The histories of trees in America are also the histories of Black Americans. Pecan trees were domesticated by an ens laved African named Antoine\; sycamore trees were both havens and signpost s for people trying to escape enslavement\; poplar trees are historically associated with lynching\; and willow bark has offered the gift of medicin e. These trees\, and others\, testify not only to the complexity of the Bl ack American narrative but also to a heritage of Black botanical expertise that\, like Native American traditions\, predates the United States entir ely.
\nIn When Trees Testify\, award-winning plant biologist Beronda L. Montgomery explores the ways seven trees\, as well as the cotton shrub \, are intertwined with Black history and culture. She reveals how knowled ge surrounding these trees has shaped America since the very beginning. As Montgomery shows\, trees are material witnesses to the lives of enslaved Africans and their descendants.
\nCombining the wisdom of science an d history with stories from her own path to botany\, Montgomery talks to m ajestic trees\, and in this unique and compelling narrative\, they answer.
\nRegister today for this insightful discussion about Black history and botanical mastery.
\n\;
\nAbout the Author:
\nBeronda L. Montgomery\, PhD\, is a writer\, researcher\, and scholar who p ursues a common theme of understanding how individuals perceive\, respond to\, and are impacted by the environments in which they exist. Her primary laboratory-based research has been focused on the responses of photosynth etic organisms (i.e.\, plants and cyanobacteria) to external light cues. A dditionally\, Beronda pursues this theme in the context of effective mento ring and leadership of individuals\, and the role of innovative leaders in supporting success.
\nBeronda is author of two books When Trees Tes tify: Science\, Wisdom\, History\, and America&rsquo\;s Black Botanical Le gacy (2026\, Henry Holt and Co.) and Lessons From Plants (2021\, Harvard U niversity Press).
\n\nA Service of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.
\ nhttps://broward.libnet.info/event/16605365 URL;VALUE=URI:https://broward.libnet.info/event/16605365 ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/broward/LSC._When_Trees_Te stify._2026.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR