Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain Kick Off Black History Month with a Talk at the Smithsonian
The Smithsonian African American History and Culture Museum will be hosting an online event on Tuesday, February 2, at 7pm Eastern to kick off Black History Month. The event is a talk with Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain, editors of the new anthology Four Hundred Souls, which explores African American History from 1619 – 2019. In this moderated talk, Kendi and Bain will discuss the historic eras of Slavery, Reconstruction, Segregation, and their continued impact on the United States.
New Book Gifting Project Aims to Donate Books by Black Authors
In Lafayatte Parish, LA, a group of community advocates is working to get books by Black authors in the hands of Black students K-8th grade. They are hoping to get 50 books donated to students in the area within the next two weeks. Bridget Ryan, one of the organizers, explained, “I wanted this to be a start but also come back again and continue to get books for them to complete a full library at home.” The New Book Gifting Project invites anyone who wants to donate to e-mail them directly.
Laura Jean McKay Wins Australia’s Victorian Literature Prize for The Animals in That Country
First-time novelist Laura Jean McKay has won Australia’s richest literary prize for her novel The Animals in That Country. The novel’s apocalyptic storyline focuses on an epidemic called the “zooflu,” which enables those infected with it to communicate with animals.
What’s The “Other Side?”: A Clash Over Voting Rights History in Louisiana Library
Lafayette Parish Library board declines grant money for voting rights program, citing the books present only “one side” of that history.