New African Roots library, named for retired Black Studies professor, opens in Kingston

Professor A.J. Williams-Myers retired from his role as a faculty member in the Black Studies Department at SUNY New Paltz in 2016, but he has remained an active thinker and educator in the community.

A new library in Kingston, N.Y. pays homage to Williams-Myers’ many contributions to the intellectual life of the Hudson Valley.

The A. J. Williams-Myers African Roots Community Center Library is now open at 43 Gill Street in Kingston. It is a resource stocked with books and other learning materials focusing on the roots of African and African-American history and culture, where volunteers are planning programs for visitors of all ages.

The new library was established through the leadership of Odell Winfield, a retired Excelsior College faculty member. It is a sister institution to the Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Library in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., which also was created by Winfield.

Winfield explained his reasons for naming the new library in honor of Williams-Myers in a Jan. 12 article in the Almanac Weekly.

“I’ve always admired him, and have been using him as a resource for a number of years,” Winfield said.

“His giving was unprecedented: If I called him, he was there. No question. When I was starting the library in Poughkeepsie, he was the first person I called, and he did so much work with us, helping to build the collection there. In naming the Kingston library for him, I want to make sure everyone knows A. J. and want to keep his name here, because he is so much a part of everything.”

More information about the A.J. Williams-Myers African Roots Library can be accessed online.