riboud, playwright and essayist Pearl Cleage, as well as visual artist William Pope L.
A majority of the content available as part of the Saint Heron Library has previously been labeled as rare and out of print. The titles will be offered seasonally and are reportedly curated by guest selectors. Those who register online for access can read the works for free for 45 days. A second part to the collection is reportedly in the works and can be expected to roll out in the imminent weeks, expanding the library for those who are registered.
“The Saint Heron Library is home to our archival collection of primarily rare, out of print, and 1st edition titles by Black & Brown authors, poets, & artists,” said Solange in an Instagram post announcing the launch of the digital library. “And as the market and demand for these books, zines, and catalogues rises, we would like to play a small part in creating free access to the expansive range of critical thought and expression by these great minds.”
The newest digitized library builds on the overall Saint Heron initiative. Launched in 2013, the digital platform was created to highlight Black artists in music, film and art.
Led by an all-women team, Saint Heron most recently announced a new dossier in 2021.
Featuring content from Chase-Riboud, Ilyasah Shabazz, Shala Monroque and Cassi Namoda, the dossier used literature and visuals to trace family and artist lineages and share the voices of community members. The core focus of the dossier revolved around heritage, homecomings, self-reclamation and journeying. As part of the project, Saint Heron collaborated with non-profit library Galleries for exclusive access to art film releases, music projects, home collectibles and brand collaborations.
“We look forward to furthering the pursuit of preserving and uplifting our community’s stories, collections, archives, and works through new expressions of creation,” said Solange in a release announcing the dossier.. “In my mission to create vessels to leave behind for future generations, all projects are bricks Saint Heron adds to history’s foundation for tomorrow’s imagined heights.”
