Solange has long honored the artists and poets who came before her through her music. And now, she’s preserving their legacy in a major way.
On Thursday, Sept. 24, the “Cranes in the Sky” singer announced the launch of the Saint Heron Library — a free digital library containing archived works by primarily Black authors and writers. Solange shared this news via Instagram in a carousel of images of digitized works. Among these works were books and zines by authors like Pearl Cleage, Ntozake Slange, and Luis Lopez Alvarez.
“the saint heron library is home to our archival collection of primarily rare, out of print, and 1st edition titles by black & brown authors, poets, & artist…,” wrote Solange is the post’s caption. “and as the as the market and demand for these books, zines, and catalogues rises, we would like to play a small part in creating free access to the expansive range of critical thought and expression by these great mindsss”
This isn’t the first time Solange has revived works by black creators. Back in 2018, she relaunched Black Planet — a Black social networking site from the ‘90s and 2000s — in tandem with the release of her album When I Get Home, which itself was a tribute to Black neighborhoods in her Houston, Texas home town.
Though Solange hasn’t released an album since 2018, she’s still been a major force in the music world. Back in 2022, she became the second Black woman to compose an original piece for the New York City Ballet.
Like her sister Beyoncé, Solange is known to maintain a low-key online and public presence in between projects. But both of their creative juices are always flowing.
The first collection in the Saint Heron Library is now online, and elsewhere in the post, Solange revealed that a second collection will be available to browse soon.