CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Chesapeake woman is shining a light on the contributions of influential African Americans in celebration of Black History Month.
Candy Hayes, a dedicated church member at Trinity Faith Diamond Church, came up with the idea to create a library at the church that's open to the public.
For the library to come together, she brought nearly 40 books and took to social media to spread the word. Folks in the community began donating, and there are now nearly 300 books on the library's shelves all to draw readers of all ages and backgrounds.
What's unique about the library is it features books authored by influential African American authors, including James Baldwin and Maya Angelou.
"If you go to a larger bookstore, there's so many books. You can get lost - which is fun sometimes - but at least here, you know you're getting Black authors or Black history," said Hayes.
Hayes, a lifelong reader, says she decided to open up the library to encourage literacy and cultural awareness for her church family and the community at large. She hopes the library will help visitors gain a new perspective.
The library is open every Wednesday after 6 p.m. and on Sundays after noon. The library is accepting book donations, as long as they're in good condition.
Trinity Faith Diamond Church's address is 1023 Deep Creek Blvd. in Chesapeake.
