Another Giant, Dr. Charles Blockson has passed

The great, amazing, staunch, powerful scholar and historian Dr. Charles bor L. Blockson has passed

- Thera Martin

Talk about an amazing personality. I am so glad I got to know him, to interview him several times over the years, to broadcast live a couple of times from the Blockson Library, and to go on personal tours with him leading the way at the Dr. Charles Blockson Collection on the main campus of Temple University in North Philadelphia.

Dr. Diane Turner, who worked closely with Dr. Blockson and who is the curator of the Blockson collection, a close confidant and friend to Dr. Blockson, stated, "Dr. Blockson was one of our historical and cultural warriors during a time when that kind of thing wasn't popular. While Dr. Blockson liked to put on a tough exterior and he was a strong man in all the definitions of the word, he was also very much a gentle giant. He inspired so many writers, including myself. He would always say, "Keep your hands on the plow. He will be greatly missed. His absence will leave a void. We might not be able to see him anymore in the flesh, but his legacy will live on for generations to come."

Steve Orbanek, Director of Communications for Temple University, stated, "It is with sadness that we share that Charles L. Blockson, the curator emeritus of the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University, passed away Wednesday, June 14, at his home. He was 89. Blockson is remembered as the architect behind one of the most prestigious collections of African American artifacts in the U.S. Located inside Temple's Sullivan Hall, the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection houses more than 700,000 items relating to the global Black experience, and its extensive catalog dates from 1581 to the present."