**Questions for the speaker can be submitted on the Registration page.**
\nWe welcome you to our conversation with journalist and author Lee Hawkins as he talks to us about the examination of his family&rsquo\;s legacy of post-enslavement tr auma and resilience in this riveting memoir\, \;I Am Nobody's Slav e: How Uncovering My Family&rsquo\;s History Set Me Free. \;
\ nI Am Nobody&rsquo\;s Slave \;tells the story of one Black family's pursuit of the American Dream through the impacts of systemic ra cism and racial violence. This book examines how trauma from enslavement a nd Jim Crow shaped their outlook on thriving in America\, influenced each generation\, and how they succeeded despite these challenges.
\nTo t heir suburban Minnesotan neighbors\, the Hawkinses were an ideal American family\, embodying strength and success. However\, behind closed doors\, t hey faced the legacy of enslavement and apartheid. Lee Hawkins\, Sr. often exhibited rage\, leaving his children anxious and curious about his prote ctive view of the world. Thirty years later\, his son uncovered the reason s for his father&rsquo\;s anxiety and occasional violence. Through researc h\, he discovered violent deaths in his family for every generation since slavery\, mostly due to white-on-Black murders\, and how white enslavers i mpacted the family&rsquo\;s customs.
\nHawkins explores the role of racism-triggered childhood trauma and chronic stress in shortening his anc estors' lives\, using genetic testing\, reporting\, and historical data to craft a moving family portrait. This book shows how genealogical research can educate and heal Americans of all races\, revealing through their sto ry the story of America&mdash\;a journey of struggle\, resilience\, and th e heavy cost of ultimate success. Register today to join the conversation!
\nAbout the Author: \;Lee Hawkins is a 2022 Pu litzer Prize finalist as a lead reporter on a series about the Tulsa Massa cre of 1921 at the \;Wall Street Journal\, where he worked fo r nineteen years. He has received several fellowships\, including The Cart er Center&rsquo\;s Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism \, the Alicia Patterson Foundation Journalism Fellowship\, the O&rsquo\;Br ien Fellowship for Public Service Journalism\, the USC Annenberg Center fo r Health Journalism National Fellowship for reporting on child well-being. Hawkins is a five-time winner of the National Association of Black Journa lists&rsquo\; &ldquo\;Salute to Excellence&rdquo\; Award. He is the creato r and host of the podcast &ldquo\;What Happened in Alabama?&rdquo\; and li ves in the New York City area.
\nhttps://edisonpubliclibrary.libnet.inf o/event/12801727 URL;VALUE=URI:https://edisonpubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/12801727 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/edisonpubliclibrary/Lee_Ha wkins.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR