Parna
ssus Books is delighted to welcome Michelle Duster, author of Ida B. The Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells., in conversation with Erika Long, of Metro Nashville Public Schools libraries.
This virtual event which will take place on the Parnassus Books Facebook page.
The conversation will occur on Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 6:00pm Central Time.
After the live talk has ended, the video will be archived on the Parnassus Books Facebook page under Videos.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Journalist. Suffragist. Antilynching crusader. In 1862, Ida B. Wells was born enslaved in Holly Springs, Mississippi. In 2020, she won a Pulitzer Prize.
Ida B. Wells committed herself to the needs of those who did not have power. In the eyes of the FBI, this made her a “dangerous negro agitator.” In the annals of history, it makes her an icon.
Ida B. the Queen tells the awe-inspiring story of an inspirational woman who was often overlooked and underestimated—a woman who refused to exit a train car meant for white passengers; a woman brought to light the horrors of lynching in America; a woman who cofounded the NAACP. Written by Wells’s great-granddaughter Michelle Duster, this “warm remembrance of a civil rights icon” (Kirkus Reviews) is a unique visual celebration of Wells’s life, and of the Black experience.
A century after her death, Wells’s genius is being celebrated in popular culture by politicians, through song, public artwork, and landmarks. Like her contemporaries Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, Wells left an indelible mark on history—one that can still be felt today. As America confronts the unfinished business of systemic racism, Ida B. the Queen pays tribute to a transformational leader and reminds us of the power we all hold to smash the status quo.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michelle Duster is a writer, speaker, professor, and champion of racial and gender equity. In the last dozen years, she has written, edited, or contributed to eleven books. She cowrote the popular children's history book, Tate and His Historic Dream; co-edited Shifts and Michelle Obama's Impact on African American Women and Girls; and edited two books that include the writings of her great-grandmother, Ida B. Wells. She has written articles for Essence, Refinery 29, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, and The North Star.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Erika Long is the librarian at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Antioch. She is passionate about preparing and encouraging students to become life-long learners, systematic users of technology, and avid readers.
