Suffolk Public Library staff will kick off Black History Month activities with an exciting exhibition on Saturday, featuring local African American business owners and fascinating guest speakers.

The Black History Month Expo is a free event on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the North Suffolk Library, 2000 Bennetts Creek Park Road.

The full event schedule is available on the “Black History Month Expo” Facebook page. There will also be vendors at the event, and a Jazz Age-themed storytime session for the kids, according to Suffolk Public Library Teen Services Senior Librarian Asa Heyward.

“The expo is a celebration of black history, black achievement and overall black excellence, and the event is really geared towards everyone,” Heyward said. “It’s a community event (that) will also be a learning experience for everyone in attendance, and a preview of what’s to come for the rest of the month at Suffolk Public Library.”

There will be seven presenters at the Saturday expo and more than a dozen vendors.

Among the speakers will be Dr. Margaret Ellen Mayo Tolbert, a Suffolk native from the city’s Saratoga section, and the first African American female to serve as director of the New Brunswick Laboratory, according to a press release.

Dr. Tolbert was also the first African American female appointed as director of the Division of Education Programs at Argonne National Laboratory, the highest-ranking female employed at the BP America Research Center at Warrensville Heights in Ohio, and the first female to serve as director of the Carver Research Foundation of Tuskegee Institute — known today as Tuskegee University.

According to the press release, Dr. Tolbert will speak about how she has overcome adversity throughout her life. She will also discuss other individuals from the Saratoga section of Suffolk who have made significant contributions to society.

“This Black History Expo is an expo that everyone should attend,” the press release states.

A limited free shuttle service to the Black History Month Expo will be available on Saturday from Morgan Memorial Library, 443 W. Washington St. Registration is required for the shuttle service, which can be done online or in person at Morgan Memorial Library. All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Visit the “Black History Month Expo” Facebook page for the event schedule, shuttle times and other information.