Calendar of Events
The St. Louis County Library’s Black History Celebration Presents Award-winning Journalist Lee Hawkins
Thursday, January 23, 2025
7:00 p.m.
ST. Louis County Library - Clark Family Branch
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
In Conversation with Gwen Moore, Historian - Missouri History Museum
Presented in partnership with the Emerson History and Genealogy Center and the Missouri History Museum
Pulitzer Prize finalist and former Wall Street Journal writer Lee Hawkins’s riveting memoir examines his family’s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience. “I Am Nobody’s Slave” tells the story of one Black family's pursuit of the American Dream through the impacts of systemic racism and racial violence. Hawkins explores the role of racism-triggered childhood trauma and chronic stress in shortening his ancestors' lives, using genetic testing, reporting, and historical data to craft a moving family portrait. This book shows how genealogical research can educate and heal Americans of all races, revealing through their story the story of America.
Books for signing will be available for purchase from EyeSeeMe.
Purchase your copy now and pick it up at the event.
The St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Westfall Politics & History Series Presents Renowned Journalist and Historian Juan Williams
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
7:00 p.m.
ST. Louis County Library - Clark Family Branch
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
In this highly anticipated follow-up to “Eyes on the Prize,” journalist and historian Juan Williams turns his attention to the rise of a new civil rights movement. More than a century of activism reached a mountaintop with the arrival of a Black man in the Oval Office. But hopes for a unified, post-racial America were deflated when Barack Obama’s presidency met with furious opposition. In “New Prize for These Eyes,” Williams traces the arc of a new civil rights era, from Obama to Charlottesville to January 6th and a Confederate flag in the Capitol. “New Prize for These Eyes” is a forward-looking call to action, urging Americans to get in touch with the progress made and hurdles yet to be overcome.
Books for signing will be available for purchase from EyeSeeMe.
Purchase your copy now and pick it up at the event.
The St. Louis County Library’s Black History Celebration Presents Acclaimed Suspense Author Walter Mosley
Thursday, February 13, 2025
7:00 p.m.
ST. Louis County Library - Clark Family Branch
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Author of “Been Wrong So Long It Feels Right: A King Oliver Novel"
In the latest from master of suspense Walter Mosley, a family member’s terminal illness leads P.I. Joe King Oliver to the investigation of his life. Joe King Oliver’s beloved Grandma B has found a tumor, and at her age, treatment is high-risk. She has a single, dying wish: to see her long-lost son. King has been estranged from his father, Chief Odin Oliver, since he was a young boy. He swore to never speak to the man again when he was taken away in handcuffs. Although Chief was released from prison years ago, he’s been living underground ever since. Now, King must not only find his father, but prove his innocence, and protect the future of his entire family.
Books for signing will be available for purchase from EyeSeeMe.
Purchase your copy now and pick it up at the event.
The St. Louis County Library’s Black History Celebration Presents St. Louis Business and Non-Profit Leader Orvin T. Kimbrough
Thursday, February 20, 2025
7:00 p.m.
ST. Louis County Library - Clark Family Branch
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Author of “Twice Over a Man: A Fierce Memoir of an Orphan Boy Who Doggedly Determined a Finer Life”
Born in East Saint Louis and orphaned at eight years old, Orvin Kimbrough chronicles his early years through foster care, hunger, and poverty. He could have joined a gang. He could have fallen into drugs and the violence of the streets. He could have ended up in prison. Kimbrough’s memoir details how he sought the one thing that would redeem him from that expected fate: education. Today, Orv Kimbrough is the Chairman and CEO of Midwest BankCentre, St. Louis' second-largest privately-owned local bank. This is the story of a young man who was determined to make a better life for himself and is resolute about showing others the way.
Books for signing will be available for purchase from EyeSeeMe.
Purchase your copy now and pick it up at the event.
The St. Louis County Library’s Black History Celebration Presents Dancer and Author Jennifer Jones
Friday, February 21, 2025
7:00 p.m.
ST. Louis County Library - Clark Family Branch
1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63131-3598
Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Author of “Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience from the First African American Rockette”
The Radio City Rockettes are as American as baseball, hot dogs, and the Fourth of July. Their legendary synchronized leg kicks and megawatt smiles have charmed audiences for a century. But when the Rockettes began in 1925, Black people were not allowed to dance on stage with white people. In 1987 the 63-year color barrier at Radio City was finally broken by one brave and tenacious woman. When she arrived, Jennifer Jones was met with pushback—a fierce resistance she details in this intimate and inspiring memoir. “Becoming Spectacular” is a triumphant celebration of a spirit who refused to be counted out.
Books for signing will be available for purchase from EyeSeeMe.
Purchase your copy now and pick it up at the event.
