American Writers Museum Honors Black History Month with Special Programs

CHICAGO, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate Black History Month, American Writers Museum is proud to present guided tours spotlighting the work of the many great Black writers throughout U.S. history, weekly Little Squirrels Storytime dedicated to Black writers, and welcome some of the leading contemporary Black writers for special one-on-one presentations.

Frederick Douglass Tours - Modeled after 2019's popular special exhibit, Frederick Douglass: Agitator, guided tours spotlighting his work will be offered twice daily with special attention paid to the memoirs and speeches of the author and orator who became one of the most eloquent voices of abolitionism. Frederick Douglass's pens and inkwell are on display in the Tools of the Trade exhibit.

Black History Month Storytimes - Every Saturday in February the weekly Little Squirrels Storytimes will feature three of this country's most beloved writers: Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes. Families are invited to join our dedicated and engaging storytellers in our Children's Literature Gallery to learn more about these writers, listen to their work read aloud, and appreciate their contributions to American writing and our culture.

Layla Saad presents her new book Me and White Supremacy on February 5 at 6:30 pm as part of the My America: Immigrant & Refugee Writers of Today program series. In her book, Saad challenges readers to recognize the ways in which they benefit from and contribute to white privilege, while offering ways to dismantle white supremacy.

Filmmaker Frederick Lewis presents and discusses his feature documentary Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond The Mask, about the life and legacy of the first Black writer to gain international fame on February 5 at 6:30 pm.

Renowned poet and performer Danez Smith presents their latest poetry collection Homie, a magnificent anthem about the saving grace of friendship, on February 11 at 6:30 pm. Smith is joined by friend and fellow poet and performer Britteney Black Rose Kapri.

Writer Nicholas Buccola presents his new book, The Fire Is Upon Us, on February 13 at 6:30 pm. The book shows how the iconic debate between civil rights firebrand James Baldwin and the father of modern conservatism William F. Buckley, Jr. continues to illuminate America's racial divide. Buccola is joined by photographer Steve Schapiro, who with his camera captured the changing socio-cultural landscape of America during the Sixties.

Media Contact:

Ryan Arnold
312-600-7380
[email protected] 

SOURCE American Writers Museum