VERGENNES — Long before the Civil War commenced, another war was taking place in the U.S. Historian and Rokeby Museum director Jane Williamson will give an illustrated presentation on the philosophies, strategies, and tactics of the 1830s abolitionists of Vermont on Nov 14, at 7 p.m., at Bixby Memorial Library. The talk will compare the efforts of Vermont abolitionists with those of earlier antislavery movements and explore their impacts on American society.
The lecture, titled “The War Before the War,” is a part of Bixby’s partnership with the Vermont Humanities Council and the Vermont Reads Project. The Vermont Reads’ 2017 book is Jacqueline Woodson’s “Brown Girl Dreaming.” In vivid poems Woodson shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights Movement. Williamson’s lectures aims to address what happened before Woodson’s childhood that informed and influenced American culture.
Williamson’s talk is on of many programs centered around “Brown Girl Dreaming” happening all over Vermont. The event is part of the Freda Fishman Stroh Cultural Events Series and is made possible through the Vermont Community Foundation and the Rokeby Museum. Contact Muir Haman at [email protected] or 802-877-2211 with questions or to reserve a copy of the book.