Rapbrary Closing Celebration

Program Type:

Arts & Culture, Authors & Books, Community Partner, Equity & Anti-Racism, Multicultural

Age Group:

Middle School, High School, Adults, Older Adults
  • Registration is required for this event.
  • Registration will close on February 26, 2026 @ 6:00pm.

Event Details

February 26, 2026
Rapbrary Closing Celebration
with Roy Kinsey (Live Performance & Reading) and Mister Wallace

The Rapbrary experience concludes with a live performance by Roy Kinsey, featuring selections primarily from Dandelions, reflecting themes of growth, healing, and self-worth. The evening also includes a live reading of Deangelo and the Dandelion, bringing the story at the heart of the installation into shared, collective space.

DJ Mister Wallace closes the night, transforming the library into a space of reflection, movement, and celebration—honoring everything imagined, shared, and reclaimed throughout the series.

Rapbrary comes to Oak Park Public Library for a multi-week immersive experience curated by Roy Kinsey. Featuring an installation of Deangelo’s World, a live opening performance drawn from Blackie, a screening of Rapbrarian: Reading Came First (Feb 11), and a closing night performance from Dandelions with a live reading of Deangelo and the Dandelion (Feb 26), alongside original artwork by Griffin Goodman.

 

🎨 ORIGINAL ART INSTALLATION

What If?
Painting by Griffin Goodman

An original artwork imagining James Baldwin uncensored during the March on Washington—a speculative intervention that asks what might have shifted had Black truth been allowed to speak freely. The piece anchors conversations around censorship, historical erasure, and artistic freedom, aligning with Rapbrary’s commitment to banned and challenged voices.

Rapbrary is a living archive founded by Chicago-based rapper, librarian, and cultural worker Roy Kinsey, rooted in the belief that hip-hop is literature and libraries are cultural sanctuaries. 

This program was brought to the Oak Park community through a partnership between: The Oak Park Public Library, The Village of Oak Park, The Oak Park Township and The Oak Park & River Forest Community Foundation.

Register for this event