About this Event
In COUSINS we find out what happens when a White woman, Phoebe, contacts a Black woman, Betty, saying she suspects they are connected through slavery. Betty and Phoebe take us through the emotional journey of discovering their past and through it, each other. From the age of 13, the fight for racial equality was a centre point in Betty’s life. She was one of 22 African- American children seeking the right to attend the whites-only schools through a lawsuit filed by the NAACP against the school district of Warren County, Virginia. By contrast, Phoebe grew up in an all white school with a racist father, tasked with the responsibility of unlearning his attitudes and ideals outside of her home. COUSINS delves into the dramatic lives of both women, from Betty’s experience desegregating her county to Phoebe’s eventual question to Betty: “How do I begin to repair the harms?”
Piercingly honest, COUSINS offers examples of reparation on a personal level through the story of two women’s lives coming together. This event is free and open to all, either in person or accessible through our Facebook and Youtube pages (@busboysandpoets).
Please RSVP if you are joining us in person or are interested in purchasing a signed book with shipping (limited to those tuning in via livestream)
The program will begin at 5:30 PM with a half hour of socializing and time to settle into your seats before an introduction from Busboys and Poets Books Director of Operations, Lori Barrientos Sanchez. There will be time for Q&A with the audience before the end of the program, as well as the opportunity to purchase a copy of COUSINS for the editors and contributors to sign the night of!
Praise for COUSINS:
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine writes, "I'm very excited about this remarkable book. I hope the experiences of Betty and Phoebe will inspire others to sit down at the table of sisterhood and brotherhood to promote racial healing."
Edward L. Ayers, Professor of Humanities, President Emeritus, University of Richmond says: “This powerful book weaves together the eloquent stories of two impressive women—stories of survival, determination, and awakening, of honesty, spirituality, and success. They give us a detective story and a mystery, a reconciliation and a celebration. A reader will be grateful for all of them.”
Danita Rountree Green, trauma healing facilitator and playwright, Richmond, VA: “How marvelous that, in this time of endless separation, two people came together across so many barriers to build new bridges for healing old wounds. This memoir is a testimony to the power of forgiveness and a tribute to how truth can set us free.”
Leymah Gbowee, 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winner: "I highly recommend this amazing story of racial reconciliation."
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th Street Northwest, Washington, United States
USD 0.00 to USD 28.00