By Bill Parry
Queens Library has appointed a successor for the longtime executive director of the Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center in Corona. Dr. Mikisha Morris will replace Andrew Jackson when he retires in July.
Morris recently earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership. The focus of her study was using cultural arts programs to empower urban communities.
She has an extensive non-profit and public education administration background, having spent the majority of her career serving children and communities in Philadelphia. Morris brings a strong understanding of, and value for, culture and cultural arts in the community and in a library setting.
The Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center is a full-service library. It also houses the Black Heritage Reference Center, New York City’s largest circulating collection of materials about and related to black culture.
The collection consists of more than 40,000 volumes.
“I welcome Dr. Morris as the incoming executive director at Langston Hughes,” Jackson said. “She impressed me with new approaches and strategies to enhance and grow our programs and services for the 21st century. I look forward to working with her during the transition and helping her feel comfortable in her new position.”
Jackson, also known as Sekou Molefi Baako, will step down after more than 35 years at the helm at the Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center, which has a unique history.
Located at 100-01 Northern Blvd., it sprang from the work of neighborhood activists and opened in a former storefront in 1969, funded by a grant. Former Borough President Helen Marshall was one of its earliest employees.
The collections included books, periodicals and recordings aimed at improving the “self-image” of the community. It also housed an African and black history collection.
The library pioneered an extensive homework program to help the community’s children succeed academically. It formally came under Queens Library’s aegis in 1987.
Following his July retirement, Jackson will continue teaching at Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Studies and York College. He will also be working on two book projects.
