Events for April 23 - February 5

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    Restless Dissatisfaction: An Urgent Call for the Pursuit of Justice and Equality

    Famed actress, activist and filmmaker, Erika Alexander presents the keynote lecture at the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium at the University of Michigan, which PBS Books will be livestreaming on Jan. 20. Alexander is an actress, trailblazing activist, entrepreneur, creator, producer, director and one of the country’s boldest, most daring, and powerful voices. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Maxine Shaw in “Living Single,” Detective Latoya in “GET OUT,” Cousin Pam in “The Cosby Show,” and recently Coraline in the hit movie, “American Fiction. Recognizing the power of storytelling, Alexander believes that although content [...]

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    Rashaad Newsome – Engineering Futures: Art, Code, and the Architecture of Liberation | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series

    Rashaad Newsome is a multidisciplinary artist whose work blends several practices — collage, sculpture, video, music, computer programming, and performance — to form an altogether new field. He seamlessly merges art, code, film, and community-building to create immersive experiences that explore the intersections of Blackness, queerness, and futurism. Using the equalizing force of sampling, he crafts compositions that surprise in their associative potential and walk the tightrope between identity politics, social practice and abstraction. Assembly, his groundbreaking exhibition and film, brings together dancers, artificial intelligence, animation, collage, sculpture, holography, and soundscapes to reimagine collective liberation. Central to this work is Being, the Digital Griot — an AI-powered entity that embodies [...]

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    PBS Books Readers Club – “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt

    PBS Books Readers Club launches season two with award-winning author Shelby Van Pelt to examine her extraordinary story, Remarkably Bright Creatures Join PBS Books Readers Club on Wednesday, January 29 for a captivating conversation with Shelby Van Pelt as she discusses her heartwarming debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures. This engaging virtual event will offer an in-depth exploration of Van Pelt's extraordinary narrative, which blends humor, emotion, and an unforgettable bond between a widowed woman and an octopus named Marcellus. Remarkably Bright Creatures tells the story of Tova Sullivan, a grieving widow who forms an unlikely friendship with [...]

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    1491s – The Full Migizi | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series

    The 1491s are a dynamic Native American sketch comedy group known for their razor-sharp wit and fearless approach to storytelling. Comprising a collective of Indigenous creators, including writers, performers, and filmmakers, The 1491s challenge stereotypes and celebrate Native culture through humor, satire, and an unflinching lens. Their work spans viral videos, stage performances, and contributions to acclaimed television projects, such as the groundbreaking series Reservation Dogs. Rooted in their identities and histories, The 1491s use comedy as a tool for activism and cultural expression, engaging audiences with narratives that amplify Indigenous voices. Their performances often blend traditional storytelling with contemporary issues, fostering a greater understanding of Native experiences while [...]

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    The Wright Conversations featuring LaTosha Brown

    PBS Books is proud to share a conversation from the Charles H. Wright Museum! LaTosha Brown, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, delivers a powerful keynote address about MLK Day. Her speech explores the critical need for African Americans and all disenfranchised members of our community to exercise the right to vote as a means of achieving social justice. Her remarks highlight the healing power of love amidst personal grief and loss. Brown emphasizes that understanding our shared humanity requires embracing pain and compassion providing a perfect start to the Wright’s annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s enduring legacy. [...]

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    George Rodriguez – Guardians, Altars, and Community | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series

    Born and raised in the border city of El Paso, TX, George Rodriguez creates highly ornamented ceramic sculptures, largely unified by a connection to sociopolitical themes. Drawing inspiration from his Mexican American upbringing and experience with global travel, his guardian figures, tomb sculptures, and installations commemorate and build community. Realized with ornamentation, humor, and reverence for heritage and celebration, his art aims to build bridges between cultures and across time. Recent projects include a permanent installation at the new Kansas City International Airport, a community tile mural at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, and an outdoor public sculpture at CASA of Maryland, an immigration advocacy organization in Baltimore. [...]

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    Stacey Kirby – The Bureau of Personal Belonging | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series

    Stacey Kirby is a queer, white-bodied, self-appointed civil servant and interdisciplinary artist known for creating participatory installations that explore themes of identity, community, and civil rights. Through interactive performances and immersive environments, she invites audiences to reflect on their roles in civic and social engagement. Kirby’s work takes place in traditional art spaces and alternative public spaces such as restrooms, on billboards and at protests. As the recipient of the 2025 Roman J. Witt Artist-in-Residence Award, Kirby will collaborate with the campus community to create a new iteration of The Bureau of Personal Belonging, reflecting the current cultural, societal, and political landscape. The Bureau, a series of performances set [...]

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    Slavery After Slavery Author Talk with Dr. Mary Frances Berry

    Slavery After Slavery by celebrated historian and author Dr. Mary Frances Berry traces individual true stories showcasing how formerly enslaved families and their descendants were systemically injured through white supremacist practices, perpetuated by the legal system.

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    asses.masses – Ya Herd? Theatre, Games, Democracy and Donkeys | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series

    asses.masses is a custom video game designed to be played from beginning to end by a live audience, one person at a time. It’s the 7+ hour epic story of a herd of unemployed donkeys trying to get their jobs back, all while navigating the perils of a post-Industrial society in which they’ve been made redundant. Cheeky, political, and best described as Animal Farm meets Pokémon meets Final Fantasy, asses.masses puts the control(ler) in its audience’s hands and asks them to discover the space between the work that defines us and the play that frees us. asses.masses creators Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim are conceptual artists exploring urgent questions around the social value of art, digital labour, and the political [...]

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    PBS Books Readers Club – ‘Good Dirt’ & ‘Black Cake’ by Charmaine Wilkerson

    PBS Books Readers Club is delighted to welcome critically acclaimed author Charmaine Wilkerson to discuss her captivating new novel Good Dirt and her bestselling debut, Black Cake. The episode premieres on February 26 at 8PM ET as a PBS Books Facebook Live event, on the PBS Books YouTube channel, pbsbooks.org, and the PBS app. Good Dirt tells the story of Ebby Freeman, a woman who unravels the connections between a childhood tragedy, a treasured family heirloom, and her ancestors’ enduring legacy. Through multiple generations, Wilkerson masterfully explores themes of family, identity, and how the past shapes the future. Good Dirt is [...]

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    Tiff Massey – Whatupdoe | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series

    Tiff Massey is an artist whose practice centers around adornment and community. Massey creates jewelry, sculpture, performance, video, music, and immersive environments with large-scale jewelry pieces and quilts. Massey was the first Black woman to earn an MFA in metalsmithing from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. She draws on 1980s hip-hop culture and her experiences as a Detroit native to explore the concept of adornment in African diaspora and contemporary issues surrounding race, class, and popular culture. Massey merges her art practice with meaningful community engagement to explore the relationship between identity, public space, and community. Her installation 7 Mile + Livernois, currently on display at the Detroit [...]

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