Dover library to host Juneteenth program

Newcomerstown native Brent Dansby will present “The Migration and Life of African American Families Who Worked at J.B. Clow & Sons Inc. in Newcomerstown, Ohio” at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 20, in the community room at Dover Public Library.

Dansby will discuss the history of African American families who helped establish Clow Avenue in Newcomerstown, a predominantly African American neighborhood made up of families who migrated from several Southern states. In the early 1900s, they moved north to take advantage of job and housing opportunities offered by J.B. Clow & Sons Inc.

Dansby, a Wadsworth resident, is a graphic designer and retired educator with a commitment to preserving African American history and heritage. Raised in the Clow Avenue neighborhood, he has worked with longtime residents, including the late Shirley Coker Kerr, Laura Okumu and the late Willie Sterns, the neighborhood’s photo historian, to document and share the history of Clow Avenue as passed down through generations.

The program will be held at Dover Public Library, 525 N. Walnut St. To register, visit doverlibrary.org/events or call 330-343-6123.