2021
January 12, 2021 - Interpreting Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Legacy and Ending Voter Suppression - Martin Luther King Jr Day celebration in partnership with PGCMLS. Featuring special guests, nationally-recognized civil rights leaders Andrea Blackman, Taos Wynn, and Andrew Aydin.
January 13, 2021 - Ellen Ann Fentress and Neely Tucker in conversation about The Academy Stories. In partnership with PGCMLS.
January 19, 2021 - Inauguration event featuring author Kate Andersen Brower with PGCMLS.
January 21, 2021 - Young Adult Book Group on Leigh Bardugo's The Six of Crows with PGCMLS.
February 9, 2021 - In conversation with Jemar Tisby on "How To Fight Racism", facilitated by Dr. Qamar-ul Huda. Brought to you in partnership with PGCMLS.
February 10, 2021 - Dr. Ina Park in conversation about Strange Bedfellows - with PGCMLS.
February 11, 2021 - Leonard Pitts, Jr on Black Voter Engagement - in partnership with PGMLS and part of our Voting: Democracy in Action series.
February 17, 2021 - Anna Malaika Tubbs on "The Three Mothers" with PGCMLS
February 23, 2021 - "The Elephant We Don't See" Diversity Dialogue on Between The World And Me with PGCMLS.
March 1, 2021 - Juyanne James on "Tables Scraps and Other Essays" - in partnership with PGCMLS.
March 3, 2021 - Laurieann Gibson on Dance Your Dance - with PGCMLS, Joe's Movement Emporium, and the Prince George's Community College's Center for the Performing Arts.
March 4, 2021 - Community Conversation with Prince George's County's Jackson rodeo family - 4 pm, with PGCMLS.
March 8, 2021 - In conversation with Michael Twitty - in partnership with PGCMLS.
March 9, 2021 - Robert Hamilton on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and the Poor People's Campaign of 1968 - in partnership with PGCLMS.
March 11, 2021 - Community Conversation with Sylvia Dasi, the County Executive's African Diaspora liaison - with PGCMLS.
March 15, 2021 - Part Two of our Women in Faith: Diverse Voices Speak - join us for a roundtable discussion at 7 pm. Brought to you in partnership with PGCMLS.
March 18, 2021 - YA Book Discussion on Five Feet Apart - In partnership with PGCMLS.
March 25, 2021 - Ed Morales on Where Identity Politics Go Wrong - part our Voting: Democracy in Action series with PGCMLS, made possible with support from Maryland Humanities.
March 25, 2021 - W. Ralph Eubanks on A Place Like Mississippi - in partnership with PGCMLS.
March 30, 2021 - The Elephant We Don't See Diversity Dialogue - featuring Lee Maracle's I Am Woman. Held in partnership with PGCMLS.
March 31, 2021 - Immigration, Civil Rights, and Electoral Engagement with Azadeh Shahshashani - part of our Voting: Democracy in Action series with PGCMLS, made possible with support from Maryland Humanities.
April 1, 2021 - We were proud to support PGCMLS and the Maryland Libraries for Maryland Libraries Together Viva Latino: Own Voices Writers in Conversation.
April 6, 2021 - Morgan Rogers in conversation about Honey Girl, brought to you by PGCMLS.
April 8, 2021 - We held a Women in Faith: Exploring Ramadan conversation with Rahmah A. Abdulaleem, in partnership with PGCMLS.
April 13, 2021 - Alina Boyden's Gifting Fire launch event with PGCMLS.
April 21, 2021 - Part Two of The Academy Stories/Admissions Project with special guests Ellen Ann Fentress, W. Ralph Eubanks, and Paulette Boudreaux - with PGCMLS.
April 27, 2021 - our Diversity Dialogue series with PGCMLS continued as we discussed The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson.
April 29, 2021 - We held an important community conversation about How To Respond to Anti-Asian Bias with special guests from the Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the Prince George's County State's Attorney, and a town council member from the town of Cheverly. Brought to you in partnership with the PGCMLS.
May 3, 2021 - Jacqueline Allen Trimble on American Happiness - in partnership with PGCMLS
May 4, 2021 - Our Voting: Democracy in Action series continued as Steve Fiffer, co-author of CT Vivian's memoir It's In the Action joined us to talk about the new book and Reverend Vivian's legacy - in partnership with PGCMLS, NewSouth Books, and the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights.
