Reading event marks Black History Month, commemorates late Johnstown educator
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A Black History Month tradition started by one of Johnstown's first Black educators continued Friday night for the second consecutive year since she died.
Johnstown Women of Influence celebrated Black History Month and honored educator Claudia B. Jones with a 'Night of Prose and Poetry' Friday evening at Flood City Cafe, 137 Clinton St., downtown Johnstown.
Jones taught at Greater Johnstown School District's Joseph Johns Junior High School in the 1960s and later spent 25 years as a University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown biology professor before retiring in 1995.
As a member of Mount Sinai Institutional Baptist Church in East Conemaugh, she organized an annual prose and poetry night at the church in February, which is Black History Month.
Jones died in September 2023 at age 90, and Johnstown Women of Influence President Kourtney Square and Vice President Mellanie McDowell have continued Jones' annual prose and poetry night.
'We do this to gather for Black History Month, and Ms. Claudia was a proponent of education and the written word, so we are excited to carry on that legacy,' Square said.
Participants presented poetry and prose readings by Black writers, and some presented their original works. Local artist Queen-Poetri Dozier painted on stage as each presenter stepped up to the microphone to read.
'Claudia always held this event every February,' said Leslie Johnson, a member of Mount Sinai Institutional Baptist Church. 'I'm so glad they kept this going.'
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