As the American colonies fought to free themselves from the British two hundred and fifty years ago, one fifth of that population — the enslaved African-American population — undertook their own struggle for liberty. Their stories of ingenuity and heroism speak to us, two and a half centuries later, of how precious the birthright of freedom really is, and how it’s worth fighting for.
New York Times bestselling author M. T. Anderson, whose National Book Award-winning novel The Pox Party explored this history, will discuss some of the lost and overlooked stories of that revolution within the Revolution, and why they’re important to remember in this celebratory anniversary year.
About the Speaker
New York Times Bestselling author M. T. Anderson writes books for children, teens, and adults, including The Pox Party, which won the National Book Award; Elf Dog & Owl Head, which won a Newbery Honor Award, and the science fiction satire Feed, which was a Finalist for the National Book Award and which won the L.A. Times Book Prize. Another science fiction satire, Landscape with Invisible Hand, was made into a movie starring Tiffany Haddish and Asante Blackk. His nonfiction book Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad was one of the Wall Street Journal’s Best Books of the Year. His most recent book, Nicked, is a historical heist story set in the eleventh century. He lives in New England.
Photo by Erin Thompson