May 11, 2021 - Kirun Kapur on Women in the Waiting Room - with PGCMLS.
May 17, 2021 - We honored the anniversary of Brown v Board and talk to Steve Suitts about his new book Overturning Brown - with PGCMLS and NewSouth Books.
Our YA book discussion with PGCMLS continued as we discussed The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue.
May 25, 2021 - Jordan Denari Duffner in conversation with Simran Jeet Singh on Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) - In partnership with PGCMLS.
June 1, 2021 - We were thrilled to support PGCMLS as they hosted Clint Smith's National Book Launch Event for his new book How The Word Is Passed. Brought to you in partnership with Loyalty Books, Joe's Movement Emporium, and Prince George's Community College Center for the Arts.
June 2, 2021 - We joined PGCMLS in welcoming host Reverend Norman Allen of the Davies Unitarian Universalist Congregation for an LGBTQ+ Literature Discussion Series.
June 7, 2021 - Christina Proenza-Coles on American Founders - with PGCMLS and NewSouth Books.
June 9, 202 - Lenny Duncan on United States of Grace with guest host Teddy Reeves - in partnership with PGCMLS.
June 16, 2021 - We supported PGCMLS as they hosted Dwayne Ratleff in conversation about Dancing To The Lyrics.
June 21, 2021 - award-winning jazz poet TJ Anderson III on Poetry and Jazz - Black Music Appreciation Month event with PGCMLS
June 23, 2021 - Maria Hinojosa on Once I Was You with guest host Ofelia Montelongo - in partnership with PGCMLS.
June 29, 2021 - The Elephant We Don't See Diversity Dialogue continued with Cooper Lee Bombardier's memoir, Pass With Care. A partnership between the Office of Human Rights and Prince George's County Memorial Library System.
July 13, 2021 - We featured two generations of blind African Americans, Denna and Arthur Ray Lambert on The Legacy of Segregated Schools for the Blind. Brought to you with PGCMLS.
July 14, 202 - Ken Woodley in conversation about The Road To Healing - brought to you with PGCMLS and NewSouth Books.
July 20, 2021 - Kendra Allen in conversation on "The Collection Plate" in partnership with PGCMLS.
July 22, 2021 - Our YA Book Discussion series with PGCMLS continued as we discussed A Curse So Dark And Lonely.
July 24, 2021 - Our office hosted a Unity Rally in Fort Washington in response to a hate crime targeting a resident because of her sex (female) and race (Asian). We gathered with community leaders, elected officials, and police and gave the clear message that hate has no home in Prince George's County and we are proud to be Prince Georgians.
July 26, 2021 - On the anniversary of the ADA, we welcomed young disability activist Findley Holland in discussion with Christopher Neuhaus about disability awareness with PGCMLS.
July 27, 2021 - Our Elephant We Don't See Diversity Dialogue with PGCMLS continued as we discussed Killers of the Flower Moon.
August 3, 2021 - We joined PGCMLS in Welcoming Glenn Singleton in Conversation on "Courageous Conversations About Race" with guest host Jarvis Givens.
August 25, 2021 - We once again supported PGCMLS in their LGBTQ+ Literature Discussion Series with Rev. Norman Allen.
August 31, 2021 - Our Elephant We Don't See Diversity Dialogue series with PGCMLS continued as we discussed Anne Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi.
September 9, 2021 - We welcomed civil rights icon Bob Zellner in conversation about Wrong Side of Murder Creek. Brought to you in partnership with PGCMLS and NewSouth Books.
September 14, 2021 - Jennifer De Leon in conversation on her new essay collection, White Space. This Hispanic Heritage month event was brought to you in partnership with PGCMLS.
September 20, 2021 - We welcomed ground-breaking Latinx poet, C.T. Salazar, in conversation about writing, identity, and librarianship as community-building. This Hispanic Heritage month event was brought to you in partnership with PGCMLS.
September 23, 2021 - Our YA book discussion series with PGCMLS continued as we get together to talk about Raina Telemeier's graphic novel, Ghosts. Readers of all ages are invited to join us! Please register in advance here: https://www.pgcmls.info/event/5375836
September 28, 2021 - Our Elephant We Don't See Diversity Dialogue series with PGCMLS continued as we discussed Carmen Maria Machado's In The Dream House.
October 6, 2021 - We were thrilled to welcome legendary civil rights leader, Dolores Huerta, in conversation. Watch our conversation with this exceptional, inspiring activist here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N2L3HketE0. Proudly presented in partnership with the Prince George's County Memorial Library System.
