Join us for a riveting conversation with award-winning biologist Beronda Montgomery as we discuss her book\, \;When Tree s Testify: Science\, Wisdom\, History\, and America&rsquo\;s Black Botanic al Legacy. \;
\nThe histories of trees in America are also the histories of Black Americans. Pecan trees were domesticated by an ensl aved African named Antoine\; sycamore trees were both havens and signposts for people trying to escape enslavement\; poplar trees are historically a ssociated with lynching\; and willow bark has offered the gift of medicine . These trees\, and others\, testify not only to the complexity of the Bla ck American narrative but also to a heritage of Black botanical expertise that\, like Native American traditions\, predates the United States entire ly.
\nIn \;When Trees Testify\, award-winning plant bio logist Beronda L. Montgomery explores the ways seven trees\, as well as th e cotton shrub\, are intertwined with Black history and culture. She revea ls how knowledge surrounding these trees has shaped America since the very beginning. As Montgomery shows\, trees are material witnesses to the live s of enslaved Africans and their descendants.
\nCombining the wisdom of science and history with stories from her own path to botany\, Montgom ery talks to majestic trees\, and in this unique and compelling narrative\ , they answer.
\nRegister today for this insightful discussion about Black history and botanical mastery. \;
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\nBeronda L. Montgomery\, PhD\, is a w riter\, researcher\, and scholar who pursues a common theme of understandi ng how individuals perceive\, respond to\, and are impacted by the environ ments in which they exist. Her primary laboratory-based research has been focused on the responses of photosynthetic organisms (i.e.\, plants and cy anobacteria) to external light cues. Additionally\, Beronda pursues this t heme in the context of effective mentoring and leadership of individuals\, and the role of innovative leaders in supporting success.
\nBeronda is author of two books \;When Trees Testify: Science\, Wisdom\, H istory\, and America&rsquo\;s Black Botanical Legacy \;(2026\, He nry Holt and Co.) and \;Lessons From Plants \;(2021\, Har vard University Press).
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