October 12, 2021 - We were proud to support PGCMLS in the One Maryland One Book events for 2021, featuring Ross Gay and The Book of Delights. On the 12th we co-hosted a book discussion and are pleased to have been able to partner on another fantastic One Maryland One Book series.
October 12, 2021 - We supported PGCMLS in hosting Zack Smedley in conversation on Tonight We Rule The World.
October 14, 2021 - We talked to author Robert "Bob" Mayer about his new book, In the Name of Emmett Till, in partnership with PGCMLS and NewSouth Books.
October 20, 2021 - We joined PGCMLS in welcoming author John Elizabeth Stintzi for a fantastic, lively conversation. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmSBlrDMNBI
October 26, 2021 - Our Elephant We Don't See Diversity Dialogue series with PGCMLS continued as we discussed We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib. This was the last of the series for calendar year 2021 and tears were shed! Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7xjK5sdU-A
October 27, 2021 - We welcomed filmmaker and creator Chris Haley to talk about the stunning short documentary "Unmarked". After viewing the film together, we talked to Chris about his work, the legacy of enslaved people in our area, and ongoing work to preserve and recognize their resting places. This was part of our ongoing Freedom Stories partnership with PGCMLS, Joe's Movement Emporium, and Prince George's Community College's Center for the Performing Arts, inspired by Dr. William G. Thomas, III, and his exceptional study A Question of Freedom. Watch the film over Kanopy: https://pgcmls.kanopy.com/. You can also watch our discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fnwu6gU5IE.
October 28, 2021 - We joined partners PGCMLS, Joe's Movement Emporium, and the Center for the Performing Arts in hosting Sonya Renee Taylor.
November 1, 2021 - We welcome Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley Jones to talk about her searing, critically-important new collection, Reparations Now!. Brought to you in partnership with PGCMLS and featuring special guest host, Prince George's County Poet Laureate Sistah Joy Alford. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJiVg6Yj5vw
November 2, 2021 - Prince George's County Reads 2021 kicks off as we discuss the introduction and first chapter of William G. Thomas III's incredible A Question of Freedom, part of our Freedom Stories initiative with PGCMLS, Joe's Movement Emporium, and PGCC's Center for the Performing Arts. Learn more about the book: https://pgcmls.info/event/5728896
November 3, 2021 - We support PGCMLS as they host Jamise Harper and Jane Mount in conversation about Bibliophile: Diverse Spines. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D98GTROCt8
November 9, 2021 - We joined PGCMLS as they welcomed Eden Appiah-Kubi in conversation about her new book, The Bennet Women. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo7rjYbhhNY
November 10, 2021 - Our partnership with NewSouth Books and PGCMLS continued as we talked to Ben Beard about The South Never Plays Itself: A Film Buff's Journey Through the South on Screen. Watch that conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pokiCQhS80
November 17, 2021 - We were thrilled to debut a new series with PGCMLS called Findley and Chris Talk Truth. Together these two hosts will dive into a host of topics around disabilities and disability awareness. Their first guest was Lamar Wilson, an extraordinary poet and professor, who joins them in a discussion about "Disability and Academia." Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwe1RfGRbLQ
November 18, 2021 - Our YA Book Discussion series with PGCMLS continued as we discussed Love From A to Z.
December 1, 2021 - Guest host, award-winning writer Kendra Allen, spoke to Iowa Prize Winner Sufiya Abdur-Rahman about Heir to the Crescent Moon. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zUmbxm08uE - Event in partnership with PGCMLS.
December 6, 2021 - We welcomed Dr. Bruce Mitchell from NCRC and real estate professional Chazi Diggs for our Does Your Zip Code Impact Your Whole Life series, this one focused on housing. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEyGCKy6VKM
December 7, 2021 - Prince George's County Reads 2021 continued as we discussed Chapter Two of William G. Thomas III's incredible A Question of Freedom, part of our Freedom Stories initiative with PGCMLS, Joe's Movement Emporium, and PGCC's Center for the Performing Arts. Learn more about the book here: https://pgcmls.info/event/5880596
December 9, 2021 - We welcomed authors Frye Gaillard and Marti Rosner in conversation about their book The Slave Who Went to Congress, as part of our ongoing series with PGCMLS and NewSouth Books. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5OFv3lEamc